illiniguy

Self needs a FF to shut people up. It's that simple. (But then it will be NC choker talk.) It may not be fair, but that's the way it is, and he isn't the first coach to go through it. Dean, Lute, Donavan, and Roy were all labeled as chokers. It's just the way it works. Those guys, however, had the ability to coach their way out of a wet paper bag. Self, not so much. One of the worst in game coaches I've ever seen. And I'm an Illini fan who thought that when he was here. I harbor no ill will toward Kansas for taking him because, while in the short run Illinois may struggle, the players that do come here will get the most out of their talent as opposed to floundering in the hi-low under Self. And Illinois will be good again and in the tourney next year anyway. if he's bad, how come his teams are near the top in defensive and offensive efficiency? People who badmouth his coaching never have any concrete criticism other than his team lost XXX game. It's silly. I mean, you're sitting there talking about the hi-lo, and we don't even run the hi-lo as a primary offense. But Illini fans talk like that's all he does. Self is not a top-5 coach. I'll admit that. But he is one of the premier coaches in college hoops. You don't win as much as he does if you're not. And don't throw the talent thing out there, because he coached ORU out of the depths, and he won with mid-major talent at Tulsa, too. I've only seen one poorly coached team by Self, and that was the Bucknell/KU team. The big reason Self looks good is because his teams are more talented than about 90 percent of the teams they play. That's why his numbers will always be really pretty. However, when he plays one of those other teams, usually around the elite eight, he is going to be exposed. He is terrible at in game adjustments. I am still waiting for us to adjust and take away the three against Notre Dame. eh, I won't bother arguing it anymore. Your coach has been starting chet frazier over mccamey all year. I think know who's better. Awesome response. At what point have I done anything but blast Weber this year? Especially when it comes to that decision. Although your coach starts Russell Robinson over a much more talented Sherron Collins. Oh and Weber has coached a team to the grandest stage of college basketball and built a program. Which one of those has the great Bill Self done again? Please say Tulsa. Big deal. Lots of mediocre coaches have "coached on the grandest stage." Probably just as many as have turned a NC contender into a bottom dweller in a terrible conference. And who have overseen a program where one player left another for dead. No, Self has never "built a program." He's never had to. Doesn't mean he couldn't. At least Self has a rationale for starting Robinson. (Team leader, better defender). ANd at least he tries to conform his offense to his players, unlike Bruce "I'm gonna run this guard oriented motion offense despite my guards' mediocrity" Weber. This argument is pointless, though. You're happy with Bruce and all his flaws. I'm happy with Self and his. Right I guess Weber saying that he starts Frazier because he is our leader and best defender is somehow different from Self doing it. But since Weber doesn't coach at Kansas that makes him foolish. You play your best. Neither of these two clowns get that. Also ask Jay Bilas about our terrible conference. 9 years in a row we have had a team in the final four. 9. Maybe the Big 12 should get a little more terrible. You realize that the Big 12 has less championships as a conference than IU does. Get the hell out of here with calling the Big 10 terrible. That might fly if you are the ACC or the Big East, but not when you are a fan of the pathetic Big 12.

We root for the Cubs.

Maybe the Lakers should offer up some shoes and a bunch of used basketballs. Or a little bit more than they gave up for Pau Gasol.

Self needs a FF to shut people up. It's that simple. (But then it will be NC choker talk.) It may not be fair, but that's the way it is, and he isn't the first coach to go through it. Dean, Lute, Donavan, and Roy were all labeled as chokers. It's just the way it works. Those guys, however, had the ability to coach their way out of a wet paper bag. Self, not so much. One of the worst in game coaches I've ever seen. And I'm an Illini fan who thought that when he was here. I harbor no ill will toward Kansas for taking him because, while in the short run Illinois may struggle, the players that do come here will get the most out of their talent as opposed to floundering in the hi-low under Self. And Illinois will be good again and in the tourney next year anyway. if he's bad, how come his teams are near the top in defensive and offensive efficiency? People who badmouth his coaching never have any concrete criticism other than his team lost XXX game. It's silly. I mean, you're sitting there talking about the hi-lo, and we don't even run the hi-lo as a primary offense. But Illini fans talk like that's all he does. Self is not a top-5 coach. I'll admit that. But he is one of the premier coaches in college hoops. You don't win as much as he does if you're not. And don't throw the talent thing out there, because he coached ORU out of the depths, and he won with mid-major talent at Tulsa, too. I've only seen one poorly coached team by Self, and that was the Bucknell/KU team. The big reason Self looks good is because his teams are more talented than about 90 percent of the teams they play. That's why his numbers will always be really pretty. However, when he plays one of those other teams, usually around the elite eight, he is going to be exposed. He is terrible at in game adjustments. I am still waiting for us to adjust and take away the three against Notre Dame. eh, I won't bother arguing it anymore. Your coach has been starting chet frazier over mccamey all year. I think know who's better. Awesome response. At what point have I done anything but blast Weber this year? Especially when it comes to that decision. Although your coach starts Russell Robinson over a much more talented Sherron Collins. Oh and Weber has coached a team to the grandest stage of college basketball and built a program. Which one of those has the great Bill Self done again? Please say Tulsa.

Self needs a FF to shut people up. It's that simple. (But then it will be NC choker talk.) It may not be fair, but that's the way it is, and he isn't the first coach to go through it. Dean, Lute, Donavan, and Roy were all labeled as chokers. It's just the way it works. Those guys, however, had the ability to coach their way out of a wet paper bag. Self, not so much. One of the worst in game coaches I've ever seen. And I'm an Illini fan who thought that when he was here. I harbor no ill will toward Kansas for taking him because, while in the short run Illinois may struggle, the players that do come here will get the most out of their talent as opposed to floundering in the hi-low under Self. And Illinois will be good again and in the tourney next year anyway. if he's bad, how come his teams are near the top in defensive and offensive efficiency? People who badmouth his coaching never have any concrete criticism other than his team lost XXX game. It's silly. I mean, you're sitting there talking about the hi-lo, and we don't even run the hi-lo as a primary offense. But Illini fans talk like that's all he does. Self is not a top-5 coach. I'll admit that. But he is one of the premier coaches in college hoops. You don't win as much as he does if you're not. And don't throw the talent thing out there, because he coached ORU out of the depths, and he won with mid-major talent at Tulsa, too. I've only seen one poorly coached team by Self, and that was the Bucknell/KU team. The big reason Self looks good is because his teams are more talented than about 90 percent of the teams they play. That's why his numbers will always be really pretty. However, when he plays one of those other teams, usually around the elite eight, he is going to be exposed. He is terrible at in game adjustments. I am still waiting for us to adjust and take away the three against Notre Dame.

Oscar Charleston

I know what you mean. I was tremendously disappointed in Zambrano's offense performance. I mean, really I expected more then 2 hrs and 5 rbis, and I was expected he would draw at least a walk. What kind of hitter is Z if he can only settle for 2 hrs, (when he had 6 in 2006)? :lol: Obviously he quit juicing.

hahaha I liked it. But, I have a more accurate prediction, Kansas bounced in first weekend of the tournament. Snood and Kansas fans everywhere wonder if they made the right hire. They publicly reassure themselves they still are super elite. Wondering privately how many McDAAs it takes for Bill Self to get to a final four.

As I'm sure somebody else has already said, this makes the most financial sense for IU considering the clause in Sampson's contract about violations. If they do it now they'll get hit with the wrongful termination suit, but if they just suspend him now and wait until the June hearing/conviction to axe him they're fine. I've read that the state of Indiana doesn't have the same laws as Ohio. Thus you can fire Sampson for any reason without being subjected to the same penalties that OSU was with O'Brien.

That's about what I'd expect. Middle of the pack Big Ten and NCAA tournament berth, assuming no big defections because of the Sampson/NCAA situation. I'd say a team that can do that has a solid core, but that's just semantics. I just meant that a new coach at IU next year wouldn't be walking into a 8-24 disaster. Without mass defections, I doubt next year's talent level keeps a coach from coming to IU. If Ebanks shows up you should be pretty good, if this plays out bad and he is let out. Well you could be pretty bad too.

IU is not going to go after Bruce Pearl. Pearl will never work in the Big Ten. I would imagine IU looks at Licklighter, Anthony Grant, Scott Drew, or Sean Miller. Hell maybe they even try and get Matta, he grew up a huge IU fan. No way would Lickliter or Matta leave. Lick isn't a true Hoosier like our last guy. He already left the one school he had loyalty and ties to. I think Iowa is a better fit for his personality than IU. Miller would be a good target. Thank you Exile for talking about Drew, I was about to say the same thing when I saw his name mentioned. I laughed a couple weeks ago when the national media was praising him after that 5 OT win for how much he's cleaned up that program and the amazing turnaround he's had. Well yeah the turnaround has been something, but it's not so amazing when you hear about how he's done it. Please IU, please bring Steve back home. It would be so sweet to beat him at a "real basketball school" when he's "back in red" and hear what excuses he would come up with. I actually liked Alford a fair amount and defended him quite a bit when he was here, but he did himself no favors on the way out. IU offers and Licklighter is gone in a second. You would blink and he would be driving out of Iowa City. What are you basing that off of? Obviously IU is a superior program and no one would dispute that. But IU would be facing sanctions that could really make it tough on him and don't return a ton. He has a 7 year contract paying him roughly the same that IU was paying Sampson and would have to pay a $3M buyout if he left. He's not a quick fix guy and knows he has patience and time at Iowa. That wouldn't be the case at IU. We have $40M worth of renovations to Carver plus a new practice facility coming that he's helped put together. He has no ties to IU at all. Plus he's a really low-key guy who doesn't enjoy a lot of limelight. Maybe you're right. Like I said no one would argue that the IU job is a better gig. I just don't think the timing is right and I think the Iowa job fits his personality better. Because a coaches ultimate goal is to win a national championship. How are you going to do that at Iowa? Your state rarely produces top flight talent. When it does, Kansas is usually there to take it from you. At IU if he does things the right way he would get enough time to turn things around. He would also be able to recruit a much more fertile state.

IU is not going to go after Bruce Pearl. Pearl will never work in the Big Ten. I would imagine IU looks at Licklighter, Anthony Grant, Scott Drew, or Sean Miller. Hell maybe they even try and get Matta, he grew up a huge IU fan. No way would Lickliter or Matta leave. Lick isn't a true Hoosier like our last guy. He already left the one school he had loyalty and ties to. I think Iowa is a better fit for his personality than IU. Miller would be a good target. Thank you Exile for talking about Drew, I was about to say the same thing when I saw his name mentioned. I laughed a couple weeks ago when the national media was praising him after that 5 OT win for how much he's cleaned up that program and the amazing turnaround he's had. Well yeah the turnaround has been something, but it's not so amazing when you hear about how he's done it. Please IU, please bring Steve back home. It would be so sweet to beat him at a "real basketball school" when he's "back in red" and hear what excuses he would come up with. I actually liked Alford a fair amount and defended him quite a bit when he was here, but he did himself no favors on the way out. IU offers and Licklighter is gone in a second. You would blink and he would be driving out of Iowa City.

Does Harangody have any chance to play at the next level? I haven't seen him enough to form a true opinion. He'll probably get a shot somewhere. He's too short to ever be a star (he's listed at 6'8" and that may be generous), but the fact that he can shoot the jump shot and his incredible finesse around the basket may get him a spot in somebody's rotation down the line. If he gets more athletic that would help. lol, I don't know how one "gets more athletic", but if you can shoot you ususally can get a shot at least.

Does Harangody have any chance to play at the next level? I haven't seen him enough to form a true opinion.

I thought Drew has done a pretty nice job in a very difficult spot at Baylor.

I really hope not. Everyone says his wife hates the cold weather. Hopefully she has enough of a say. I'm pulling for Dakich. He'd be better than Davis, but I don't see him as any great threat to make IU a consistent power. Why anyone would hire Kruger I don't get. I loved the guy when he was at Illinois, but he is a nomad. What is the longest he has been anywhere?

I hope so, that would be stiffer punishment than anything the NCAA could throw at them.

Wonder if Demetri stuck up for Sampson or threw his ass under the bus? Lol.

Maybe that is because Jerry West gave his old team a nice big gift. The league should have vetoed that trade. I'm not sure if this changes anything about your comment, but Jerry West isn't the GM at Memphis anymore. Well the trade still sucks. But, yeah I guess West didn't do it then.

IU is not going to go after Bruce Pearl. Pearl will never work in the Big Ten. I would imagine IU looks at Licklighter, Anthony Grant, Scott Drew, or Sean Miller. Hell maybe they even try and get Matta, he grew up a huge IU fan.

Maybe that is because Jerry West gave his old team a nice big gift. The league should have vetoed that trade.

Man Dallas better win it all this year. Going forward I would much rather have Devin Harris.

They have to fire him. Have to. Should have never, ever hired him. Though, I stand by that phone calls aren't major violations -- especially if they don't violate NCAA rules, only sanctions. If something else is discovered, so be it. Otherwise, major violations for phone calls will be a grave injustice with what has gone on, and is going on, at other schools. Still, Sampson has tainted our program and I won't be sad at all to see him go. You should be talking to Anthony Grant right now.

They have to fire him. Have to. Its pretty much to a point to where you expect him to get busted for something some time soon. Its just a matter of time. I really hope that this involves the recruitment of one guard on their team.

That team was so much better than everyone that Deron didn't have to take over, but believe he could. Look at the last 5 minutes and overtime of the Arizona game. He was very underated. Oh and Luther Head has been a pretty good pro too.