Well, the Illini have lost yet another football game this past weekend, although we happened to build a lead on Michigan. I have no MLB teams to cheer for anymore. Only a bunch to cheer against but when that means every team in the playoffs, it's not really that fun. But mid-October is a great time of year because I finally have something to look forward to. College basketball!
Anyway, I'm really excited about this year. The Illini are a consensus top 10 team and I've seen them ranked #1 in a preseason magazine. The team has one of the best backcourts in the nation in Dee Brown and Deron Williams and a great 3rd guard in Luther Head. The team's weakness is in the middle but James Augustine is a solid player. There hasn't been this much optimism for the team since the 2000-01 season where the whole arena was sold out on season ticket sales.
So does anyone else love college basketball? I just love the upsets, the rivalries and how every game counts. Players show up every night and it all culminates in March Madness, my favorite time of the year. I know there are a lot of Big Ten people here. I also hear stlcard is a fan of the Blue Devils so you'll hear a lot from me as I can't stand that team! I'm still reeling over Duke outrecruiting Shaun Livingston last year and then beating us in the Sweet 16 later that year.
Victory -- I also enjoy college basketball. I'm a Seton Hall grad, and end up watching a lot of the Big East games, but good basketball is good basketball no matter what conference.
Yep, I am a big Duke fan. College hoops is bigger than baseball even to me, if that's possible.
It didn't matter though anyway victory, Livingston rejected us and went straight to the NBA anyway. I wasn't at all impressed with him watching him in the McDonald's game. Good riddance I say. We may no be great this year but I wouldn't want a guy who doesn't want to be there on the team anyway.
Victory -- I also enjoy college basketball. I'm a Seton Hall grad, and end up watching a lot of the Big East games, but good basketball is good basketball no matter what conference.
GenErr, I was at the Seton Hall/Illinois game back in 2000. This is when they had Eddie Griffin and we were both ranked in the top 10 in the country. It was one of the best games I've ever been to, partly because we came back from such a large deficit to win it in overtime (Sorry if you consider that a low blow. I just had to bring it up). Anyway, they had a lot of talent that year but it didn't seem they gelled. I really came away impressed with one of the guards that game but I believe he graduated last year.
Like you said, I can watch college basketball even if the Illini aren't playing. I love cheering for the underdogs and I love watching upsets. I think it's what makes college basketball so great. The Big East should still be a powerful basketball conference this year, huh? I think Marquette and a few other good basketball programs have been added?
I too like to watch any college game. That's what separates it from MLB for me. I can sit and watch Furman and Davidson if it's on, Illinois and Northwestern, or Duke and Wake Forest, it doesn't matter to me....
As for the Big East, I think it's next year that Marquette and Louisville, etc. are added, not this year. I could be wrong though.
It didn't matter though anyway victory, Livingston rejected us and went straight to the NBA anyway. I wasn't at all impressed with him watching him in the McDonald's game. Good riddance I say. We may no be great this year but I wouldn't want a guy who doesn't want to be there on the team anyway.
Yes, in the end, it didn't matter. It was a tough blow for Illini fans, though. We had the "Peoria pipeline" kind of like Michigan State had with the Flintstones. Peoria is a basketball hotbed and they've produced a lot of great Illini stars, the most recent being Frank Williams. Livingston actually named Williams his most favorite basketball. Then the day before he was to announce his commitment, he went to school wearing a Brian Cook Illini jersey. Illini fans took that to mean he was a sure thing for us but it wasn't the case. In the end, we used his scholarship for a fine player and SL will never suit up in a college basketball jersey. It still stung at the time, though.
Recruiting this year has been really tough for Illinois. I think the team's finished in the top 20 for each of the past 5 years. The program is clearly the best in the state of Illinois and fans of the program would expect all of the top in state talent to grow up wanting to suit up in an Illini jersey. Unfortunately, we've been passed up by a lot of top Chicago kids this year. Hopefully, this team can live up to preseason expectations. I think we need a final 4 showing to bring our recruiting up to the top level.
Top level recruiting doesn't get you much anymore though victory, just a bunch of kids looking for the fast lane to the NBA. I know with Livingston that his father and grandfather were imploring him to go to Duke for at least a year after he committed to face good competition and bulk up a bit before testing out the NBA. Shaun said publicly "it's my life, I have to live it," or something to that effect, and from then I knew I didn't want to see him on the floor in Durham. He'll get his due playing against the men of the NBA at his size and weight until he grows up a bit, both physically and emotionally IMO.
Well, there's been a lot of talk over at the Illini fan board over what they would prefer. A star player who will only stay for one or two years max, or a solid four year player. I think most would prefer a mix.
It certainly hurts when a player leaves early. I know SL and Deng both left for Duke. If they were at the team, or they had a couple of solid 4 year players who took their scholarship, the program would be in much better shape this year. I think it's still questionable whether or not Duke would have been as successful without Deng, though. I'm sure Syracuse isn't complaining about Carmelo leaving after one year, either.
I'd say, Illinois is one of those programs trying to bust into that premiere level that programs such as Duke, UNC, Kansas, Arizona, etc. are at. I think we need some big time recruits sprinkled in with solid 4 year players to get to that level. One of the UConn players, Charlie Villanueva, verballed to Illinois before going to UConn. He wanted to jump to the NBA but ended up playing a nice role on that UConn team and is back again this season. Illinois sure could have used a player like him last year.
Well coached talent wins. I think Duke is a perfect example of that. They've lost players like Elton Brand, Magette, Jay Williams, Deng, SL but they don't very long to rebuild. They might not be contending for the national championship this year but it won't be much longer until they will. It's their ability to recruit top talent year in and year out that brings them that consistency.
That's true. Without Deng last year Duke wouldn't have been nearly as good. This year they'll probably be around 3rd or 4th in the ACC, but this year, as with last year, they may finish there in the ACC but be in the top 6 or 8 teams in the country. I still think they have a shot at the Final Four, but things will have to go very right for them, ie no injuries, especially to the big men, and Williams and Randolph have to stay free of fouls that hurt them last year.
The problem with Villanueva is that Self left Illinois right after he verballed. With an unstable coaching situation, top recruits are likely to reconsider their options. Illinois needs to keep a coach in there who has some success and stability to keep those recruits confident that they won't be left hanging during their careers. Weber is a good coach, hopefully he will stick it out there a while to get them up to that next level.
The problem with Villanueva is that Self left Illinois right after he verballed. With an unstable coaching situation, top recruits are likely to reconsider their options. Illinois needs to keep a coach in there who has some success and stability to keep those recruits confident that they won't be left hanging during their careers. Weber is a good coach, hopefully he will stick it out there a while to get them up to that next level.
That is precisely the reason why CV left. Self was a great recruiter. I believe Shelden Williams was down to Illinois and Duke before he committed to your Blue Devils. He got the verbal from CV and just got a verbal from a Chicago player named Julian Wright for Kansas. The thing about Wright is, he never even took an official visit to Lawrence. He committed when Self came to his home after making visits to Arizona and Illinois.
It sounds like Weber is here for the long haul. He's only had a year under his belt so it's tough to grade him thus far. He had pretty good results last year and now, he has virtually everyone returning with an extra year under their belts. Illini fans think they will make a return to the Final Four for the first time since the Flying Illini. The problem with Weber is, he's been getting killed in the recruiting.
As for Duke, they should have a good team, like they always do. The ACC looks really tough again this year so they'll have their hands full. Shelden Williams, Dockery, Ewing, Shavlik and Reddick is definitely a formidable starting lineup. All this talk has got me revved up for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Your conference has gotten the best out of us, I think, everytime but it certainly makes for exciting games. Look forward to exchanging some barbs with you when the time comes around.
March Madness is the greatest time of year. I think another thing that makes college basketball so great is that many of the games come during Christmas time. I love the feeling of Christmas time and catching an occasional basketball game definitely makes it that much better.
As for Duke, they should have a good team, like they always do. The ACC looks really tough again this year so they'll have their hands full.
I'm an NC State fan even though I live in Michigan. Most my family lives or is from North Carolina anyways. NC State should have a great team since Julius Hodge will be returning for his senior season. The one thing that I am most excited about is the addition of Miami and Virgina Tech. Theres two more teams for NC State, North Carolina and Duke to tear appart with out having to play each other. I'm also a big Michigan fan but that has been mainly football becuase of the whole Chris Webber deal but Michigan winning the NIT last year has really pumped me up for this year since they are now able to play in the NCAA. But the Big Ten will be really tough this year as well. So pumped for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Problem is they all don't get to play each other in the home and home anymore. Duke is only guaranteed to play UNC and Maryland twice a year. NC State and Wake, the two other "Tobacco Road" teams, they only play twice a year on a rotating basis. The expansion helps the league in football but it's kinda sad to the round robin scheduling go.
October 18th, 2004, 07:38 AM
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