Illini in Italy
- Illini HQ, Florida Panhandle
Coaching Carousel (Basketball)
- Status
(1) I wonder how things would have gone for the 2022-23 team if Podz had been on the roster, instead of either Skyy Clark or Brandon Epps. I have no opinion about it, I just wonder if he could in fact have been featured using the minutes given to Clark in particular.
(2) Interesting that the Illini offense this year -- emphasizing 3 point shooting over dribble drive -- seems to closely resemble the GS Warriors' offense.
I share your sentiment, but with a caveat:
Would $2 million/year ($7 million - 5 million salary difference) be divertable to player salary? Coincidentally, that amount might (or not) have brought Coleman back this year.
Honestly, this happens with a good program and a system that puts weight on what the players think. They come to the coach with what they are comfortable doing. Players should have some say in what is being run.
Now, this might have been a situation that the players literally knew better than our DC but I have a hard time believing that Underwood didn't have a hand in this defensive change.
Man, I just don't think that it being the NIL era means that any coach should be fired if they have a down year since apparently it should be so easy to restock with talent and have them gel. Lots of really great coaches who have had seasons falling on their faces, even with NIL.
Do you think Kansas should fire Bill Self because they're having a relatively down season even with (maybe even due to) NIL?
If you are earnestly asking this question than you either only started watching Illinois in 2021 or you really have negative basketball knowledge.
C'mon dude.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
lol, what do you prescribe a message board that is bipolar, schizophrenic, depressed, manic, with PTSD, ADHD, and anxiety?
Bigtex
- DFW
But is it that much different that Weber taking Self recruits to the championship game? and then 7 more years of declining basketball because of recruiting.
I believe the question/statement is that Groce with someone else's recruits (Underwood's) might be able to get more out of this team. Not that Groce can build/recruit a better team, Illinois tried that with no success.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Groce had a lot of big misses in the recruiting arena that hurt him and most critically wasted a ton of his and his staff's time and effort, but he did bring some pretty strong players through, recruiting is not his weakness by any means.
Just on a basic tactical, schematic level he gotten beaten like a drum by the Beilein's and Painter's and Izzo's of the world over and over and over again. It couldn't have been any clearer that he wasn't in their league with the dry-erase board in his hand, and with BU it's the opposite as much as some failures lead people to want to believe otherwise.
Nick Smith one time said that Bill Self was like your older brother and Bruce Weber was like your high school math teacher.
His high school dunks were legend. It’s actually kind of a shame we never got to see that dog snap a rim
Underwood made it clear in his interview that they'd wanted to make defensive changes for some time but needed enough collective health to practice them so they were waiting until potentially after this game and Kylan said they're ready and led the way.
Keep in mind Kylan was clearly recruited to serve as a floor general. The whole point of him as a player is to generate and implement schemes, so it shouldn't be a diss on Underwood that he's doing what he was recruited for.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
I understand the desire to memory-hole the particulars of the Groce Era, but dear god people, you need to remember this.
I'm just saying Luke Yaklich is a defensive guy right?
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
This to me is another situation where both things can be true.
There is nothing wrong with open communication and feedback between players and staff. Quite the opposite, it is very healthy and I would argue crucial to a successful season.
However, I do not believe that this is the first time player feedback was given, and nor do I believe the staff was open to acting on it, until very recently. So credit Brad & Co for adjusting now but previous criticism still stands. Waited far too long.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
To be fair, most of the starters (if not all) make more than that.
This is where I’ve been for awhile. I thought people weren’t putting enough importance on what him being hurt/sick had on this team. He is a huge part of what we’re trying to do —especially on offense — and his absence negatively impacts other players’ performances. Now with Morez out, he is even more important. Though Tomi is fairly young, I also think he has a calming influence. Much like a big security blanket.
Groce's strength was recruiting. Think about that.
John Groce was bad. Fear of a John Groce repeat isn't a good enough reason to keep a coach.
Bill Self is a superstar. Until Illinois gets a coach of his caliber in here fans will be calling for an upgrade.
In no way is Brad Underwood in the superstar coach tier where people like Coach K, Dean Smith, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Bob Knight, Lute Olson, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Bill Self, Jay Wright sit. All of those I listed have a natty (7 have 2 or more), 4 or more final fours, 10 or more P6 conf. championships, win % > 70% at P6 school, conf win % > 70% at P6 school (except izzo and wright), and 8 or less years at a P6 school to reach first final four.
Is Brad at the next tier down, the Thad Matta, Bo Ryan, Matt Painter tier? Maybe, though his career achievements aren't as good as those three and he's older than Painter and Matta. But until you've found a superstar coach you don't stop looking. And if you want to fire Brad, show me some freakin' names, and put their last 6 years of accomplishments against his side by side.
Bill Self is a superstar. Until Illinois gets a coach of his caliber in here fans will be calling for an upgrade.
In no way is Brad Underwood in the superstar coach tier where people like Coach K, Dean Smith, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Bob Knight, Lute Olson, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Bill Self, Jay Wright sit. All of those I listed have a natty (7 have 2 or more), 4 or more final fours, 10 or more P6 conf. championships, win % > 70% at P6 school, conf win % > 70% at P6 school (except izzo and wright), and 8 or less years at a P6 school to reach first final four.
Is Brad at the next tier down, the Thad Matta, Bo Ryan, Matt Painter tier? Maybe, though his career achievements aren't as good as those three and he's older than Painter and Matta. But until you've found a superstar coach you don't stop looking. And if you want to fire Brad, show me some freakin' names, and put their last 6 years of accomplishments against his side by side.
Yes. He was The Hammer for Belien and then Shaka Smart before getting a head coaching opportunity at UIC.
How would the personalities fit if we poached Chris Lowery from Northwestern? What about Bryan Mullins at DePaul?
I’m on a Saluki kick at the moment i guess.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
And we are still waiting for the pg that would save those teams. Maybe winning a couple of recruiting battles could have helped a bit, but the Groce era was nothing short of a failure from high-level recruiting to being consistently outcoached. We sure did finish second in a lot of those big name recruiting battles though.
Last edited:
Big Jack
- Decatur
- Status