Illini Basketball 2022-2023

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#451      
I tried looking this up without any luck. Does anyone happen to know if we are playing in a preseason tournament next season?
 
#453      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
And I think that's what Gritty is getting at - you will always have a group of diehard fans, and even some fans "without a connection" (i.e., neither alumni nor townies) will remain avid fans, as well; however, if recent trends continue for several years down the road, I do think you will start to lose a significant chunk of the fans that turn college sports into such a massive industry. And thus, it very well might become more niche, ala the examples he gave. :(
I feel like it's pretty easy to draw an analogy between the NCAA tournament and the Triple Crown horse races, which still get quite high TV ratings and remain a sort of common cultural staple, filling out brackets=girls dressing up with fancy hats, but where the underlying sport was once a massive thriving business and spectator activity that had a big mindshare in the sports and entertainment world, it's now just a super niche thing that nonetheless is in the public eye a few times a year.

Sometimes culture just moves on and there's nothing you can do. But with college football and basketball, and with MLB, I think as of 10-20 years ago there were very strong prospects for them to remain extremely popular cultural fixtures. I'm still cautiously optimistic on MLB, but college sports is well down the path to decline at this point based on decisions they've made that you're all sick to death of me whining about ;).

But you see in it that post above. This gnawing sense that none of this is grounded in any context anymore. That's a totally different nature of complaint than an old coot yelling about the Fab Five's baggy shorts or something.
 
#454      
This is so depressing and so easy to see happening, lol. $hlt.
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#457      
I certainly grew up in the era of coaches being stoned "motivators". See the movie "One on One" with Robby Benson and Annette O'Toole (ah, be still my beating heart - I've always had a special place for that sultry redhead). Loved that movie back in '77 when it came out . . .

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I haven't seen that movie in a very long time. But I seem to remember the hot-shot-ball-hero of the flick at the end telling his coach, 'Hey Coach! Up Yours with a red-hot poker! I can play ANYWHERE I WANT!'

And guess what? That line was prophetic. Seems to be A LOT of that sentiment going around...
 
#459      
As
As frustrating as his many turnovers were, I think a lot of his bad passes were a result of the other players not being in proper position. How many times did he make crazy cross court passes and how many times was it because no one else was near him to receive an easier pass?
That is one interesting take! Some players stay calm and cool. Ch seems to let the other team speed him up and he just makes a lot of bad passes. I don't normally criticize players, but he just needs to calm down.
 
#460      
I'm with you, way too many fans content to see the Illini play "Transfer Portal Roulette" every year. Being reliant on Senior Transfers and Freshmen that end up leaving just to make the first round is not an appealing direction yet appears where we're heading...
The problem is what is Underwood supposed to do when at least half the freshman leave after their freshman year? He has to supplement those defections with transfers to fill those holes left behind(that has had to be the case for Miller, Curbelo, Podz, now Skyy Clark). My belief is some of these freshman are being promised things or under the impression of promises and when they don't get their way, their inner circle gets in their heads and makes them believe this is not the right situation for them to make it to the NBA.
 
#461      
The challenge going forward is if you take only HS recruits and the occasional transfer, you're not likely to ever get "old" as a team, as you will have transfers out. And if you rely heavily on the portal, you never build the long term cohesion needed to succeed. Either path is a Pyrrhic victory we'd rather not endure. I don't have the answer, but I hope the guy making millions does.
Some schools get old/stay old and have minimal defections...such as Michigan St and Purdue. Underwood will need to figure out how to get the types of guys who won't just move on to supposed greener pastures but get loyal guys. It's very hard to do in this day and age. it probably starts with getting players in your own backyard who have a vested interest in seeing Illinois succeed...like an Ayo Dosunmu. How many Chicago area prospects have the Illini gotten since Ayo? Zero
 
#462      

sacraig

The desert
I feel like it's pretty easy to draw an analogy between the NCAA tournament and the Triple Crown horse races, which still get quite high TV ratings and remain a sort of common cultural staple, filling out brackets=girls dressing up with fancy hats, but where the underlying sport was once a massive thriving business and spectator activity that had a big mindshare in the sports and entertainment world, it's now just a super niche thing that nonetheless is in the public eye a few times a year.

Sometimes culture just moves on and there's nothing you can do. But with college football and basketball, and with MLB, I think as of 10-20 years ago there were very strong prospects for them to remain extremely popular cultural fixtures. I'm still cautiously optimistic on MLB, but college sports is well down the path to decline at this point based on decisions they've made that you're all sick to death of me whining about ;).

But you see in it that post above. This gnawing sense that none of this is grounded in any context anymore. That's a totally different nature of complaint than an old coot yelling about the Fab Five's baggy shorts or something.
Based on what evidence? Why do you think college sports are toast?
 
#463      

Mr. Tibbs

southeast DuPage
I don’t think college sports or pro sports leagues are “toast” , but I do think fairly big changes are coming and not necessarily positive for more than even half the D1 football schools
 
#464      
Hawkins needs to be an intangibles guy. Like Rodman, J. Noah, Lucas Johnson, or Damir K. If he brings hustle, intensity, motivation, takes charges, blocks shots, guards the other teams best big man, rebounds, dives for loose balls, that is enough on the plate for one player. For things like breaking the press, being a point forward, and shooting threes he needs to rely on his teammates. He is not Toni Kukoc.
He gets in trouble when he tries to be everything for the team.
The above skills, his ability to switch on defense to guards, and not getting angry when Trae Young, or whatever teammate he has, jacks up 30 shots and he doesn't get any touches on offense will get him to the NBA.

Lucas J. and Damir K. were awesome and fan favorites, despite the non-impressive box scores for anyone who didn't get to see them. But they wouldn't have been awesome if they didn't have players like Frank Williams and Brian Cook to take the star player burden off of them.
 
#466      
Anybody that sees the money being thrown around college sports and thinks they’re “toast” is definitely seeing something different than me.

Culutural zeitgeist is hard to capture in the same way. In terms of sports I’d say there’s the World Cup globally and the Super Bowl domestically but that’s about it. Even the Olympics aren’t that big of a deal to most people anymore.

Even outside of that, look at things like the Oscars, people don’t care in the same way they used to. And in general ever since like marvel movies in the buildup to Endgame and Game of Thrones at its peak level of popularity, you don’t have that same feeling of everyone following the same thing. Music is similar. There’s just too many options people have now with streaming, YouTube, TikTok when it comes to entertainment that you just don’t have everyone interested in one thing on a mass level like you could when there were fewer options.
 
#469      
I expect RJ back
I hope so.

I don’t know if it’s being somewhat selfish. AND…I probably shouldn’t say this but if he goes somewhere else and makes even a moderate leap in consistency and ability I’m gonna be fairly PO-ed…especially after the way Brad stuck by him all year.
 
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