hitlesswonder

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 28, 2011 -> 08:59 PM) Asikl is the Mike Tisdale of the Bulls. Plays like he is 6'5 sonetimes There are some differences. Asik tries to dunk everything, which is sort of cool. But he does seem to bring the ball down to waist level a lot which makes him seem smaller than he is...

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 28, 2011 -> 08:29 PM) Interesting...a very well-known chicagoland AAU member said there's no way in hell Richmond goes back next season. Also, some buzz that Richardson is struggling in class as well. He struggled to qualify out of high school He's been very accurate in the past besides telling me Shumpert was UNC bound. There are (I should have said "have been" since this is just random stuff from Illini boards from earlier this season, not breaking news) internet rumors (so take it for what you will) that Richmond, Head, and Paul will all leave at the end of the season. If Richardson and Bertrand go as well, I have to think Weber will be gone too, although that will wait till after a disastrous 2011-2012 season. It's funny that they were a ranked team this week but are on the verge of missing the tournament for years to come. I don't think Richmond would do well in Europe for the reason mentioned previously -- his jumper doesn't look good and the area in which he excels (the post and driving) is de-emphasized in the European game.But he could still probably get a contract over there. And there are other leagues besides Europe -- he could play pro ball somewhere.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jan 28, 2011 -> 03:11 PM) And if Indiana is a top program, so is Illinois. I just dont see what advantage Indiana has over Illinois going forward. Indiana's tradition was years ago, and furthermore they have not shown the ability to keep the top in state recruits from leaving. I think Indiana is a more coveted job. Witness the fact that Crean went to Indiana after holding press conference previously in which he essentially said he would not leave Marquette for Illinois. Indiana has a better recruiting base than Illinois -- they can pull recruits from Chicago just as easily as Illinois plus they have an advantage over Illinois recruiting the state of Indiana. Crean's incoming classes are significantly better than Illinois. The Indiana fanbase in terms of selling out the arena is better. And Indiana has the history that give it a bigger national media presence than Illinois. It's true Indiana hasn't put up W's much lately, but I think you'll see Indiana basketball leave Illinois in the dust starting as soon as next year and definitely by 2012.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 28, 2011 -> 09:01 AM) I dunno, I'm torn. I don't think you can make a move even if they have a one and down in the tournament this year. I think you have to ride it out a couple more seasons with the talent he's bringing in. Yes, a lot of the talent is because of Howard, but they still have to play for the coach, so you risk losing on some big name guys if they don't like the coach. The Illinois DIA is pretty conservative so I'm sure they won't make a move even if Illinois misses the tournament. That said, I don't think that the Illinois recruiting class is any reason to keep Weber. Few if any of those guys would bolt if Illinois hired a different coach, and several would probably welcome someone else taking over the program. Moreover, the only class with commitments is the 2011 class and that class looks like it's nothing special per ESPN: 77 Mycheal Henry 79 Mike Shaw 84 Nnanna Egwu 87 Tracy Abrams Langford unranked And it's questionable if any of those guys will actually improve their game once they get to Illinois. As testimony to that, look at Stan Simpson who after moving to a junior college is being recruited by Memphis and Kentucky among others. Why can a JC coaching staff develop players better than a BCS school's staff? Sort of odd.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 09:34 PM) What in the hell is Weber doing? His team is dead tired, and with 4 timeouts left, he doesn't call one and instead D.J. Richardson hits the side of the backboard. Any person who's watched Illini basketball knows this team can't play slow-down basketball, yet Illinois continues to take 30 seconds off the shot clock every possession. So, I'll start by saying Weber knows infinitely more about basketball than I do. But I have to say I think his offense sucks. His version of motion offense encourages passing around the perimeter for most of the shot clock. Most of the time, the passing is pretty lackadaisical and perfunctory (it doesn't look like it's getting UI a better look..it looks like it's just burning time). This leads to crappy shots with the clock winding down, and I think that slow-down game and fewer offensive possessions results in Illinois "playing down" to less talented teams. Also, the Illini offense seems to actively discourage driving, which yields fewer freethrow opportunities, opponents staying out of foul trouble, and *a lot* of mid to long-range jumpers. Just this week Weber said this about Richmond: He's encouraging Richmond to abandon what he does very well and take worse shots...I don't know why. Richmond's aggressiveness is what has set him apart on his team, it seems ridiculous to neuter it. Anyway, I realize Illinois has had games where they simply were on fire from outside and put up big numbers, but I think overall Weber's offense is an awful fit for this team (and a much better fit for a mid-major that wants a slower tempo).

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 10:17 PM) If I was going to transfer I sure as hell wouldn't transfer to play for Crean. He has won one NCAA tourney game without Dwyane Wade in 11 years. True enough...I was just impressed with his coaching tonight. Of course, going up against a team whose down-by-3-last-second-play is to have Tisdale turn the ball over probably just makes the opposition look like geniuses relatively.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 10:18 PM) There might be transfers but Paul Klee knows nothing. I don't think he has ever been ahead of the curve on that type of inside info. That may be true, but multiple local writers produced stuff late last year suggesting that Bertrand should transfer...it seemed like a story planted by the coaching staff to urge Bertrand to move on and free a scholarship. Again, it may be nothing, but it was odd.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 10:10 PM) Head has been telling some of his buddies in the suburbs that he would have gone to UIC or DePaul if he could have done it all over again. The News-Gazette writer following the Illini recently said that he expects one or more transfers at the end of the season.

Maybe Richmond could transfer to Indiana and play for someone that can actually coach. If I were Jereme I would leave the tranwreck in Champaign as fast as possible. It's not too late for him to develop into an NBA player someplace else. Unfortunately it might be for Brandon Paul. What an awful job of developing an immensely physically skilled player. At some point, it should be clear why every player on a roster is underperforming. Oh, and McCamey is not even in the conversation for best point guard in the Big Ten. He was thoroughly outplayed by Hulls. Illinois should not make the dance this season -- they are not a tournament quality team.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 22, 2011 -> 04:32 PM) So is it a little clearer who the best player in the Big Ten is? Was there ever any doubt that it was Sullinger? And by the way, who ever said McCamey was the best PG in the Big Ten...well, he's not in the top 3 (I'd take Lucas, Taylor and Battle first). Craft outplayed him today.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 22, 2011 -> 01:29 PM) Why was Richmond on the bench down the stretch? What happened to DJ Richardson? Weber is the answer to both. I'm hoping Richmond transfers to a coach that can develop players. Illinois has a lot of talent but they are bubble team at best.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Jan 15, 2011 -> 04:46 PM) As for DJ, I don't think anyone ever thought he was anything other than a 4 year college player (albeit a very very good one). That's true, but his overall game has regressed since joining UI. While his outside shooting is admittedly better than in HS/prep, he's much worse handling the ball now than 2 years ago -- I don't know how that can happen but it has. He can't get to the hole anymore and even his on-the-ball defense is worse now. I don't know what you can blame other than coaching, as Richardson is regarded as a hard worker...

QUOTE (He_Gawn @ Jan 15, 2011 -> 03:54 PM) Jim Jackson said his sources have told him Richmond is transfering. It would be a good move. If you look at what Weber has done to Paul and Richardson, they're farther from being NBA players now than when they left high school. For Richmond's sake, I hope he goes to legit program where he can develop his game.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jan 6, 2011 -> 09:03 PM) But he's not. He's now gone on a few random rants on McCamey vs. Taylor, and how Taylor is better. Taylor is a nice player. The only players McCamey should be compared is Jimmer Fredette and Kemba Walker for best PG in the country. I think Taylor versus McCamey is an interesting argument. Offensively McCamey is better, but Taylor is elite in taking care of the ball while McCamey's TO numbers are higher than you'd want. When you factor in how much better Taylor is on the defensive end, I think Taylor is a legitimate choice for the best PG in the Big Ten. But McCamey, Lucas, and Battle are all pretty reasonable choices too.

I thought Dan Dakich was pretty insightful about Jordan Taylor being the best point guard in the Big Ten, but I'm pretty unimpressed with his halftime analysis. Apparently, in his world, every game boils down one team wanting it more than the other...every player's performance is decided by how much that player wanted it. The are other reasons why Northwestern's zone is not working against Illinois (best 3pt shooting team in the Big Ten and a huge size mismatch along the baseline)....

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 2, 2011 -> 08:30 PM) Well there ya go. They are better than I thought. Nice job on the boards versus Wisconsin. i was surprised that the Badgers took so many outside shots when they had an advantage in the post. The game did provide some good material for the debate about who is the best point guard in the Big Ten....

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Dec 30, 2010 -> 02:56 PM) Boozer and Noah both played in the OKC and LA games. I'm not saying the Bulls aren't a solid team, they just need to play a pretty awesome series to beat Boston or Miami (possibly Orlando too, who they often struggle against). An honest assessment is that the Bulls have no chance against Miami or Boston (unless injuries deplete the Celtics). The Bulls aren't even as good as the Knicks right now, so it would a be a delusion of grandeur to think they could take a series from one of the top 3 teams in the East (one of which being possibly the most talented team to play in the NBA ever). Unless Bulls ownership is wiling to go into the tax and acquire an all-star level shooting guard, the Bulls look like they will be mired in the good but not elite category for the foreseeable future....

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Dec 29, 2010 -> 10:53 PM) Wide open 3s aren't lucky and Illinois has done that several times this year. Also, more like if Illinois doesn't have a few stupid turnovers and defensive lapses when they pushed the lead to 19 they blow Iowa away. Iowa never had a chance to win this game, not sure how Iowa could have blown them away. "blown away" was hyperbolic....should have said that if IL had shot a more typical 40ish% from 3 that Iowa definitely would have won. IL seems like a very 1-dimensional jump-shooty team. Of course, if they give Wisconsin a game I'll have to revise my opinion....

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Dec 29, 2010 -> 09:17 PM) How this Illinois-Iowa game is this close is beyond me. Illinois got on a lucky hot streak from three, or else the game wouldn't be close -- Iowa would have blown them away. Illinois is the most overrated team I have seen this year. They simply are not good. Wisconsin, one of the most underrated teams out there, should rip them apart.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Dec 27, 2010 -> 04:57 PM) Compare the situations they have been in. Compare the talent level. Compare the BBall IQ. Compare the performance. I'd rather have Mayo, but Mayo has gotten a chance to play way more than Lee -- Mayo has had the better situation. He's been on a team with a very good post presence and he has gotten a lot of minutes. And yet his game has not progressed like others in his draft class have. Again, I'm not saying Mayo is bad or lacks potential. But I think that package is way too much to give up for him. Mayo does not make the Bulls a threat to Miami this year and I don't have confidence his game is going to make a quantum leap in the next few years to all-star level.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 27, 2010 -> 04:10 PM) Um, OK. lol. I don't agree with a thing you said here. But if you have a chance to get a 23-year old talent like Mayo in return for a couple role players and a draft pick, you do it. Rose/Mayo/Noah/Boozer sets you up quite nicely for a number of years. Not just 2011. I think people are really over-estimating Mayo. Obviously he's a high draft pick and has always had a bunch of hype around him. But he's having a bad year his third year in the league, his shooting is down, his assist and rebound numbers are bad. He can shoot OK from 3 and he has a quick first step and shown a willingness to defend. But it's not like he looks like he's going to make an all-star team any time soon. Compare Mayo to Courtney Lee and then explain why Mayo is worth Taj Gibson, Omer Asik, James Johnson, and the Charlotte draft pick while Lee's value is so much less. Obviously Mayo still has some potential, but I think that's just too much to give up for a player that has performed at the level Mayo has.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 27, 2010 -> 05:44 AM) I have no idea how legitimate this rumor is. But the Bulls could be in the running for a legit 2-guard. http://www.rumorpress.net/ God I want Mayo. Not a fan of Stephen Jackson or J.R. Smith. ugh..jackson is 32 years old. there's no reason to trade 2 first round picks from last season for an old player unless that player gets the bulls to the finals. jackson doesn't do that. and the asking price for mayo is silly. mayo is having a bad season and has lost his starting job...memphis can keep him if they want more than taj+junk. honestly, those trades and targets are so bad the bulls should start brewer or korver and be done with it. sign fa guard in the offseason...

QUOTE (danman31 @ Dec 23, 2010 -> 01:57 AM) It was my team and I feel pretty good about it. It was the right call. The ref saw two extended arms to the waist, when he sees extended arms he will call it every time. It's a potentially dangerous play. People complaining about those calls not being made are wrong. How often do you see a guy extend both arms to the lower back of a player well in the air? It comes up so rarely. Also, the free throw (he made both on the intentional) would have made it a 4 point game with 40 seconds left. That's not over, but that call didn't decide the game. It just ended it. I think that's a very accurate take on the play. It was the right call. It's not the official's fault that Tisdale committed a foul that ended the game; if people dislike seeing a call finish a game they can take it up with Tisdale. Also, Missouri was going to win that game anyway. Illinois could not overcome a 4 point lead as that would have required them to successfully inbound the ball multiple times.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 10:18 PM) Granted he didn't hit the guy very hard and seemed to pull up at the end but don't you have to at least make an attempt to block the shot or it's intentional? If everyone disagrees then I suppose I'm wrong but I thought you had to make an attempt at the ball which he clearly did not. I agree with you. The mizzou player was in the air and got shoved in the back. There was no play on the ball. I think it was a good call.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Dec 19, 2010 -> 12:09 PM) Gonzaga. They've actually looked pretty good this year. They aren't a perfect team, definitely have some weaknesses, but they could be a top 15 team when you look at the rest of the college basketball landscape. Gonzaga is not a a good team. The truth is that Illinois hasn't beaten anyone noteworthy and they got exposed as the fringe tournament team they are yesterday. I fully expect Mizzou's press will destroy them, given their inability to dribble, which should be entertaining to watch. Illinois has a bunch of 4 year players and some very athletic players, so it's easy to see why in the preseason they were expected to be good. But the season doesn't lie and they have not improved significantly from last year. If any coach needed any negative recuiting material against Illinois, they only need to look at what has happened to DJ Richardson's ability slash and drive to the hoop (which he excelled at before college), and how Weber has handled Brandon Paul and Richmond. Hell, even Mike Davis has a wealth of athleticism and he is worse now than he was as a freshman. People have said that Weber is a system coach and his system works well to get the most out of mid-major talent, and I think that appears to be true now. He has a very athletic team whose offense is simply jump-shooting. They have shot one of the lowest number of per possession free-throws in the nation for a while, and it's no longer possible to blame that on the players. It's too bad, because the talent to be an exciting team is there.