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#176      
Curbelo Fanboy
wncillini said:
I'll word it a little different with an example.

When it became clear that bama was running away with the sec, other already very successful programs fired their very good coaches...with pretty recent national championships.....to aim higher. Thats what was required of them to compete. Without that pressure, everyone would have stayed where they were thinking all was good.

The bar for competing for a national championship is much higher than moderate occasional success, which is where we are now. If you are let say northwestern, you want the top of the conference static and struggling to be more attainable. A school like illinois aiming for their first national championship will benefit from that upward pressure of conference success.
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I've been a Brad critic but if this is a veiled shot at him or calling to move on, that is batsh$t insane at this point. Brad shut some folks up this March (myself among them). I thought for a long time we were waaay too 3 dependent to go deep in March.

Our 3 attempts in March were as follows:

36 vs Penn (seems high but we made 15 which is 41% so when they drop, fire away my friends)
24 vs VCU (making 9)
23 vs Houston (making 9 again)
17 against Iowa (making only 3)
26 vs UCONN (making only 6)

We made clear & obvious tactical changes to go inside more. Earlier Underwood teams (& maybe this one in December) would have lost the Iowa game by going 5/34 from 3. Instead, we tactically adjusted & just pounded the crap out of the paint as the game wore on. We also played a bit faster in that game as it wore on.

Against UCONN we just couldn't make anything. Hell we missed enough 5 footers to win the game right there. We were the better team IMO we just shot awful.

I've gone from a Brad critic to a Brad defender. 2 years ago after UCONN destroyed us he realized we didn't belong from a roster perspective. He has developed a much bigger roster size wise the last couple years. We clearly belonged on Saturday.

There is always more work to do but Brad has shown a willingness to adjust, adapt & learn. I suspect he will get back to the elite eight/final four level again in coming years. That is the key. The final four needs to be more "routine" than celebration for the program. Don't get me wrong, I went to the airport last Sunday to greet the team. Made the 3 hour round trip from Chatham. Glad I did it. Loved it & would do it again. However, the 3 times in my life Illinois has gotten this far it seems we were swallowed up by the moment just a bit. It should be celebrated but it's not done yet. When it feels like the once in a lifetime thing, it may well effect the pressure the team feels to perform. Get back there next year or 2 years from now & it doesn't feel so "stifling". You get there enough you eventually kick the door down.
 
#177      
wncillini
Tonight's results have absolutely no impact on our longterm outlook. Seeing the gap between us and Michigan (and Duke/Arizona for that matter) this year does show we have room to grow, but we do not need them to win a natty for us to feel upward pressure.

That is just a strange argument, imo. If anything, losing to UCONN in the Final Four has more impact on us to put in the effort to get back to the table again.
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I think losing in the final four is motivation enough for blue bloods but not for a 2nd tier programs like ours. For us its a historical season. Our last 5 decades of not doing what it takes to get to the next level despite poor tournament success is what im pulling from. Hopefully our current ad and the current staff aren't happy with "just" a final four.
 
#178      
lstewart53x3
ChiefGritty said:
We've been a top 20 KenPom team 5 of the last 6 years. Our success is greater than moderate and more than occasional.
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For real, in the last 6 years, we have:

- 6 NCAA tournament appearances
- A 1 seed, two 3 seeds, and a 4 seed
- An E8 and a F4
- a top 10 Torvik rating
- 5 first round draft picks
- 3 one and dones
- 4 all Americans
- the most wins in the B1G
- two regular season B1G championships
- two B1G tournament championships

And the program is continuing to recruit better and improve each year.
 
#179      
Illini2010-11
lstewart53x3 said:
For real, in the last 6 years, we have:

- 6 NCAA tournament appearances
- A 1 seed, two 3 seeds, and a 4 seed
- An E8 and a F4
- a top 10 Torvik rating
- 5 first round draft picks
- 3 one and dones
- 4 all Americans
- the most wins in the B1G
- two regular season B1G championships
- two B1G tournament championships

And the program is continuing to recruit better and improve each year.
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I posted in another thread, but this year will mark three straight seasons of getting an Illini drafted in first round (four if you softly count Podz -- moreso for talent evaluation and recruiting purposes).

Illinois and Purdue have been the long term front runners for the league over the past decade. Michigan would also be here if they did not have the terrible hire before May.

Of course we want a natty, but to suggest we only have moderate success, pretty much disregards the hard data from the last decade. If anything, we have been the upward pressure for many B1G programs.
 
#180      
wncillini
Curbelo Fanboy said:
I've been a Brad critic but if this is a veiled shot at him or calling to move on, that is batsh$t insane at this point. Brad shut some folks up this March (myself among them). I thought for a long time we were waaay too 3 dependent to go deep in March.

Our 3 attempts in March were as follows:

36 vs Penn (seems high but we made 15 which is 41% so when they drop, fire away my friends)
24 vs VCU (making 9)
23 vs Houston (making 9 again)
17 against Iowa (making only 3)
26 vs UCONN (making only 6)

We made clear & obvious tactical changes to go inside more. Earlier Underwood teams (& maybe this one in December) would have lost the Iowa game by going 5/34 from 3. Instead, we tactically adjusted & just pounded the crap out of the paint as the game wore on. We also played a bit faster in that game as it wore on.

Against UCONN we just couldn't make anything. Hell we missed enough 5 footers to win the game right there. We were the better team IMO we just shot awful.

I've gone from a Brad critic to a Brad defender. 2 years ago after UCONN destroyed us he realized we didn't belong from a roster perspective. He has developed a much bigger roster size wise the last couple years. We clearly belonged on Saturday.

There is always more work to do but Brad has shown a willingness to adjust, adapt & learn. I suspect he will get back to the elite eight/final four level again in coming years. That is the key. The final four needs to be more "routine" than celebration for the program. Don't get me wrong, I went to the airport last Sunday to greet the team. Made the 3 hour round trip from Chatham. Glad I did it. Loved it & would do it again. However, the 3 times in my life Illinois has gotten this far it seems we were swallowed up by the moment just a bit. It should be celebrated but it's not done yet. When it feels like the once in a lifetime thing, it may well effect the pressure the team feels to perform. Get back there next year or 2 years from now & it doesn't feel so "stifling". You get there enough you eventually kick the door down.
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Not a shot at Brad. The attitude the last 50 years at the program, fans and administration alike, has been occasionally good is good enough. I hope thats no longer the case. Brad adjusted quickly to NIL, however the schools with real money are going to figure this out quickly. I fear we won't be able to compete with that. A few years from now the starting lineups are going to approach 50 million.

The staff has shown they are good at finding talent on a budget. Im worried in a few years that won't be enough. Right now seems to be a magic spot where a little extra money can go a long way compared to what it will cost 5 years from now. Assuming we keep the key guys, next year is likely our best opportunity for a few years at making a run at a natty. I hope the school has the courage to pull the trigger if given the opportunity.
 
#181      
ChiefGritty
Illini2010-11 said:
I posted in another thread, but this year will mark three straight seasons of getting an Illini drafted in first round (four if you softly count Podz -- moreso for talent evaluation and recruiting purposes).

Illinois and Purdue have been the long term front runners for the league over the past decade. Michigan would also be here if they did not have the terrible hire before May.

Of course we want a natty, but to suggest we only have moderate success, pretty much disregards the hard data from the last decade.
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And it was a point raised in an argument for rooting for Michigan, a crime that should be punishable by pie in the face.
 
#182      
Fly Illini Fly!
Illini2010-11 said:
Tom Cruise What GIF
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😂😂😂
 
#183      
wncillini
For real, in the last 6 years, we have:

- 6 NCAA tournament appearances
- A 1 seed, two 3 seeds, and a 4 seed
- An E8 and a F4
- a top 10 Torvik rating
- 5 first round draft picks
- 3 one and dones
- 4 all Americans
- the most wins in the B1G
- two regular season B1G championships
- two B1G tournament championships

And the program is continuing to recruit better and improve each year.
Click to expand...
Weve had this success before. This is about where we stop when we get here. Has the past several times. Its nice. Its fun. Are you happy if this is it? Most fans and the athletic program have said say yes, which is why we dont make the next step.
 
#184      
Curbelo Fanboy
wncillini said:
Not a shot at Brad. The attitude the last 50 years at the program, fans and administration alike, has been occasionally good is good enough. I hope thats no longer the case. Brad adjusted quickly to NIL, however the schools with real money are going to figure this out quickly. I fear we won't be able to compete with that. A few years from now the starting lineups are going to approach 50 million.

The staff has shown they are good at finding talent on a budget. Im worried in a few years that won't be enough. Right now seems to be a magic spot where a little extra money can go a long way compared to what it will cost 5 years from now. Assuming we keep the key guys, next year is likely our best opportunity for a few years at making a run at a natty. I hope the school has the courage to pull the trigger if given the opportunity.
Click to expand...
I feel 1000 times better with Josh Whitman at the helm vs Guenther or Thomas. Guenther woulda kept Weber forever just cause he took Self's guys to the final four in 2005. You could objectively tell by as early as 2007/08 that we had fallen way off & Weber wasnt' getting us back to that level. And in true Illinois fashion be stayed until 2012.

Josh has demonstrated the ability to pull the plug quicker than past generations. And to the positive he has shown the willingness to pay top $ for successful coaches when warranted.
 
#185      
Illini2010-11
wncillini said:
Not a shot at Brad. The attitude the last 50 years at the program, fans and administration alike, has been occasionally good is good enough. I hope thats no longer the case. Brad adjusted quickly to NIL, however the schools with real money are going to figure this out quickly. I fear we won't be able to compete with that. A few years from now the starting lineups are going to approach 50 million.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure that attitude does not exist today. As long as Josh is in charge, you can be sure the Athletic Department is in the mindset of competing for national championships in all sports (especially football and basketball). Donors are ponying up because they want sustained success. We are in a very good place.
 
#186      
wncillini
Pretty sure that attitude does not exist today. As long as Josh is in charge, you can be sure the Athletic Department is in the mindset of competing for national championships in all sports (especially football and basketball). Donors are ponying up because they want sustained success. We are in a very good place.
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I definitely trust josh a lot more than the previous ADs.....by far. Hopefully he can convince the donors to pony up 2028 money in 2026, because it could make all the difference. Football is a different animal. Basketball, for good or bad, is much easier to be bought.
 
#187      
pruman91
lstewart53x3 said:
For real, in the last 6 years, we have:

- 6 NCAA tournament appearances
- A 1 seed, two 3 seeds, and a 4 seed
- An E8 and a F4
- a top 10 Torvik rating
- 5 first round draft picks
- 3 one and dones
- 4 all Americans
- the most wins in the B1G
- two regular season B1G championships
- two B1G tournament championships

And the program is continuing to recruit better and improve each year.
Click to expand...
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#188      
GrayGhost77
If scUM wins tonight I will win my work Tournament pool (and some decent $$$). That's the ONLY reason I won't hate it too much if they win tonight.
 
#192      
EllderIlliniFan
I am rooting for Michigan to stomp UCONN by 30 to watch Hurley have a coronary. Also my son-in-law is a big Michigan fan and a granddaughter is a Michigan grad. Cannot stand Hurley. His first quote in the news conference after the Illinois game was about how they had beat Illinois in the Fall and he could not wait to rub it in everyone's face that they never should have been the underdog in the game. Maybe some of the betting is against the coach. Do you think. How about the boos during his interview right after the game. Most coaches give props to the opponents, but Hurley had to puff and strut.
 
#193      
jjv0004
I don't like Michigan and their NIL roster but I can't stand Hurley so the choice is easy.
 
#194      
bartwa
Which team in the NCAA would you rather see lose a National Title less, than Michigan or UCONN?
 
#197      
FloridaMan
Man, and I thought Hurley was an !!! watching him many times in the last couple years. But this 5 minute segment of his players talking about his hijinks totally changed my mind!! /s
 
#200      
SuperMetroid
Maybe it’s my nihilistic streak talking here but it just feels cosmically unfair that the universe decided to - yet again - reward the dirtiest athletic department in NCAA history and Dan !!!!ing Hurley. Not to mention 2 of the most spoiled, obnoxious fanbases on Earth. Wish they could both lose tonight 😡
 
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