Wisconsin 91, Illinois 88 OT Postgame
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I agree completely with statement one, above. No coach, alone, possesses everything needed for coaching excellence. A coach needs to supplement with specific strengths of assistants.
I also agree that Brad (and staff) are outstanding at talent eval. Not pefect, but nonetheless outstanding. Good as it gets outstanding. No criticism of that, at all.
I am less sure, today, that Brad is "really, really good at culture." There is a lot of evidence that he is great at the culture element: his players praise him, year after year after year. The guys he's sent to pro basketball (NBA, Europe, wherever) praise him and flock to Champaign when the opportunity arises. This is fantastic. The culture he has built is strong.
But ... why do Illini teams so often in Underwood's tenure tip-off games with a lack of focus, a lack of fire, a lack of committment? Sure, all teams, as in every last team in sports, has serious headscratching downs to match their greatest games. I get that, it's human nature. Immutable.
But ... that's not the whole story, is it? A major part of the story, yes. But ... the whole story? No.
For reasons I can't fathom, Underwood has struggled for years now to get his message of toughness and playing with heart and poise across. I am not saying he fails at this, because he doesn't fail at this. I am saying he struggles to fully get his self-chosen players to "give a sh*t" about rebounds, turnovers, freethrows, defending screens. His words.
I believe there are still plenty of US players who fit the bill.
He said top 10 coach.
In that case, you need to include Mark Few and Gonzaga over Brad. That’s a very respectable program that’s almost always in the sweet sixteen.
Golden and Drew also need to be above Brad as they’ve won national titles.
Chris Beard really struggled this year. Howevere, his team was playing well in the SEC tournament.
Also a step down on that list were Nate Oats and the guy who ended up getting the job lol.
You do realize the Peoria Journal Star article was quoting two different USA Today articles and UK sports blog, right?
Just feels like we traded all our dawgs for “skill” players… I’d trade two seed lines for some dudes who leave it all on the floor every night.
Brad. Cannot. Leave. For. Another. Job.
He can't. It's built into his extension.
Feel free the copy/paste my post in any email you send. Squash it.
Such an unfair thing to say. Some people wear their emotions on their sleeve. Others are reserved. Doesn’t mean they are any less passionate or hard working.
You would think Kentucky ending up with mark pope, lville ending up with Pat Kelsey, and ohio state ending up with Diebler would be a lesson for everyone who thinks Illinois can just dial up whatever name they want.
Yet here we are. As always
Was talking about defense. We are better, but it still is the main reason for most (could be argued all) or our losses to date.
1 second weekend in 7 years.
Missed tournament 2/3 years at Ole Miss.
In his three years at Ole Miss has finished 10th, 6th, and 14th in the conference.
There's an element of randomness in single elimination tournaments. Sometimes bad teams get a little hot and go on a run, even with bad coaches. Kevin Keatts, who nobody thinks was a good coach, managed to get a team that he coached to a 10th place ACC finish (and an 11-seed) to the Final Four. He went 12-19 the following year and was fired.
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I am sitting here trying to wade through all of this with Dick Vitale yelling in the background. I am grateful that he is healthy enough to do something he obviously loves.
So the people they quoted as a source were soo incredibly wrong that they didn't have Pope in the top 12....
Peoria Journal Star ran the article because they could squeeze Brad and UK coaching search into the same article and sell copies. That's okay. Unless we are including Top 15/20 options... he was never on the short list.
The poster who made the comment clearly has agent ties...if he isn't one himself based on the context of things he posts.
We can disagree with his opinions but the amount of early coaching carousel news and transfer portal entries throughout the entire sport? That's unlikely to be strictly Illinois insider stuff. If Indy says he's not on the shortlist, think he knows better than most IMO.
I don't think he leaves and I'm okay with winning 20 games a year until he hangs it up.
But also....
John Calipari had a lifetime contract. To act like these things can't be worked around especially if both parties agree?
Do any of us think Brad's agent isn't calling different schools trying to get him a raise because of that contract??
Sure, but I think it’s a pretty fair assessment that this team lacks toughness. 0-3 in OT games this year. Proof is in the pudding.
I’d love to be wrong by the way. Hopefully these dudes crush our bracket and hang some a banner.
I would argue that Lou Henson took over a program which was in much worse shape than when Coach Underwood arrived on the scene. There were various reasons: the slush residue and the fact that the Chicago public league coaches were steering their players away from Champaign. That is one reason why the late Jimmy Collins was so important as an assistant coach. Furthermore, after Harv Schnitt was fired Gene Bartow was here for one year and then fled to UCLA. I have not looked it up recently, I believe Bartow was something like 8-14 in his one season. Your comments are spot on.
LouHenson
- Naples Florida
This might be the most motivating reason to be happy with BU I have had presented to me? It’s just sad, and it is just my opinion and not based on any fact or anything, I just don’t think he will ever get us “there”. No question he is not getting fired, he will retire at Illinois “pretty much” on his own terms.
No you wouldn’t bc that means that those guys that are dawgs lose more games. You want to lose more games? I don’t.
This and a problem is when our “best shooters” in an offense made to shoot 3s don’t shoot many, don’t make any, or don’t shoot any.
So Beard doesn’t get the same break many on here give Underwood in his first couple of years here?
I’m definitely not saying we should hire Beard, but he is coaching in a deeper and more athletic league. He did beat us last year with one of those Ole Miss teams, and not that it’ll matter for them, they just went on an onslaught in the SEC tourney.
The guy can coach.
You said:
Has the (you admit) improved defense translated to more wins? Yes it already has. And we still have more games to play yet. The defense has improved from the 40 range to the 20 range so it’s just odd to me to include Crocker in the list of complaints.
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