Good article, and these are some telling quotes. I do not claim to know all BIG donors to UI, but I know 2 of them very well from own days working at UI. I had a casual conversation with one of them, I had posted that, and the feeling was exactly the same. They have confidence in Whitman and whatever decision he makes.
2017 Coaching Carousel
- Status
Good article, and these are some telling quotes. I do not claim to know all BIG donors to UI, but I know 2 of them very well from own days working at UI. I had a casual conversation with one of them, I had posted that, and the feeling was exactly the same. They have confidence in Whitman and whatever decision he makes.
Doesn't sound like donors are demanding change. It sounds like they are good with whatever JW chooses.
Despite personal opinions I find it extremely comforting.
Good point obe, it has to be right this time, 5-6 more years ugg.
The Path Forward
This is a crucial moment and opportunity in Illini Basketball history to evaluate what we are as a program and where we want to go. Most everyone on this board gets that the Illini have a rich and special history and we want to see a high level of success once again. But there has been a long-time disconnect between Illini fans and the outside world. The outside world sees the U of I as just another school if they see it at all. This even applies to most people around the Chicago and Metro East St. Louis areas. And there is a generational gap between older Illini fans who know what this program was and should be, and talented 18 year-olds coming along who can choose to go anywhere in the country they want. They might only judge their future on how much bling or TV time a location has and how quickly they can get to the next level. Most of these young men might think of Illinois as just a place where they grow corn. And there is likely the feeling that Champaign, Illinois is not exactly the most exciting place for an 18 year old to want to be. How does this all change? By making Illini Basketball unique. By making it special. By making it a place where a talented player WANTS to come. Make it a place where there is so much talent wanting to come that you’ll have to turn them away. Make it a place where an Illini coach does not have to come begging with hat-in-hand and hoping to get lucky once in a while to bag a superior talent, but a place synonymous with superior talent where a young talent yearns to play.
How do you do it? Yes, you start with the coach. But we’ve all seen places where once the name coach leaves, the program regresses or dies. So this can never be just about the coach. It must be about the ENTIRE CULTURE. Make Illinois the most special place a baller can come. Create a superior vision and atmosphere. Make it a place where a young man knows his basketball talent will grow, and that he will learn how to maximize his talents with superior business, marketing, and public relations skills. And most of all, make it a place where a young man knows he will leave a much better person for having been there. Make the Illini Basketball Culture synonymous with the classiest, highest integrity, top place to learn how to win the right way and become a better man in the process. Win with class and integrity. Superior basketball now and a superior person when they leave.
Everyone involved can have a role in creating this new culture. But it must start with VISION and RESOLVE AT THE TOP to make it happen. Make the Illini Basketball Culture the Best in Breed. Make it bigger than any one coach, or any group of recruits. Make the entire basketball culture and experience so superior that the won-loss record cannot help but become of consistent blue blood level and without any stain of corruption or yearly begging for relevance. I don’t want to put the Illini on the level of North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke, or Kansas. I want it ABOVE that level. And I don’t mean this in an arrogant sense. I’m talking about making Champaign a place and culture that is the Basketball Mecca that the Home of March Madness should be. Turn the Illini into a place where any 17 year old anywhere in the world knows is the MOST COOL PLACE in the world to play ball and go to school. And they will learn to love the cornfields as much as we do. This is what I've always wanted for Illinois basketball. The time is now and the path is there if they have the vision to take it.
This is a crucial moment and opportunity in Illini Basketball history to evaluate what we are as a program and where we want to go. Most everyone on this board gets that the Illini have a rich and special history and we want to see a high level of success once again. But there has been a long-time disconnect between Illini fans and the outside world. The outside world sees the U of I as just another school if they see it at all. This even applies to most people around the Chicago and Metro East St. Louis areas. And there is a generational gap between older Illini fans who know what this program was and should be, and talented 18 year-olds coming along who can choose to go anywhere in the country they want. They might only judge their future on how much bling or TV time a location has and how quickly they can get to the next level. Most of these young men might think of Illinois as just a place where they grow corn. And there is likely the feeling that Champaign, Illinois is not exactly the most exciting place for an 18 year old to want to be. How does this all change? By making Illini Basketball unique. By making it special. By making it a place where a talented player WANTS to come. Make it a place where there is so much talent wanting to come that you’ll have to turn them away. Make it a place where an Illini coach does not have to come begging with hat-in-hand and hoping to get lucky once in a while to bag a superior talent, but a place synonymous with superior talent where a young talent yearns to play.
How do you do it? Yes, you start with the coach. But we’ve all seen places where once the name coach leaves, the program regresses or dies. So this can never be just about the coach. It must be about the ENTIRE CULTURE. Make Illinois the most special place a baller can come. Create a superior vision and atmosphere. Make it a place where a young man knows his basketball talent will grow, and that he will learn how to maximize his talents with superior business, marketing, and public relations skills. And most of all, make it a place where a young man knows he will leave a much better person for having been there. Make the Illini Basketball Culture synonymous with the classiest, highest integrity, top place to learn how to win the right way and become a better man in the process. Win with class and integrity. Superior basketball now and a superior person when they leave.
Everyone involved can have a role in creating this new culture. But it must start with VISION and RESOLVE AT THE TOP to make it happen. Make the Illini Basketball Culture the Best in Breed. Make it bigger than any one coach, or any group of recruits. Make the entire basketball culture and experience so superior that the won-loss record cannot help but become of consistent blue blood level and without any stain of corruption or yearly begging for relevance. I don’t want to put the Illini on the level of North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke, or Kansas. I want it ABOVE that level. And I don’t mean this in an arrogant sense. I’m talking about making Champaign a place and culture that is the Basketball Mecca that the Home of March Madness should be. Turn the Illini into a place where any 17 year old anywhere in the world knows is the MOST COOL PLACE in the world to play ball and go to school. And they will learn to love the cornfields as much as we do. This is what I've always wanted for Illinois basketball. The time is now and the path is there if they have the vision to take it.
https://illiniboard.com/story/2017/3/5/stop-staying-it/
Arricle from Robert. Echoes some of points about what happened with Weber and how Groce has followed.
Arricle from Robert. Echoes some of points about what happened with Weber and how Groce has followed.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
IMO....Cuonzo Martin would be a band-aid on a bullet wound. I am ready for a change, but at this point, he's not much...if any kind...of an upgrade.
He's just change for the sake of change, which rarely works.
Groce might be the same band-aid on a bullet wound, but maybe this incoming class qualifies as quick clot....or at least an I.V. with the right blood type. :noidea:
He's just change for the sake of change, which rarely works.
Groce might be the same band-aid on a bullet wound, but maybe this incoming class qualifies as quick clot....or at least an I.V. with the right blood type. :noidea:
Hell you don't give Groce anything, he's proven nothing, except losing.
I understand the sentiment, and I agree it is more about the program than just the team. But W-L is the primary factor in this equation.
I hate to say it, but what you describe is exactly what DUKE is right now. The current perception, outside personal biases, of what exactly you describe is DUKE. No doubt about that. JMO.
Thanks for posting that. Robert succintly stated my feelings for both coaches. I agree with his conclusion 100%.
Good to see you back Karl. With absolutely NO insider info, My gut says you're correct with that statement.
Personally, couldn't agree more. I would have fired him a year ago.
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MrOizo
- Chicago
I agree with this sentiment. JW will do what he thinks is best and has well-deserved support. Whatever happens, I cannot claim to know 5% of the factors at play in a situation like this.
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If Groce happens to be retained it will sadden me. I'm not angry and I'll still support the program, but I think I just won't invest myself as much. I've had season tickets for 15-16 years and I went to 2 games this year. It's time to give them up. It's a lot of time to invest for a mediocre team. I'm not a big donor, so no one will care. John Groce is a good guy who works hard. But I don't see any reason to not try to find someone better. After 5 years, his record is who we are now. The circumstances of each year no longer matter, neither does the group we have coming in.
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Wow, what did you have for breakfast today? I want some. Illinois above NC, Kentucky, Duke, or Kansas? I suspect you also want the Bears to play ABOVE the level of the Patriots. Maybe Nancy Pelosi will become the reincarnation of Abe Lincoln or maybe Lovie Smith will lead Illinois past Ohio State and Alabama this fall. I guess it never hurts to aim high. If I was that optimistic, my wife would accuse me of having had head trauma. Please let me know what your recipe is for those nice delusional thoughts though. Maybe I'll move back to Champaign and get a place overlooking a cornfield. I L L !!!
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Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
kcib8130
- Parts Unknown
I find it interesting that Cuonzo losing a few games at the end of the season takes him out of consideration here, but JG's winning a few games didn't seem to change anyones opinion.
I'm not advocating for either side, but it is funny that people seem to view whatever helps their argument.
I'm not advocating for either side, but it is funny that people seem to view whatever helps their argument.
It's nice that those donors have confidence in JW. I hope it is well placed because of the kind of person he is and not for some other reason. (RG disciple sort of thing) I'm not saying that is the case, I'm just saying I hope it isn't.
I will say this, if JW retains Groce, my confidence in JW will take a severe hit. And I'm one of the guys who loves Groce and wanted him to win out so badly and make the dance.
Winning always helps to cure woes. And I disagree that it "didn't seem to change anyones opinion" as plenty of people were starting to come around to the idea that Groce may have finally figured it out.
Then Rutgers happened and we realized it was all a mirage and we simply got hot for a few games against the middle/lower tier teams in the B1G. (this year anyway)
I will say this, if JW retains Groce, my confidence in JW will take a severe hit. And I'm one of the guys who loves Groce and wanted him to win out so badly and make the dance.
Winning always helps to cure woes. And I disagree that it "didn't seem to change anyones opinion" as plenty of people were starting to come around to the idea that Groce may have finally figured it out.
Then Rutgers happened and we realized it was all a mirage and we simply got hot for a few games against the middle/lower tier teams in the B1G. (this year anyway)
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kcib8130
- Parts Unknown
It's nice that those donors have confidence in JW. I hope it is well placed because of the kind of person he is and not for some other reason. (RG disciple sort of thing) I'm not saying that is the case, I'm just saying I hope it isn't.
I will say this, if JW retains Groce, my confidence in JW will take a severe hit. And I'm one of the guys who loves Groce and wanted him to win out so badly and make the dance.
Winning always helps to cure woes. And I disagree that it "didn't seem to change anyones opinion" as plenty of people were starting to come around to the idea that Groce may have finally figured it out.
Then Rutgers happened and we realized it was all a mirage and we simply got hot for a few games against the middle/lower tier teams in the B1G. (this year anyway)
From reading his board, my opinion was that most had just been convinced that JG would be retained, not necessarily that he learned how to coach.
Seems like the athletic department is getting the message out that Groce is coming back. Maybe they can give away half of the tickets to MSU or whatever they did recently to boost attendance next year? Can't imagine a reverse in this trend with the same ataff
I could see that. But I also saw several posters talking about how the game was fun to watch again and that defense had stepped up and shot selection was way better.
That says more to me than people thinking he is doing just enough to be retained. In the end, though, it's a moot point as we couldn't handle the powerhouse that is Rutgers.
DarrenTheKramericaIntern
- Chicago, IL
Not saying I am advocating Cuonzo Martin as the answer, but I've seen reference to Cal's first round flameout vs Hawaii last year. Cal was a little behind the 8 ball that game with its starting backcourt out due to injury.
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2016/03/21/cal-basketball-crash-whats-next/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2016/03/21/cal-basketball-crash-whats-next/
- Status