McNamara is going to make a difference. He's going to be really good. He's starting off well.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
The main reason for that, was their FT shooting percentage:
The game they had against Houston was absolutely putrid.
It's a good thing a certain kid from Chicago didn't agree with your way of thinking back in 2017.
madillini4
Ozamataz Buckshank
- Millywaukee
hated boeheim but they are a basketball school through and through, much like Illinois. Wouldn’t mind them getting back to winning as I always liked McNamara. They should invest in a new basketball arena, but idk what their books look like.
Yep, we were absolutely mired in mediocrity, for a decade, before Ayo changed everything by taking a chance. I think some of our younger fans forget what we were.
Mac was a home run hire, but let's not forget their first choice was Bryan Hodgson.
Remember that name, he's not long at PC. That guy is a killer. Whoever gets him next is going to reap the rewards - next big name on the seen. Learned under Oats, flipped Arkansas St and South Florida instantly. Will be running that heavy analytics based offense. Orphan, ice in his veins. In ten years, he's top of sport.
Him and Jai Lucas are next gen. Hurley probably has ten years left, not sure if he does some of that in
Why so many of these programs default to their crappy assistant coach to the legend without any HC experience is beyond me. Red Autry was such a bust. The forced alumni hire is one of the worst decisions in CBB. Duke did alright by Scheyer, but he was trained for 9 years and given a Ferrari. I think there was a decent chance he bombed had he taken the DePaul job. Nice guy, but comes off a bit canned.
The worst hire is the ex NBA star.
UNC - Hubert
UK - Pope
Cuse - Red
UConn - Ollie (won a title off Calhoun's fumes, the ran them into the ground)
Nova - Neptune
GTown - Ewing
There have been some bad coaching hires that have run legendary programs into the ground. Georgetown may have the next biggest brand to Duke in the 80s/90s as were Urban America's team with John Thompson, Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo and Iverson. Then he stepped down and they never really recovered after they tried Ewing in the seat. Now the fan base is completely apathetic.
Nova was on top of the CBB world there with Wright, they made a terrible hire in Neptune and now have to climb out of the hole they dug with a decent, not great coach in Willard.
When UConn was firing Ollie, they're short list included guys like Thad Matt and Tom Crean. Imagine if they went that route?
Absolutely love him but I think Frazier started the Illini evolution...
Trent, Damonte & Giorgi are the OG’s.
To a degree. They went 11-27 in the B1G their first two years.
Kofi doesn’t get enough flowers. He changed everything.
Trent, Giorgi & Damonte were all in the same class..no?
Before Kofi, we were horrible. As soon as he arrived, we were really good.
Yet, it's indisputable that Ayo was our best player and head of the snake.
So it's those two for me.
Yet, it's indisputable that Ayo was our best player and head of the snake.
So it's those two for me.
Ayo was the catalyst for everything we are experiencing now there isn't even a conversation to be had about it. Ask anyone there.
Yep I agree and it's why you can make a pretty strong argument that Ayo is the GOAT in the program's history.
The question is, do we land a Kofi if Ayo wasn't here. Did he attract higher profile recruits? Ayo brought instant credibility by his commitment alone then, once here, he brought a swagger that made coming here "cool" again. The Michigan shot, the daggers vs OSU, etc....there was an electricity that we didn't have in a LONG time.
Trent, GB and Frazier were critical pieces to winning, but I don't think we're getting the higher level of recruits in the door(at that time) without Ayo. Glad we didn't have to find out.
He's got a darn good argument for being the GOAT. Before him(and after the 2006 year), a good season for us was just not being on the bubble. If we got in as a 6 or 7, it was a really good season. Generally, we were sweating it out and after that, we weren't even in the conversation.
When Ayo came, his first year we were clearly in the rise because we had a star and here we are. If we're not a top 4 seed, people are ticked.
One COULD argue that the GOAT is Brad. Ayo isn't here without him. Brad sold a vision, which sold Ayo and Ayo was a fantastic ambassador of the program. Still is. Was he here without BU....don't think so.
If Ayo and Kofi don't come on board Frazier just becomes another example of a great Illini player who didn't have enough talent around him to win anything. See, e.g., Malcolm Hill.
St. Johns- Chris Mullin
(asst. Mitch Richmond)
madillini4
Ozamataz Buckshank
- Millywaukee
Malcolm never getting to the tournament is a travesty.
The one thing I can never forgive John Groce for. Malcolm is still one of my favorite players for us and he deserved so much more.
Didn't a certain AD swoop in and get Brad from OKSt?
There's a lot of credit to go around with the program rise. Josh, Brad, and a lot of players who've given it their all. And program supporters helping out too. Ayo is probably the singular guy who would put guys on his back and not shy away from a big moment. We've had it sooo good these past few years - Kofi, Ayo, TSJ, Keaton. The list of AA level guys keeps growing.
Great call on Josh.....he just rolls with the ever changing landscape of college sports. He's a sharp guys who always seems to be one step ahead.
I'll go one better...without JW do we get Brad....and if no Brad....do we get Ayo
Guess I should have read the other posts before posting.....delete
Well, if you think about it, Josh Whitman probably doesn't end up as our AD if he didn't play football for Illinois. And who recruited him here? Lou Tepper. So basically Illinois basketball is enjoying its current success thanks to Lou Tepper.
iLL 89ers
- Dallas,TX.......Born and raised in Alton,Illinois
Very fair argument no doubt...Ayo,.as a player who stayed true to their home state IMHO in Illinois basketball along with Dee Brown or Frank Williams changing the program...what they did for the program often gets forgotten...with all due respect too past great players from all over Illinois. Whether from Chicago. Downstate...central Illinois etc...but so many can be argued !!! you mentioned....Eddie Johnson etc....but I'm very pro `89 Illinois team when all the instate studs came and called Illinois home...from every area of the state of Illinois....pretty much all them guys was from Illinois was GOATS...I would love them days to be re-visited.....but in this day and age of NIL...I think them are long gone. To this day my biggest heartbreak from a Illinois (Chicago) kid not becoming an Illini' would be Derrick Rose....my heart is still broken along with "Benji" Wilson who I truly believe would have been in that "Cloud" RIP, I know I have moved off your great post...but all that stays in my head rent free....and I enjoy it!
hooraybeer
- Peoria, IL
by that logic, we should really be thanking John Mackovic for taking the Texas job. without that, Tepper isn’t promoted, doesn’t recruit JW who then doesn’t become AD and hire BU who then never lands Ayo. thanks John Mackovic
you could also argue that we should thank RG for keeping Tepper long enough to recruit JW…