So we've marked you down as good with Kwa, Hamer, and Tyler. *thumbs up*
To be fair, I don't expect 0440 to say much when 80% of the talk is badmouthing he and his Hammer friend.
I’m alive. I just think a lot of fans are dumb and short sided lolInsiders Tracker:
@Indy Illini Fan = Things are bad, BU seat warm, few players likely to return, spilling any and all BU related tea
@LvilleILL1 = Team has been dealing with a lot, a good number of players will return, keep hope alive
@illini0440 = notably silent
Hey Hamer ain’t coming back lolTo be fair, I don't expect 0440 to say much when 80% of the talk is badmouthing he and his Hammer friend.
If they want things kept secret, maybe don't emboss the name on items like soap?Put the soap back in the dish where it belongs?
You can make that case if you want, but Podz, Coleman, and Dain have all done very well for themselves after leaving.I am assuming part of the pitch to stay would be to say look at the others who have left the program. They all go to schools that don’t have as much success and haven’t gone on to be drafted/find success in pro leagues….plus if he stays he will be one of the only ones which will allow Illinois to put pieces around him to succeed. I always hear about NIL money for transfers, but is it safe to say that his NIL offer would go up significantly next year if he stays?
Well alright, then. Most definitive insider statement I've seen on that topic to date. (maybe I've missed others)Hey Hamer ain’t coming back lol
Well, that’s one point of view.I’m alive. I just think a lot of fans are dumb and short sided lol
Just my opinion. But yes. I think we will hire 2 new coachesWell alright, then. Most definitive insider statement I've seen on that topic to date. (maybe I've missed others)
If this holds, then I would think there will be 2 assistant coach hires happening this offseason, since Kwa was indicated to be a temporary last-minute fill-in for TA, right?
I ask this question earlier, but I thought insiders were saying shortly after TA stepped aside (which was pretty close to the season practices starting) that BU had someone in mind for his position, but that person wouldn't be available until after this season was over. Rather than try to fill the position with someone that close to the season starting, they wanted to wait and get the person they really wanted to fill the spot.....is that still the case??? Maybe someone in the know can shed some light on this....or am I mis-remembering???As far as I'm concerned, Antigua is the only one who absolutely should stay. Everyone else could or can be a part of the staff shakeup. Hamer needs to go. Nothing personal, it's just business. I'd really like to see Tyler get a position somewhere else so he can spread his wings on his own. GA is a harder call for me. I'd really like to see at least one assistant come in that's at a higher level. If that means Geoff moves on for a better opportunity for him, then I'll accept that and move on.
So for me, I'd like to see us return to a full five-person assistant staff. Antigua stays, Hamer moves on for sure. A full-fledged TA replacement. GA either gets a promotion out or sticks around, then the fifth spot is either TU, KJ, or another entry-level assistant with some promise. Now I fully realize budget will play a role in all of this.
Thing is I’m not sure any of the colleges would be willing to pay him what he was wanting to get paid being the reason he left Illinois.I know there’s some interest between him and some big time programs …
I think in an NIL world, there is more importance on a coach who can develop and knows the Xs and Os. The money will bring in the talent, and surely 1 of your 5 assistants can be a recruiting stud.Our dominant stretch against Indiana is about to end...
They will make a statue of this guy in Bloomington one day. I'm terrified of him WITH Indiana NIL money.
Yep, totally. I think he does a good job building his roster towards the way he wants to play obv. Also, like you say…he def. knows how to develop guys. But not only that, I think he gets more out of guys (in a short time) than most coaches. A much needed skill in this era.I think in an NIL world, there is more importance on a coach who can develop and knows the Xs and Os. The money will bring in the talent, and surely 1 of your 5 assistants can be a recruiting stud.
So now that you've got the horses, it comes down to what can you do with them. Should we be shocked that Calipari has struggled, comparatively, when he doesn't have a talent advantage in every game? I think Chris Beard has shown he's able to develop and knows the game. You give him a talent advantage on top of that, and there's going to be trouble.
Is this sarcasm? Did you see sideline Brad during the WISC game. He was pretty fiery.Illinois under Brad Underwood:
NCAA Tournament Year - Finish
2018 - No tournament
2019 - No tournament
2020 - COVID
2021 - 1 - Round of 32
2022 - 4 - Round of 32
2023 - 9 - Round of 64
2024 - 3 - Elite Eight
If you use this and expected number of wins from when we made the tournament: https://bracketodds.cs.illinois.edu/seedadv.html (thanks whomever did this)
2021 - 1 seed - 3.30 wins
2022 - 4 seed - 1.56 wins
2023 - 9 seed - .62 wins
2024 - 3 seed - 1.84 wins
I believe that's 7.32 wins expected in 4 tournaments and his actual is 5 wins (Rd 32 {1 win}, Rd 32 {1 win}, Rd 64 {0 wins}, Elite Eight {3 wins}). So even ignoring what he inherited and the first 3 years of his tenure, I don't think it's unreasonable to think he's underachieved in the NCAA tournament.
FWIW, I like old fiery Brad and what he's done to turn the program around is amazing. But I don't see the fire in him on the sideline and there are times where his stubbornness and resistance to in-game adjustments absolutely hurts the team.
Are you coming back Tyler?Hey Hamer ain’t coming back lol
So much for thatHe's a very good coach ... We are a better program than Michigan and can pay him more, give him more NIL, and better facilities ...
IU is going to try to poach him ... His buyout is only $5 million ...