College Hoops Coaching Carousel
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1. According to fightingillini.com only 5 people didn’t: Joey Biggs, Zach hammer, Nicole Anderson, Adam fletcher, Paul schmidt
2. By what definition? Both players and coaches acknowledge a lack of control. There are fights during practice, multiple players transferring out mid-season, players refusing to enter games two years in a row.
3. Podz shouldve obviously been given playing time here in hindsight, and I just don’t believe Griffin and Miller left against their will.
‘Chicagoland’ and ‘Downstate’ is just the easy shorthand for identifying two regions within the same State that have very little in common with each other. It’s like two different countries entirely. One area that is more small-and-middle-town community and farm culture-ish... and the other a major metro area with all of it’s associated cultural offerings along with the big problems of a major city in today’s world.
That must have some factor (beyond the other shenanigans of ‘influence’) on why it’s been so hard over the years for Illini to get top talent out of Chicago. Ayo was a very pleasant deviation from the norm. Young people in Chicago just don’t have reasons to relate to ‘Downstate’ (all areas outsider Chicagoland) Illinois. How could they?
And when you get outside of Illinois these days you realize just how bad the reputation of Chicago and Illinois is. The general vibe is Chicago/Illinois = Corruption and a Place To Stay Away From. That’s what’s mostly on the Web and in general conversations with people you meet along the way.
How much this translates to challenges in further making the Illini program ‘Elite’ remains within the eye of the beholder. But this meme is definitely out there and strong.
Why are people talking about firing?
People say Underwood is looking around. So if he gets an offer elsewhere, Josh Whitman will have to decide how badly he wants to keep him.
JW has already made BU a top 7 paid coach in all of NCAA. If BU is still looking around, it seems very reasonable for JW to decide not to “do whatever it takes” to keep BU, and he might even make it a little easier for BU to go based o who he thinks he can hire.
No one is saying “fire BU”. Personally, I don’t think we should continue to go “all out” to keep him either though.
People say Underwood is looking around. So if he gets an offer elsewhere, Josh Whitman will have to decide how badly he wants to keep him.
JW has already made BU a top 7 paid coach in all of NCAA. If BU is still looking around, it seems very reasonable for JW to decide not to “do whatever it takes” to keep BU, and he might even make it a little easier for BU to go based o who he thinks he can hire.
No one is saying “fire BU”. Personally, I don’t think we should continue to go “all out” to keep him either though.
That might hold water if those guys left to be assistants at Alcorn State, but they all left for more money in two of the most consistently great programs in the last 20 years, and to coach under HOF coaches.
If your girlfriend of a couple years leaves you for Tom Brady is that really an indictment of you as a bf? Maybe, but most people would say “I get it.”
sacraig
- The desert
Not necessarily. I think Underwood has rope left because his prior performance has generally been great and this one down season was still decent despite the fact that we had to replace something like 80% of our scoring from last season. But that's all based on recent performance. I don't think the part I bolded is enough justification to keep someone in general if their more recent performance drops.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Wish I could give you bonus likes JUST for the Carole King reference......nice work bro.......it really really is.................
How about everything west of Harlem Avenue? For some, that's true. Brookfield and La Grange are the beginning of the hinterlands.
Yep yep. That's essentially what I was saying. I think we agree or are close anyway. I said the below as well, which you did not include in the part you bolded, but i feel adds the missing context here:
"The needle will have to point further downward and for a lot longer time than 1/2 a season for this to happen."
This reminds me of New Jersey. Most people think of New Jersey, by looking out the plane window when they land at Newark. Newark is a pit, but once you get out of the metropolitan area of New Jersey, it is quite nice. Especially if you get downstate near Exit 2-6. Same concept is in people minds when they think of Chicago.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
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sacraig
- The desert
What about during rush hour?
Those in Aurora might be offended to be included in Chicagoland. I think anything outside of the borders of Chicago, wants to be considered downstate.
socalini
- So Cali
I have a few additional issues:
*Losing to practically every "rival" we have this season:
**Mizzou (x1) (most painful of all to me personally)
**Iowa (x1)
**Ohio State (x1)
**Northwestern (x1)
**Purdue (x1)
**Indiana (x2)
*Losing to Penn State 3 Times in one season
*Looking sloppy and disconnected most of the second half of this season
*Digging ourselves into huge first half holes all season
*Higher than expected season to season player turnover
*Higher than expected season to season AC turnover
*Frequent over-the-top dressing down of players during games
Regarding the last one, I'm 57; no millennial. As a confident and competent person, I don't respond to that. If we have players that are doing things that are so far off base from what you are asking them, sit them at the end of the bench and ignore them until they ask why they're there. Explain why. Rinse. Repeat once. Replace them with a walk-on.
I was a big BU supporter until this season, but the frustration I felt watching this team was mid numbing.
All that said, I still think BU could do big things here with some adjustments. But if you tell me you're in your dream position and then act otherwise, and we have an "elite" level replacement ready to sign on, sign me up.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
You know , now that I think of it Mr. Dillon never called Chester by the name of Chet in all the years that Gunsmoke was on TV.......................I really really don't.............................
Agree this is a midday map. Then again rush hour might result in a semicircle not visible to the naked eye.
Ha that's funny. I've made that approximate drive more times than I care to think about. I'll just say it's a totally different story at 7am on a weekday.
But I think this actually does a good job a defining Chicagoland vs Narnia. Thanks for sharing.
Ryllini
- Lombard
I'll try to be betterI am starting to hope he leaves so I will quit hearing the term "Chet." Nobody ever called him that as a player, an adult, a coach, or anything except on this message board...
Yes there are other issues, but the Loyola one strikes me the most. There was no reason for that
John Groce or 2nd phase Bruce Weber would have loved 21-13 NCAA bid wins over UCLA and Texas. Might have helped them keep their job. If this is new Brad Underwood floor I am OK with it. We just need more ceiling seasons like #1 seed 2021 and B10 Champions 2022.
Brad has proven very adaptable
post 2021 - losing all 3 assistant coaches and #1 recruit Miller - added Plummer, Still won B10
post 2022 - full of transfer portal, start of NIL, reloading after losing 85% of team to graduation plus Andre and Pods to portal. Added TSJ Dainja MM and Skyy
Post 2023 - semi-disappointing season after great start, failure of switching defense, chemistry issues with senior transfer portal add and heralded freshman mid season departure. What will he do?
JMO
we had 4 impact first year players.
- Dainja - solid B10 center with great upside. Needs to improve defense outside of lane so he does not have to play drop coverage.
- Sencire - phenomenal defender. Great athleticism. Need to work on jump shot.
- Jayden - great scorer, very poised. Ran out of gas at end of season.
- Ty - great rebounder, good ball handler. Need to work on mid range jump shot.
Sophomore Slump
- RJ never got comfortable shooting. Great athleticism. Missed Trent, DaMonte feeding him.
- Luke - injury destroyed season.
These 6, If they all come back plus Nico and Amari form solid core.
Seniors
- Coleman, very talented but frustrating player. Like his defense, ball handling, energy and rebounding. Tries too hard passes so too many turnovers. Erratic scorer. he should not shoot logo 3 pointers. Wished he took it to the basket more. Showed flashes of post game. I think he should come back for his senior year. I just think he needs more playing time develop and playing college is better than playing g-league or overseas.
- TSJ. Great athlete but struggles to create his own shot and cannot finish in lane. If it is me I would stay another year to keep working on my game but it is possible he is at his ceiling in which case he should go pro.
Brad DEFINITELY could have done a better job. We all know that but I still put some of the blame on the 2020 tournament being canceled. We really needed to play in at least one tourney game that year to have some one and done experience. I still feel bad for a Feliz and Kipper. The rest of the team ended the season on a emotional win against Iowa and firmly believing they could beat anyone on the country. This rolls over in 20-21 season and we run into a Loyola team that had multiple players go to the final 4 a few years before. That goes for coaching as well; Brad had always been an underdog in the tournament previous to that and it’s a different animal when you’re the hunted.
You're going to believe whatever you want even though the facts have been stated on here multiple times you just refuse to change your thoughts because they don't fit your narrative. You have no idea what goes on behind the scenes so I'm not gonna deal with dumbassery from you.
Goillinikobd
- Southeastern US
Wow, this thread is pretty unbelievable, like the creation story, making something out of nothing.
JW knows more, makes more $$ and has more authority in this matter than ALL of the insiders, outsiders and j### sniffers combined.
Until he officially goes on the record, this is a couple hundred screens of what we used to call mental mas$&#@*$ion
JW knows more, makes more $$ and has more authority in this matter than ALL of the insiders, outsiders and j### sniffers combined.
Until he officially goes on the record, this is a couple hundred screens of what we used to call mental mas$&#@*$ion
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