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Illini Teams - Biggest Pleasant Surprise and Biggest Disappointment
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<blockquote data-quote="aaeismacgychel" data-source="post: 1870177" data-attributes="member: 748794"><p>For me, my most pleasant surprise was the '98-'99 season. Nobody knew what to expect as our entire starting lineup from the year prior graduated and we handed the keys over to a Sophomore Serge and a bunch of freshmen other than a lot of growing pains. And while there were growing pains, seeing a young Cory Bradford, Robert Archibald, Lucas Johnson, and Damir Krupalija develop was a wonder (By the way, it's pretty funny how many forget that amazing 2001 Self team was actually a team entirely of Kruger's recruits). And man, that BTT run to the championship game as the 11 seed was something I still will never forget. We won what, something like 3 conference games the whole season, but it ended in so much promise. I knew we were onto something huge.</p><p></p><p>As for biggest disappointment, man... From an entire season perspective, the 10-11 Jereme Richmond season which most have mentioned takes the cake. That was a tough tough season, that really is remarkably similar to the one we're having (talented roster, big non-con wins and early season success, players not playing in a manner the coach wants/tuning out, a lot of off-court drama, really inconsistent play with players not being on the same page or moving off-ball to get higher quality shots, and a coach at his wits end in a presser). Rough rough season. </p><p></p><p>But the individual moment that hurt the most for me was the Jamar Smith incident. Not only was it absolutely awful it was the moment that was the beginning of the end of a truly golden era. To this day, I still wonder what might have been had he and Carlwell not stepped into that car that night and had he not suffered from alcoholism. Kid had the most beautiful looking stroke I've ever seen. Imagine that 2009 team with Jamar Smith still on it and Chester Frazier not breaking his hand right before the tourney... Ugh...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="aaeismacgychel, post: 1870177, member: 748794"] For me, my most pleasant surprise was the '98-'99 season. Nobody knew what to expect as our entire starting lineup from the year prior graduated and we handed the keys over to a Sophomore Serge and a bunch of freshmen other than a lot of growing pains. And while there were growing pains, seeing a young Cory Bradford, Robert Archibald, Lucas Johnson, and Damir Krupalija develop was a wonder (By the way, it's pretty funny how many forget that amazing 2001 Self team was actually a team entirely of Kruger's recruits). And man, that BTT run to the championship game as the 11 seed was something I still will never forget. We won what, something like 3 conference games the whole season, but it ended in so much promise. I knew we were onto something huge. As for biggest disappointment, man... From an entire season perspective, the 10-11 Jereme Richmond season which most have mentioned takes the cake. That was a tough tough season, that really is remarkably similar to the one we're having (talented roster, big non-con wins and early season success, players not playing in a manner the coach wants/tuning out, a lot of off-court drama, really inconsistent play with players not being on the same page or moving off-ball to get higher quality shots, and a coach at his wits end in a presser). Rough rough season. But the individual moment that hurt the most for me was the Jamar Smith incident. Not only was it absolutely awful it was the moment that was the beginning of the end of a truly golden era. To this day, I still wonder what might have been had he and Carlwell not stepped into that car that night and had he not suffered from alcoholism. Kid had the most beautiful looking stroke I've ever seen. Imagine that 2009 team with Jamar Smith still on it and Chester Frazier not breaking his hand right before the tourney... Ugh... [/QUOTE]
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Illini Teams - Biggest Pleasant Surprise and Biggest Disappointment
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