whitesoxfan99

QUOTE (Boogua @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 09:48 PM) Yup. The only 2 players that were average longterm from the 2010, 2011, and 2012 classes were Abrams and Egwu. That's insane. Groce has screwed up not recruiting a better PG, but he was a bit unlucky by Abrams tearing his ACL too. He had to try to rebuild with a bunch of transfers that ended up being failures. I don't think Groce ever expected Tate to play this much for his program either. If Abrams was healthy Tate and Starks would have been splitting 10-15 minutes per game off the bench. Tate should have never been offered a scholarship.

And I still can't get over how bad the 2011 class turned out. Ibby Djimde and Mike Shaw are terrible even at mid-majors right now, Devin Langford wasn't close to a high major player, Egwu isn't any good, Abrams is an average Big 10 guard and Myke Henry isn't any good either. Then we offered Michael Orris who is a f***ing joke in the 2012 class and Jaylon Tate in the 2013 class. I mean seriously what the f***, basketball isn't that hard.

QUOTE (Boogua @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 09:06 PM) I don't think many were saying that about the Paul and DJ class. I also don't think people will be saying that when Hill and Nunn are seniors, but I know what you mean. This group of seniors just seem dumb. Starks with fadeaway 3s after no passes, Rice trying to go 1 on 5, and Egwu-king of the moving screen. At least Groce is gone if they don't make the tournament next year. I think they make it though (barring injuries). I don't think simply making the tourney should be enough next year. If they get in as like an 8 seed or lower that just isn't good enough in year 4 at Illinois unless Groce has some fantastic players committed. It really shouldn't be this hard to win at Illinois. I think its hard to be great at Illinois (i.e. Self) but it just isn't hard to win there.

QUOTE (Boogua @ Mar 17, 2015 -> 08:48 PM) I'm just happy I never have to see any of these seniors play again. Even Rice. We've said that about every class after Dee and Augustine graduated. We haven't had good enough players or coaches. Time for the university to either make a concerted effort to make the basketball program relevant again or why even bother. And it's frankly incredible how bad some of the players Weber and Groce offered scholarships to have been. Really isn't hard to find players better than CJ Jackson, Djimde, and Tate (among others).

Jaylon Tate is a f***ing dreadful basketball player. What a joke that he was offered a scholarship. Almost as bad as Weber offering Djimde.

0 effort from Illinois tonight.

So pretty clear based on seeds so far Illinois would have gotten in if they beat Michigan. Sigh.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Mar 12, 2015 -> 01:14 PM) I don't think there was anything about "letting" him walk. I think they threw a ton of money at him and he still wasn't interested. It was his home league, his home area and f***ing Kansas. It is pretty well known Guenther was pissed off and didn't do everything in his power to keep Self. Huge mistake which was compounded by making a bad hire in Weber.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Mar 12, 2015 -> 01:09 PM) Honestly they are on the same trajectory. Yep. Weber missed the tourney 3 out of his last 5 years and won one NCAA tourney game post Dee Brown. We are pretty much exactly where we were when he left which sucks but the program isn't trending down either.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 12, 2015 -> 01:02 PM) If they want to cheat, Illinois could be a top 5 program by taking the Chicago talent. And I'm pretty sure most Illinois fans would rather have Weber at the helm than Groce at this point. The results speak for themselves. Weber is an awful coach, no thanks. He has run KSU into the ground in 3 years and if Foster transfers which is likely KSU will likely be a trainwreck in year 4.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 12, 2015 -> 12:52 PM) When in doubt, blame the guy who finished top 5 in the Big Ten 7 of the 9 seasons he coached for destroying the program. Lol, he missed the tourney 3 out of his last 5 years after inheriting a fantastic program. He also left no talent in the program other than a good senior class. In year 3 the new coach has to start taking the blame which is why I said it looks like Groce isn't the right guy to turn things around but Groce inherited no players from Weber in the 2012 class and the 2011 class turned out to be bad despite their high school accolades. Weber killed Illinois basketball and it doesn't appear Groce will revive it.

10 years ago Illinois was the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tourney. Now they are about to miss the tourney for the 5th time in 8 years. Bruce Weber did more damage to the Illinois basketball program than sanctions in the 90s and looking more and more like Groce is not the guy to right the ship. Depressing.

Thankfully I can't watch but way to have the worst performance of the year in a must win game against a mediocre team. I like Groce and players clearly like him as well but he isn't recruiting well enough right now to make up for average at best in game coaching. I don't love his offensive scheme because it is so dependent on talent and having multiple ball handlers and playmakers to run that stuff and he hasn't recruited enough talent yet at the guard positions. Defensively we have been pretty good under Groce since he gets guys to play so hard but I also don't love his defensive schemes.

QUOTE (Boogua @ Mar 12, 2015 -> 11:35 AM) So I'm pretty sure the Illini are -19 with Starks on the floor so far. I'm not watching the game but I'll say again that Groce should have been open to playing a lineup with no PG. Starks has some value as a guy off the bench who can get hot but he isn't a guy you want running the show for 30 minutes as a PG and Tate is f***ing terrible.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 7, 2015 -> 07:12 PM) I think Illinois would probably be the greatest program in college basketball history if it wasn't for referees. Generations of referees have been out to get the Illini. Illini fans need to watch more games and realize every single team is the victim of bad calls especially when you are on the road in Big 10 games. I complain about refs in other games all the time. I had tons of posts about the refs in the tourney last year and illinois wasn't in it. College refs are inexcusably bad at their jobs and there is no accountability.

Illinois really needs to land Lovett (and have him qualify) or bring a 5th year PG. Tate is probably the worst guard in the Big 10 that actually gets minutes. Even with Illinois having a scholarship open I hope he transfers. He just isn't good enough for this level.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 7, 2015 -> 06:35 PM) Illinois 3-22 in the half. Refs kept Purdue in game in first half and illinois with just a garbage performance from the 2 minute mark of the first half on.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Mar 7, 2015 -> 06:26 PM) Right? He likely runs the offense better anyways. Or at least not worse. I don't mind playing Starks for stretches because he can get hot but Tate is dreadful. Not close to a Big 10 player. And since we were playing zone on D for a lot of this game you get the added benefit or extra length on D if you have Colbert or Black in.

That ball was clearly off Thompson. Amazing how many calls college refs miss.

I just don't understand why he insists on playing Tate or Starks at all times. Go big and let Rice initiate the offense.

Illinois got a call there. Bad play by tate and he got bailed out.

It's infuriating that Groce won't go to a big lineup without a PG. Tate f***ing sucks.

And the replay on that last Rice jump shot is exactly why I complain about refs. Davis held and grabbed him multiple times and they didn't call it. Any contact on Illinois at the other end is being called today. Purdue fouls on every single possession and has 6 fouls on them in the game. It is ridiculous.

Put Tate on the bench and keep him there.

QUOTE (Brian @ Mar 7, 2015 -> 05:05 PM) Does Rice have a tattoo under is right eye or is it a mole? Amazed how refs are always screwing illinois. 30 games a year. I'd call a block e wry time unless it was obvious. Purdue has been getting away with mugging people at home for years. It's absurd. Watch their guards on the perimeter, hands all over guys constantly. And while announcers always say that the block/charge call is tough it really isn't. It's almost always a block.