I agree that Illini fans' obsession with Weber at KSU is creepy, but to be fair, this board was similar with rooting against Ozzie in Miami.

 

Fact is, Weber was one shot away from a championship, yet within 3 seasons he started the program's worst stretch in 30+ years. He is the reason why Illinois has missed 4 tournaments in 7 years.

Ozzie is a good comparison. Personally I wouldn't trade eithers tenure here though since they each brought us the best season in each programs history (or 90 years). Both held on too long and it's best they are gone now. I'll root for Weber because he's a nice guy and since he's no longer affecting my team that is good enough for me.. Probably not for Ozzie since he's an asshole.

Ozzie is a good comparison. Personally I wouldn't trade eithers tenure here though since they each brought us the best season in each programs history (or 90 years). Both held on too long and it's best they are gone now. I'll root for Weber because he's a nice guy and since he's no longer affecting my team that is good enough for me.. Probably not for Ozzie since he's an asshole.

 

I'm in the same boat as you. We had a great run with him at the beginning. He had some excusable moments (the Eric Gordon situation really f***ed up recruiting for 2 seasons, and losing Frazier to that broken foot screwed their chances in the tournament on what was probably his 3rd best team) and not so excusable moments (not winning more with Dee/Augustine/Randle, not recruiting a true PG in seven seasons, the debacle of his final year, etc). But Illinois and the Big Ten were too big for him. I still think he's one of the best X and O's guy out there. If you give him players, he'll win a lot of games. But getting the players is the key. I think he'll run KSU like Keady ran Purdue - always top half of the conference, always good but not great. If he gets a real star player, they'll be dangerous. If not, they'll hover around the top 25.

 

He should have been replaced 2 season earlier. But that was Guenther's legacy - waiting so long you end up hurting the program even more.

Edited February 11, 201412 yr by Jenksismybitch

Ozzie is a good comparison. Personally I wouldn't trade eithers tenure here though since they each brought us the best season in each programs history (or 90 years). Both held on too long and it's best they are gone now. I'll root for Weber because he's a nice guy and since he's no longer affecting my team that is good enough for me.. Probably not for Ozzie since he's an asshole.

 

I would trade Weber's tenure in a heartbeat if it would mean Guenther hires Matta instead. As amazing as 04-05 was, without a championship I just don't think it makes up for Weber running the program into the ground (we are now in year 8 of being completely irrelevant as a basketball program) when there are a lot of coaches that could have made the final 4 with that team. It makes me sad thinking about where Illinois basketball would be right now if Matta would have gotten the job instead of Weber.

 

To Weber's credit he found a diamond in the rough in Marcus Foster at KSU. That kid is a stud and is better than any player Weber recruited in 9 years at Illinois. As long as he is there KSU will be solid.

I would trade Weber's tenure in a heartbeat if it would mean Guenther hires Matta instead. As amazing as 04-05 was, without a championship I just don't think it makes up for Weber running the program into the ground (we are now in year 8 of being completely irrelevant as a basketball program) when there are a lot of coaches that could have made the final 4 with that team. It makes me sad thinking about where Illinois basketball would be right now if Matta would have gotten the job instead of Weber.

 

To Weber's credit he found a diamond in the rough in Marcus Foster at KSU. That kid is a stud and is better than any player Weber recruited in 9 years at Illinois. As long as he is there KSU will be solid.

 

Knowing what you know now, sure. But I don't think Matta was some slam dunk hire either. Was he even on the short list? I know he was a local guy but I don't remember him being mentioned along with Weber.

 

Knowing what you know now, sure. But I don't think Matta was some slam dunk hire either. Was he even on the short list? I know he was a local guy but I don't remember him being mentioned along with Weber.

 

He was a year away from his Elite 8 run at Xavier but he had done extremely well his first two years at Xavier (following a good year at Butler) and he was local so he should have been on the short list if he wasn't. Plus, just from an interviewing standpoint I can't imagine it would be difficult to tell that Matta would blow Weber away as a recruiter.

 

And apparently Matta was a candidate:

http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/illini-...a-illinois.html

Edited February 11, 201412 yr by whitesoxfan99

Weber obviously needed to go, but I don't have ill will towards him or his teams. I actually root for him to do well. And what he does in the future is completely irrelevant to Illinois moving forward. Him being good or bad or anywhere in between doesn't prove anything, if that's what people are looking for.

He was a year away from his Elite 8 run at Xavier but he had done extremely well his first two years at Xavier (following a good year at Butler) and he was local so he should have been on the short list if he wasn't. Plus, just from an interviewing standpoint I can't imagine it would be difficult to tell that Matta would blow Weber away as a recruiter.

 

And apparently Matta was a candidate:

http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/illini-...a-illinois.html

 

Matta could have just as easily become one of the other no-names mentioned in that article. You can't look back at coaching hires like that.

 

Edited February 11, 201412 yr by Jenksismybitch

Matta could have just as easily become one of the other no-names mentioned in that article. You can't look back at coaching hires like that.

 

Considering his recruiting process there is no chance Matta wouldn't have been successful at Illinois.

Weber obviously needed to go, but I don't have ill will towards him or his teams. I actually root for him to do well. And what he does in the future is completely irrelevant to Illinois moving forward. Him being good or bad or anywhere in between doesn't prove anything, if that's what people are looking for.

 

I agree that how he does is irrelevant but I can't root for him to do well considering he ruined Illinois basketball and did as much harm to the program as sanctions in the 90s.

Matta could have just as easily become one of the other no-names mentioned in that article. You can't look back at coaching hires like that.

Ohio State was not nearly the basketball school ILL has been when Matta got there. He single handedly made it into a destination and one of the top programs in the country. Few remember that OSU had to vacate wins and face NCAA sanctions because of O'Brien. Since he started at OSU, he's been the most dominant coach in the conference when you look at wins, conference titles and conf tourney titles. He has yet to have a season that doesn't top 20 wins.

 

To think he wouldnt do that at ILL is foolish. Even hiring his replacement, MIller, would have been a good move.

Ohio State was not nearly the basketball school ILL has been when Matta got there. He single handedly made it into a destination and one of the top programs in the country. Few remember that OSU had to vacate wins and face NCAA sanctions because of O'Brien. Since he started at OSU, he's been the most dominant coach in the conference when you look at wins, conference titles and conf tourney titles. He has yet to have a season that doesn't top 20 wins.

 

To think he wouldnt do that at ILL is foolish. Even hiring his replacement, MIller, would have been a good move.

 

I think there is a good chance Illinois would have been the top program in the conference over the last 10 years had they hired Matta and he certainly would have capitalized on the recruiting trail inheriting Dee, Deron and Luther unlike Weber.

Which defender does Ohio waste on GR3 tonight?

 

Go Salukis!

Which defender does Ohio waste on GR3 tonight?

 

Go Salukis!

I dont think the Bobcats are showing up to play Michigan.

Hoping we can keep it close tonight. But even if we don't this is the first game this late into the season that I've been excited about in 5 or 6 years so at least there's that.

Ohio State was not nearly the basketball school ILL has been when Matta got there. He single handedly made it into a destination and one of the top programs in the country. Few remember that OSU had to vacate wins and face NCAA sanctions because of O'Brien. Since he started at OSU, he's been the most dominant coach in the conference when you look at wins, conference titles and conf tourney titles. He has yet to have a season that doesn't top 20 wins.

 

To think he wouldnt do that at ILL is foolish. Even hiring his replacement, MIller, would have been a good move.

 

So he was a home run hire. Unless you're Marty McFly, no one knew that'd be the case at the time the hire was made. Weber and Matta had a pretty similar resume, except Weber had Big Ten experience for decades.

 

It wasn't some huge mistake and everyone knew it. It was the wrong choice in hindsight, but at the time, eh, I don't think so.

 

And I also think if Gordon maintains his commitment the entire history changes. Weber got screwed and then failed miserably at recovering.

Edited February 12, 201412 yr by Jenksismybitch

Make some f***in ft's, keep Bola from picking up his 3rd early and let Desmar and Beane go to work in the 2nd half...who knows.

Make some f***in ft's, keep Bola from picking up his 3rd early and let Desmar and Beane go to work in the 2nd half...who knows.

 

They are playing really hard, this game is like old times. The shockers look like they expected to roll out and win.

 

Again, I don't expect them to win, I just want a good game, bu I like what I see. Omfg Beane, the kid is just lighting it up

I dont think the Bobcats are showing up to play Michigan.

 

O-U couldn't get into Miami

 

 

They are playing really hard, this game is like old times. The shockers look like they expected to roll out and win.

 

Again, I don't expect them to win, I just want a good game, bu I like what I see. Omfg Beane, the kid is just lighting it up

Just not enough there yet. But we're onto something here, Beane is a star.

So he was a home run hire. Unless you're Marty McFly, no one knew that'd be the case at the time the hire was made. Weber and Matta had a pretty similar resume, except Weber had Big Ten experience for decades.

 

It wasn't some huge mistake and everyone knew it. It was the wrong choice in hindsight, but at the time, eh, I don't think so.

 

And I also think if Gordon maintains his commitment the entire history changes. Weber got screwed and then failed miserably at recovering.

Agreed. There weren't a ton of people yelling for Matta and extremely pissed with Bruce. It's all hindsight, indeed.

Choke away a home game in the last 5 min? Story of the season. If only this was a road game.

Choke away a home game in the last 5 min? Story of the season. If only this was a road game.

 

Michigan took the lead for good with 10 mins left and out scored OSU by 17 in the 2nd half. Wouldn't say OSU choked the game away.

 

Glad Craft guarded Stauskas. Let Walton break things down.

Michigan took the lead for good with 10 mins left and out scored OSU by 17 in the 2nd half. Wouldn't say OSU choked the game away.

 

Glad Craft guarded Stauskas. Let Walton break things down.

Yes because OSU got up and decided to chuck threes and choked away the game. 3-20 from three and it's not like Michigan actually plays defense.

 

I apologize if you think it was some massively impressive performance by your boys. OSU with guys like Diebler and Buford made a living putting away leads like that with the long ball. This team can't shoot a lick. Can't wait to get some new talent in.

With the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select Bill Self from Kansas University.

 

 

--Captain Decker

He shouldn't get an extension until we give up 100+ in a game, because that's what good teams do.

 

You're right, I'd rather be Illinois than Iowa State.