Long ago true, but never forgotten and never forgiven.
College Hoops Coaching Carousel
- Status
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
if I think about it hard enough, I can still see the bread in that extra long loaf wrapped in white paper/plastic and smell the toast as it comes out of the toaster and then with that melted butter slathered across the face if it before she puts it on the plate.
oh man. good times
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
ChazzReinhold
Mom! The Meatloaf!
It’s also interesting to consider that his OK St team was #1 in AdjO. The previous year they were #151. I have no knowledge of that team other than them having a really good PG.
Good, well thought out response Nichi. Thanks. I'm not sure what our average would/should be. I think though, that when you look at what we've done when we're not dealing with some kind of weird adversity (sanctions, bad coach, etc.), our average is that of a pretty pretty good program....
The questions weren't directed to me, but piqued my interest. First, I have been a devoted Illini fan for 60 years, so my definition of modern history might be different than yours.
I agree we shouldn't compare Underwood's tenure to our worst stretch(es), but it's also a bit unfair to compare him to our best, without context.
The 4 sweet 16s in the last 30 years were during 5 seasons from 2000 to 2005.
Prior to that, Lou Henson took us there 3 times from 1983 to 1989.
Unless we go back to the early 1950's, those 11 years have been our actual ceiling.
I'm not sure how to establish a floor. Do we discount the effects of the slush fund, Harv Schmidt and the early 70's investigation, Pearl / Slive, and Weber / Groce?
There was also a bit more to Henson's decline than simply the NCAA sanctions. The recruiting landscape had changed.
DaChief4ever
- Urbana
YUP....always wondered once you get to the 4.5 million per year plateau....what's the big deal about making 5.2? You already got homes, cars and more...
Trivia side bar:
Lou Brown (Indians Manager) is a central IL boy, born about 30 miles south of Champaign in Newman.
well, the argument I was trying to make is with a Gentry on this team this past year, we would have had a Shannon cheat code. And a Matt cheat code.
It is not that we lacked talent this year, after all even the FR actually contributed - inconsistently, granted.
Thank You!
When he ran what offense?…. Wait for it….
……………………..The Spread………….
Don’t tell Derek Piper that…according to him: “the spead, isn’t proven at the P5 level”…that’s bullish_t!
I will agree you get a lot of efficiency/bang for the buck with Gentry’: Horn Sets, ram screens and high BSs but the fact that Underwood had a team running the Spread
and had #1 adjO proves it’s not just about scheme.
Also if Gentry IF such a crackerjack/master tactician @ X’s and O’s coach. How come our biggest scheming failure was on his watch?
I’ll give you a hint…it starts with an “L”.
(The game that shall not be spoken off.)
And that Zoom action wasn’t anything exotic. It’s everywhere now. I saw a video the other day of the Celtics doing it in the 60s. They didn’t call it Zoom of course…and they didn’t throw in the stagger screen. But our inability to stop it was an inability to adapt in real time. IMO.
My Dad was born in Newman...one of very few humans born there. When I was in 6th grade, their heavyweight Jr. High team was very good and played for the state title...but I can't remember if they won or lost. That talent did not carry over to H. S.
DICKnaggie
- Champaign
We certainly didn't lack talent. That said, Kofi was a generational player that teams schemed around. No one on the team this year fits that description and Shannon, as has been discussed many times, was fairly predictable (ball handling issues, going mostly left, straight line drives). Shannon and Matt were never going to be cheat codes in the way Kofi was. Further, even if Gentry had some amazing schemes, if the players aren't running them, what does it matter? I am sure he could have helped but the biggest issue with this years team wasn't that we couldn't get good looks, but that we refused to run anything that may have gotten us those good looks more often. Moreover, we just were not a good shooting team, even when open.
Coach Lunney??? I heard he was a badass on the greens.I’d take me to win that tourney
I think Cal’s athletic department has money issues, so not sure they could out bid anyone at the P6 level even if they wanted to.
Ryllini
- Lombard
One could say that we lacked a true point and a backup point. Even with that glaring hole, I rarely felt the problem was offense given that we were #3 in the B1G in scoring. 3rd in PPG and that is with one of the poorest shooting teams I’ve ever cheered for and a team that loves to give the ball away.
Now, defense is where I felt we struggled. Probably to be expected as there was a whole sale change in philosophy. Gentry as good as he was offensively, I believe he is the one who convinced BU to change his defensive philosophy specifically as it relates to the B1G in the first place.
@illini0440 @Indy Illini Fan @LvilleILL @DB11Headband , feel free to drag me if I’m wrong. @IllinoisssssssVarsity you are a coach, you see the same thing.
Big Jack
- Decatur
Hi Mike how's the golf team.doing this season!I’d take me to win that tourney
If you're that good we have probably actually met before. I will figure out who you really are.
Last edited:
Which schools are trying to get Dusty May of FAU right now? His offense is amazing. Might usher in a new small ball evolution in college basketball
Captain 14
- The Last Best Place
Well 250k+ more to Uncle Sam for one thing
He should stay at FAU. Basically his whole team is back next year barring any portal entries and they should be back in the tourney next year. This team is no fluke, they are really talented and would hold their own in any high major conference.
I'm putting my money on Penn State
chrisRunner7
- Spokane, WA
He could take his whole team with him in the portal, lol
Maybe Xavier will be after him?
Honored to be mentioned among that list of names lemme tell you…
Offensively it’s hard man. Is a lack of a point guard why we didn’t run stuff? Is it because BU gives his guys freedom to make reads if they see something, so maybe they don’t run it as designed? Do they not run it because they just don’t want to? Do they not run it because the other team guards well enough to stop us from running it?
Probably some of all of it.
I felt there were times we ran some stuff well enough and bricked the open shot. I thought Arkansas could guard us one on one so we couldn’t run much. I think it’s natural for most players to press and try to do too much when you miss the shots that the play is designed to get you.
There’s are multiple points in any game where the offense breaks down, and you just need your dude to go get you a bucket. We didn’t consistently have that dude. You can be okay without that dude, if you got 5 guys who are threats and it can be any one of them at any time. But we didn’t have that either.
Defensively, I actually really liked us pressing, but I get stopping it with the concern of our depth. Besides Coleman, idk that anybody was consistent defensively.
Honestly, my team was alot like us this year too (we also didn’t have a true pg, and couldn’t consistently hit a shot, so maybe that’s the answer right there). Inconsistent, to flashes of brilliance, to wondering if these guys have ever played basketball before. So I’m just happy all this $hi+ is over with lol. Let’s move on to next year.
- Status