Illini Women's Basketball 2021-2022

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#52      

The Galloping Ghost

Washington, DC
I f'ing hate that our women's team is such an afterthought. We haven't made the tournament since 2003. That's before I even stepped foot on campus and I'm old at this point. Just what in the hell are we doing here. I understand Fahey and Josh worked together at WashU, but come on, she's gotta go. The previous 4 years she's gone 14th, 14th, 13th, 13th in the B1G and her record is 6-64. Imagine if a guy's team was that bad, let alone our men's basketball team. We'd have already run that coach the heck out of here and 100% justifiably so. Glad we won today, but that makes us 5-5 on the season with losses to SIUE and Middle Tennessee. This program is a damn tragedy and it sucks that that's the case.
 
#53      
I think Whitman is committed to giving his hires 5 years to get their program going in the right direction. This being Fahey's 5th year it's likely make it or break it for her. So far all their wins are against cupcakes, and they also have a couple of cupcake losses. We will see when B1G play starts but it's not looking good. Fahey has been in over her head since day 1, and hiring Ervin as AC and recruiter is 3 yrs too late.
 
#54      

The Galloping Ghost

Washington, DC
After 4 years, we saw zero progress. We were 5-18 last year and the same ol' 2-16 in the B1G we've been the previous 2 seasons. To justify a 5th year, I'd have at least liked to see an upward trajectory, even if we were still in the bottom third of the B1G. I like Josh and want to give him the benefit of the doubt that he's trying to be pragmatic and not just keeping his friend on the payroll.

So, I guess my question is, what level of progress should Josh want to see after 5 seasons? To me, if we're giving coaches 5 seasons, by the 5th, they gotta be in the middle of the pack in the B1G. By year 5, I would expect our team in the WNIT. During the Grentz years, that was at least the bar we could consistently clear. That is significantly more leniency than we would ever provide a men's basketball coach, but sure, this program has been a doormat so we'll set the bar low for now. Yet, here we are, 5-5 with multiple bad losses. Any hope for a spot in the WNIT is already off the rails and it'll take a herculean effort in the B1G to get us there.

Ultimately, I just wish the powers that be took some pride in this program and treated it with the respect it deserves. Again, I like Josh, a lot, frankly. I think he's made a lot of smart decisions in other sports. He needs to make some here, too. The culture and expectation level needs to be completely reset. "We Will Win!" shouldn't be the expectation for men's basketball and not women's.

And I realize I'm venting this after a win, but Butler is friggin' 0-10 on the season.
 
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#55      
After 4 years, we saw zero progress. We were 5-18 last year and the same ol' 2-16 in the B1G we've been the previous 2 seasons. To justify a 5th year, I'd have at least liked to see an upward trajectory, even if we were still in the bottom third of the B1G. I like Josh and want to give him the benefit of the doubt that he's trying to be pragmatic and not just keeping his friend on the payroll.

So, I guess my question is, what level of progress should Josh want to see after 5 seasons? To me, if we're giving coaches 5 seasons, by the 5th, they gotta be in the middle of the pack in the B1G. By year 5, I would expect our team in the WNIT. During the Grentz years, that was at least the bar we could consistently clear. That is significantly more leniency than we would ever provide a men's basketball coach, but sure, this program has been a doormat so we'll set the bar low for now. Yet, here we are, 5-5 with multiple bad losses. Any hope for a spot in the WNIT is already off the rails and it'll take a herculean effort in the B1G to get us there.

Ultimately, I just wish the powers that be took some pride in this program and treated it with the respect it deserves. Again, I like Josh, a lot, frankly. I think he's made a lot of smart decisions in other sports. He needs to make some here, too. The culture and expectation level needs to be completely reset. "We Will Win!" shouldn't be the expectation for men's basketball and not women's.

And I realize I'm venting this after a win, but Butler is friggin' 0-10 on the season.
Preach!!! Well said - awesome post

I've been following the women's program since 1990 and hard to believe how bad it's been other than the couple good Grentz teams. Go to a lot of Illinois high school girls games and see plenty of impressive players that could make Illinois at least a middle of the road Big Ten team if not better, and of course none of them want to go to Illinois. Sad state of affairs with this program, and has been for a long, long time
 
#56      
You are guys are depressing me. What the hell is Whitman doing? If she is back for a sixth season, it needs an investigation.
 
#57      
Sometimes this loyalty thing carries way to far.....

OverallConferenceStanding
Nancy Fahey (2017–current)​
2017–18Nancy Fahey9–220–1614th
2018–19Nancy Fahey10–202–1614th
2019–20Nancy Fahey11-192–1613th
2020–21Nancy Fahey5-182-1613th
Nancy Fahey: 35-796-64
 
#58      
Sometimes this loyalty thing carries way to far.....

OverallConferenceStanding
Nancy Fahey (2017–current)​
2017–18Nancy Fahey9–220–1614th
2018–19Nancy Fahey10–202–1614th
2019–20Nancy Fahey11-192–1613th
2020–21Nancy Fahey5-182-1613th
Nancy Fahey:35-796-64
Actually pretty impressive to be 2-16 in the B1G and somehow not finish last:)
 
#59      

JFGsCoffeeMug

BU:1 Trash cans:0
Chicago
Sometimes this loyalty thing carries way to far.....

OverallConferenceStanding
Nancy Fahey (2017–current)​
2017–18Nancy Fahey9–220–1614th
2018–19Nancy Fahey10–202–1614th
2019–20Nancy Fahey11-192–1613th
2020–21Nancy Fahey5-182-1613th
Nancy Fahey:35-796-64
sick vomit GIF by New Amsterdam
 
#61      
Is she just targeting the wrong athletes for her system or is her recruiting really that bad?
 
#62      
Just lost to SIU, 51-66. It's our second loss to a school in the SIU system, having already lost to Edwardsville. Again, this is where we're at in year 5 of Fahey.
View attachment 13722
Checked the game stats and play by play. Illini led 4-0 after the first 40 seconds....then went scoreless for the next 8 minutes!!! Also 22 turnovers! Bad.
 
#66      
Losng to SIU Edwardsville and SIU Carbondale is outrageous. Fahey talked about scoring 80 points a game...fugs sake, good programs expect this...we are still scoring around 50,, 60 or 70 against teams any other teams in this conference would destroy. Yes, Josh needs to act like the Illini women basketball team is an immediate concern.
 
#67      

illini80

Forgottonia
Whitman has generated and spent huge sums of money and revived the mens basketball program. It looks promising that he may have saved the football program from permanent irrelevance. I wish WBB was good too, but I’m hardly disappointed in Whitman. He will get it fixed, but he has to prioritize spending and he went after the big money programs first. I’d guess this is her last year unless they show some significant progress. I was hoping for that, but so far it doesn’t look good.
 
#68      
Whitman has generated and spent huge sums of money and revived the mens basketball program. It looks promising that he may have saved the football program from permanent irrelevance. I wish WBB was good too, but I’m hardly disappointed in Whitman. He will get it fixed, but he has to prioritize spending and he went after the big money programs first. I’d guess this is her last year unless they show some significant progress. I was hoping for that, but so far it doesn’t look good.
I don't understand how hard it can be to get this program trending the right direction. There's a lot of high school girls basketball talent in our state. Even if you don't want to rely on that as your base, which I'm not sure why you wouldn't, U of I and Big Ten women's basketball should be way above beyond having to reach toward a Division III coach. It's beyond ridiculousness how far this program has sunk, and as much as Josh has done for football and espcially men's basketball, and that DEFINITELY is the priority and I thank you Josh for Brad Underwood and Bielema, come on....you have to do better with women's basketball. It's an incredibly low bar to clear at this point. Let's go
 
#69      
We've had our chance to hire Drake Women's head coach who is now at Oklahoma. Also passed on Missouri St women's head coach. Let's fix this and see if she's interested. However, it may be a lateral move to her.
 
#70      
I’m going on record- this contract is embarrassing. I may be alone in saying this- but I am disappointed in Whitman as the top guy
You’re disappointed in Whitman’s total tenure as AD or just his performance as it concerns women’s basketball. Hard to argue with the latter, but I’d say you’re crazy if the former. BU hiring is a success, Football is a mixed bag. Wouldn’t call Lovie a success by any means, but got the team to a bowl game and I think raised the level of exposure for the team overall. And BB sure looks like success. Seems to be a very good fundraiser and is improving facilities left and right. And I believe he’s made several at least solid hires for some women’s sports programs. Didn’t he hire the current women’s volleyball HC or at least promote him into that spot?

Sure it would be nice if the women’s b-ball team was better (and hopefully his next hire to head the program will be better), but that it isn’t doesn’t come close to out weighing Whitman’s success.
 
#71      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
You’re disappointed in Whitman’s total tenure as AD or just his performance as it concerns women’s basketball. Hard to argue with the latter, but I’d say you’re crazy if the former. BU hiring is a success, Football is a mixed bag. Wouldn’t call Lovie a success by any means, but got the team to a bowl game and I think raised the level of exposure for the team overall. And BB sure looks like success. Seems to be a very good fundraiser and is improving facilities left and right. And I believe he’s made several at least solid hires for some women’s sports programs. Didn’t he hire the current women’s volleyball HC or at least promote him into that spot?

Sure it would be nice if the women’s b-ball team was better (and hopefully his next hire to head the program will be better), but that it isn’t doesn’t come close to out weighing Whitman’s success.
Losng to SIU Edwardsville and SIU Carbondale is outrageous. Fahey talked about scoring 80 points a game...fugs sake, good programs expect this...we are still scoring around 50,, 60 or 70 against teams any other teams in this conference would destroy. Yes, Josh needs to act like the Illini women basketball team is an immediate concern.
I used to record all the ladies games I could get on my hulu strams.....now I just read about them .......a 6-64 B1G record will tend to dismay my enthusiasm greatly.....
 
#72      
Seems to be a very good fundraiser and is improving facilities left and right. And I believe he’s made several at least solid hires for some women’s sports programs. Didn’t he hire the current women’s volleyball HC or at least promote him into that spot?
Perspective. As you say Whitman has been improving facilities right and left - using borrowed money. He has operated in the red in all but two years since he has been here:

Current athletic department debt exceeds $300 million which is second highest in the country:
Certainly much of that debt was incurred by his predecessors.

It appears that the Ubben expansion and the Smith Center were financed almost entirely with borrowed money:

Whitman did hire Chris Tamas as volleyball coach and Tamas took his first team to the final four. It's been downhill since then as the former coach's players matriculated from the program. He finished seventh in the conference this year which was still good enough to make it to the sweet sixteen.
 
#73      
I used to record all the ladies games I could get on my hulu strams.....now I just read about them .......a 6-64 B1G record will tend to dismay my enthusiasm greatly.....
I think he has been an excellent AD 99 per cent of the way... cannot understand why the womens basketball program has been so lackluster and without success for any time except the few years Grentz coached. I know it's not Whitman to blame for so much mediocrity...just, now so much is made of the men and why are we accepting below .500 play for women?
 
#74      
I'm pretty confident JW will pull the plug after the season, unless of course there is significant improvement, which does not appear likely.

Fahey has had her chance and failed. Time to move on.
 
#75      
Jury still out on BB- 4th and short with the lead on opponents 35 yard line under 6 to play- punting is spineless. How many times did we do that and lose the game?? Oh yeah, twice.

From a recruiting standpoint, he seems good at the three stars. Lon ways to go for football recovery.

And WBB is just embarrassing.

You guys all drink the JW and bb kool-aid. It is way too soon to consume the kool aid.
 
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