Agree. Think RJ has the highest ceiling of the 3, but Podz may have been more of an everyday guy and fit better with the culture Brad is trying to instill. We will never know. Still lots of time for RJ to figure it out. Hopefully he’s healthy now and that will help. And best of luck to Podz. Seems like a great kid and hard worker.
Former Illini in College Hoops
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Agree. Think RJ has the highest ceiling of the 3, but Podz may have been more of an everyday guy and fit better with the culture Brad is trying to instill. We will never know. Still lots of time for RJ to figure it out. Hopefully he’s healthy now and that will help. And best of luck to Podz. Seems like a great kid and hard worker.
Wow… that is a quick ticket out town… majors disrespect to coaches
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
Re: Belo I think having Ayo there kept him in line. It's different when your top player is taking coach's verbal lashings (insiders have said he was the most frequent recipient of "you mfer" calls from Brad during practices) and pushing himself and everyone else. Plus, I get the feeling that Ayo is a natural leader; if he sets the standard of work hard and take your lumps in practice, everyone else will fall in.
I think it started to fall apart after Ayo left. Kofi, Trent, and Da'Monte might have shown the work ethic, but I don't think they had the magnetism Ayo did. Without that to gravitate to, it makes sense to me that Belo might have tried to fill that void and went about it in the wrong way, leading to his leaving.
Sounds like he's still up to that, and I'm sure being closer to home and yes men doesn't help anything.
I think it started to fall apart after Ayo left. Kofi, Trent, and Da'Monte might have shown the work ethic, but I don't think they had the magnetism Ayo did. Without that to gravitate to, it makes sense to me that Belo might have tried to fill that void and went about it in the wrong way, leading to his leaving.
Sounds like he's still up to that, and I'm sure being closer to home and yes men doesn't help anything.
I've been a huge Belo apologist in the past. His freshman year, especially the latter half, was so special that I was certain he'd bounce back and be a star at SJU. But his career is shaping up to be one of those, "what could have been" stories.
Still hoping he puts it all together because good Belo really was a joy to watch.
Still hoping he puts it all together because good Belo really was a joy to watch.
Is it okay that I am a supporter of "tough love", hard-nosed coaching, but also a bit uncomfortable with yelling 'you mfer' (A) at college kids?
(A) Hunter Dickinson excluded.
Great post Kat.
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I felt this way initially but am really starting to sour on him. Behavior has not changed, so it was not an 'Illinois' problem. All these stories today make me think back to halftime of the tournament game when he was benched (not that I know what happened, whatever shenanigans he pulled then).
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Whenever someone here posts aboot missing belo and his play I ALWAYS zoom in on that fact of " what really happened in that halftime fiasco
against houston "...............Until i know that , then I can't be on the " hope the best " for belo bandwagon......
What is the predictor of future returns ??.....what historically happened in the past ........
Another thing has always bothered me.....remember the game where belo jumped into BU 's arms and raised his legs up like a child does when in momma or dadda's arms..........I think, as of today and what has happened with belo since that scene with BU and now , it shows a totally immature personality thinking they can do and say and act whatever way they want without any recourse or punishment........Totally falls in line with players being recruited as early as middle school through their HS and AAU play .....being put on a pedestal daily and now being or not being mature enough to handle it .....
I don't lump ALL players in this vein as ALL players don't act this way .....but tough love or desired punishment or whatever term you want to use to designate this situation as , it show's poor judgment on belo's attitude and actions.........sneaking into a game while being suspended is one thing ......tweeting about it and taking pictures of the locker room at halftime and posting those pics is kinda creepy and delusional.....
Someone said this may explain that it wasn't the Illini staff causing the problem , but we had to deal with the problem ....and the problem is belo and his immaturity....I am not one to hope a player fails , but I am one who thinks a player should be mature enough to know and acknowledge they either had a hand in the problem or they WERE the problem.......
the praise heaped on recruits sometimes goes directly to their head and that is what this sounds like to me .......JMHO
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Podz had an interview at the start of the season giving all of his credit to Trent for mentorship and determination. He was an everyday guy that would have been a crucial part to our current roster. He is truly missed.
You know it's possible he's just as jack@$$. Just because he played for our favorite team doesn't make him exempt.
There’s “Good’ Ego and “Bad” Ego.
Good ego is when you’re the best guy on the floor and you use that capital to challenge your teammates to be better than they were yesterday (think MJ). And you make the game quest about Team first and NOT just you (think MJ and Ayo and Trent). And you work to intimidate your opposition by your confidence.
Bad ego is when you act like you’re better than you actually are as a player (or you’re not playing up to your projected-Ego level) and you prance around like a peacock and piss off your teammates and embolden your opponent by looking foolish. And you make it clear that it’s all about you first.
The point guard has to be the orchestra leader. He has to lead the band while listening for and watching how all the other floor instruments are playing in the moment. You do not force things where they are not... and you co-ordinate your floor mates to make beautiful court music together as the situation calls for.
Bad ego players are tone-deaf. They do their floor antics. They refuse to adjust to game conditions (or how they personally are performing that game). They keep trying to play their own noisy tune while everyone else around them just hears a bunch of bad sound.
There is no greater joy than to play with a magnificent point guard. You know that he’s going to get you the ball all kinds of ways... and he’s going to create and improvise when appropriate and pull back on the gas pedal when game conditions call for it.
That’s Good Ego. When your floor game matches your level of self-ego.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
Nowhere in my post did I say he wasn't.
I said Ayo's leadership kept his personality in line. There's a difference
Rinse and repeat
Stevegarbs
- Mokena, IL
I have a real hard time with this one. Knew someone who was a first-hand observer of Illinois practices during the Henson days. Said he never heard him curse, let alone MFer players. Different times now, true, but something about this ain't right with me.
To be clear, I don't think anyone with inside knowledge claimed that he called players a MFer. In my mind, the "MFer" is more of an exasperated interjection that BU yells after someone messes up in practice.
As Bobby Knight taught us, the F
is one of the most versatile words in the English language. It's not so much the word, it's how you use it.I don't think we could have played basketball at my HS if we were perturbed at the use of "MF'er"
Hopkins scores 27 to help Providence beat No. 4 UConn 73-61
Felt like the correct the thread to post this in.
Felt like the correct the thread to post this in.
We really missed out on this transfer. We surely could use him.. Would be great against Northwestern, Penn State, Maryland, Virginia and Missouri.Hopkins scores 27 to help Providence beat No. 4 UConn 73-61
Felt like the correct the thread to post this in.
There aren't too many words in the English language as versatile as the FTo be clear, I don't think anyone with inside knowledge claimed that he called players a MFer. In my mind, the "MFer" is more of an exasperated interjection that BU yells after someone messes up in practice.
As Bobby Knight taught us, the F
" F
It is used as a verb, an adjective, and a noun all in one.
Tophe
- Middle TN
Santa Clara hosts Gonzaga tomorrow night at 9 central. You can watch here
Nice blurb about Podz on the Gonzaga SB Nation site
Nice blurb about Podz on the Gonzaga SB Nation site
Goillinikobd
- Southeastern US
Re Pods, Whoops
Anyone know what degree he's going for? I assume his transfer was more about the degree than playing hoops, but just a guess.
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