Illinois unranked in AP Poll
Let’s see, we beat #6 and #11 on neutral courts and have two ugly losses to #33 and #43 on Kenpom. Bit hyperbolic. We probably don’t deserve top 25 this week given recent trajectory, but not “anywhere near” is too far.
sacraig
- The desert
I want to expand on my earlier comment to include the Groce years. We were awful most of the time those years but at least the players seemed to actually like each other.
I find little-if-anything to support regarding this particular team other than the Illinois emblazoned across their chest. I'm sure that this won't be a popular opinion (at least out loud and in public): this team will have lost my confidence until I see some genuine fire or instinctually aggressive response to getting embarrassed by an arch-rival. Do I want to see violence or someone seriously injured? No. Would I be encouraged by a mild brawl started by a moderate elbow/push/chest bump that elicits an aggressive response from opposition and is followed by aggressive support from the Illini team? Yes. Yet, I couldn't even get a questionably hard foul from our side while getting embarrassed by Miznoz. If you as an Illini men's basketball player are not insulted enough by the mere thought of losing to Mizzery by the skin of your teeth (let alone by 23 after being down by as much as 35 during the annual Braggin' Rights game) to foul someone in memorable fashion, please go to the end of the bench and reimburse your NIL income until you see the light.
Yes "anywhere near" was hyperbolic but that's my level of disgust with this program right now.
Won’t argue with “disgust.”
I'm usually pretty negative but holy cow...just have to laugh at some of this gibberish
We have some talent. But our systems on both ends of the floor need to be completely overhauled.
Or maybe, with two freshman as point guards and really only one guy returning that knows the offense, this was bound to happen at some point.
illini80
- Forgottonia
sacraig
- The desert
Eh, I don't think the program is on the cusp of ruins and I still have a lot of faith in Brad. But it's clear he is struggling right now to get the team on the same page; like his usual methods aren't working (or are maybe even actively hurting in in some cases) and he's a bit flabbergasted. I still have confidence he can but it's a question of how deep a hole we are in by then or if it will turn into a "just wait until next season" type of year.
illini80
- Forgottonia
Or do we just need to call a cab and feel bad about ourselves the rest of the day?
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
... or we can just sleep it off, shower, dine well, pretty ourselves up, repair to the same dark recesses of the club that we inhabited last night, and live in denial far from the light
Last edited:
Why do I get the feeling there’s a broken spoke is this wheel, and it’s flailing about and causing more damage as it does so?
That said, Brad had talked about the challenges The Portal is creating, and we are seeing that play out in real time. He’s lost the culture he’s spent the last half decade developing. It’s back to ground zero.
That said, Brad had talked about the challenges The Portal is creating, and we are seeing that play out in real time. He’s lost the culture he’s spent the last half decade developing. It’s back to ground zero.
Yep, Portal + NIL is not productive for development of a culture in a BB Program. More like the inmates running the asylum. BU said this new norm was going to be like being back to his JUCO coaching days. Guess we will see if and when this group buys in, and then when next year's new group buys in...... and so on forever. That thought could make you reassess your out date as a coach. Lot of challenges ever year, that will probably require new and different solutions every year.
Winning Big 10 games will take care of any arbitrary rankings. This team is going through a bad stretch. Hopefully, the coaches and players can right the ship. I am old enough to remember the latter part of the Harv Schmitt regime, the one year of Gene Bartow, and Lou Henson's first few years. I have seen worse. There is time to fix this.
ginabackes00
CrazedUIFan
Better communication and playing team ball goes a long way. Overhauling both without those won’t fix it.
Agree it is a different context with the transfers and NIL, but in some ways it is the same as high level AAU that these kids and coaches all know very well. Kids move around and switch teams constantly and the management of player and handler/parent egos starts early on for the coaches. The College coaches recruiting know the kid's reputations of how they cooperate or not with coaches and teammates. I am sure UW and staff knew all about each of these players in AAU and the transfers with previous college teams before offering as to how they might fit together.
Installing a working system in AAU (and now college) in a short time is a huge challenge. Might explain why teams look good one night and look like crap the next. There is a lot of that going on right now.
Staff need to figure out how to get it done with this group. Every other team in America is dealing with same stuff to some degree.
This is why they are getting paid Exec level salaries.
Been through those years with you and agree but we have been spoiled recently and our memories are short
Ha Ha Ha. Playing hard does not mean playing dirty or hurting someone. Remember what everyone was saying about Izzo and MSU after Ayo got hurt. I, sir, do not ever want to see an Illini stoop to that level. If you do, you're no better see than Izzo or Howard.
