Magnetic Curses

i just don't see iowa being relevant in any big ten discussion. if it happens, i'll be extremely surprised. there are just other teams that have more going for themselves. I really think that it will be OSU and Illinois going for it in a few years. They are both going to be loaded. But, I also think that Purdue, Wisky, MSU, and even Minnesota will be pretty goodd again.s exciting to have the big ten getting good again. i think purdue is there to stay, i think msu is going nowhere, osu gets every single good player on earth, wisco will continue to contend with whomever they bring in and they're fairly loaded with incoming players, and minnesota is absolutely on their way back up in terms of recruiting. there just isn't any room for iowa at the table, although it would be good for the big ten. As much as I hate to say it Indiana will be back sometime in the next three years or so. Crean can recruit and a lot of players seem to be in on the rebuilding/restoring IU idea. As I told my roommates last year the Big Ten is ridiculous right now with its coaches especially recruiting wise. Tubby, Painter, Matta, Crean, Weber, Beilein, Izzo and Ryan are considered great recruiters and winning coaches. Crean has assembled a Top 10 class for 2009 thus far. I expect us to be a factor next season. i forgot to mention iu, i think you're getting a little ahead of yourselves, but you'll definitely be there within a few years. crean will have them competing. they have a great class coming in, but they aren't the fab 5.

touche, I meant to say. Have you guys made any progress on Barnes? Is UCLA recruiting him Raisin? Yeah, definitely. He and Josh Smith are the big pie in the sky targets for UCLA in 2010. i love the fact that our 2010 is done and we have 3 top 30 players already. that's got to be the best recruiting class in illini history--although i think barnes is better than richmond. He is right now. Richmond looks more like a kid still though, not that it means a lot. As for the class it has to be our best. Our other good ones were littered with guys who were very underrated. Gill wasn't highly thought of at all and Deron Williams was what in the 50's? Have you seen Meyers play? only videos, but i plan on getting down to see them all play this season.

touche, I meant to say. Have you guys made any progress on Barnes? Is UCLA recruiting him Raisin? Yeah, definitely. He and Josh Smith are the big pie in the sky targets for UCLA in 2010. i love the fact that our 2010 is done and we have 3 top 30 players already. that's got to be the best recruiting class in illini history--although i think barnes is better than richmond.

Yep, it's true. He was very objective. Much more than I could stomach being. i just couldn't player hate on that kid, as much as i despise him with every fiber of my being.

i just don't see iowa being relevant in any big ten discussion. if it happens, i'll be extremely surprised. there are just other teams that have more going for themselves. I really think that it will be OSU and Illinois going for it in a few years. They are both going to be loaded. But, I also think that Purdue, Wisky, MSU, and even Minnesota will be pretty goodd again.s exciting to have the big ten getting good again. i think purdue is there to stay, i think msu is going nowhere, osu gets every single good player on earth, wisco will continue to contend with whomever they bring in and they're fairly loaded with incoming players, and minnesota is absolutely on their way back up in terms of recruiting. there just isn't any room for iowa at the table, although it would be good for the big ten. I don't get how Thad does it. He just looks at the top 25 list and goes. I want you,you, you, and you. Then he gets them. It's amazing. makes me wish we would have hired him when we had the chance, but oh well.

and please, don't accuse me of being a homer, ask illiniguy about our arguments concerning eric gordon last year.

Yep, he is an all around solid player. Basically another Adam Haluska with a little more of an inside game. The other freshman looked pretty good too. Tucker can stroke from outside. As I said earlier, this team is already much better than last year. There isn't one thing I can think of were they have not improved. Maybe the post depth could be a problem, but really, last year our 3rd big man was Kurt Looby. In a year or 2 we should be competitive for the top 3 in the BT. In two years Ohio State and Illinois will be loaded with talented. Loaded. Plus Wisky, MSU, and Purdue will still be very good. I can't see Iowa being a top three team. I can understand that. You are an illini fan. spare me, and you aren't the biggest hawkeye homer (and that's saying a lot) on the planet, i guess? if it werent for the god damn refs, the illini would be undefeated. thats all I know. the hardeman hit was legal and illinois still won that game, so it didn't cost them anything.

i just don't see iowa being relevant in any big ten discussion. if it happens, i'll be extremely surprised. there are just other teams that have more going for themselves. I really think that it will be OSU and Illinois going for it in a few years. They are both going to be loaded. But, I also think that Purdue, Wisky, MSU, and even Minnesota will be pretty goodd again.s exciting to have the big ten getting good again. i think purdue is there to stay, i think msu is going nowhere, osu gets every single good player on earth, wisco will continue to contend with whomever they bring in and they're fairly loaded with incoming players, and minnesota is absolutely on their way back up in terms of recruiting. there just isn't any room for iowa at the table, although it would be good for the big ten.

i just don't see iowa being relevant in any big ten discussion. if it happens, i'll be extremely surprised. there are just other teams that have more going for themselves.

Yep, he is an all around solid player. Basically another Adam Haluska with a little more of an inside game. The other freshman looked pretty good too. Tucker can stroke from outside. As I said earlier, this team is already much better than last year. There isn't one thing I can think of were they have not improved. Maybe the post depth could be a problem, but really, last year our 3rd big man was Kurt Looby. In a year or 2 we should be competitive for the top 3 in the BT. In two years Ohio State and Illinois will be loaded with talented. Loaded. Plus Wisky, MSU, and Purdue will still be very good. I can't see Iowa being a top three team. I can understand that. You are an illini fan. spare me, and you aren't the biggest hawkeye homer (and that's saying a lot) on the planet, i guess?

yes, because frazier has earned it with his career of mediocrity. We will have the best bench backcourt this year with Dmac and Alex Legion. what i hope bruce understands is that meacham and frazier look good against teams like eastern washington and that's about it.

yes, because frazier has earned it with his career of mediocrity.

I not afraid to say it....Rose will be better then both Paul and Williams. Rose is already bigger and stronger then Paul, and faster and more athlethic then Deron Williams. So yes, I do think Rose will eventually be better then both Paul and Williams. Same could be said about Mike Conley Jr. as can be said about a lot of point guards in the league. paul's key gifts are his speed and athleticism while williams's attributes are his size and strength (and court vision). you can't say that rose is better based on the fact that he's better than those two in those particlular categories. rose has a long way to go to measure up to the league's young marquee point guards. rose lacks the pure speed of paul and the court vision and instincts of williams and the handles of both--those are the skills and talents that make those two guys great. williams, btw, has a higher dribble than any other point guard in the league, it's hard to teach that kind of skill.

Yep, I'm a big fan of his. I haven't read Tales of Adam yet. I think I'm going to have to order it online, I havne't seen it in a bookstore yet. i checked it out at my library a few years ago, and i gleaned a passage that i want read at my funeral. it's perfect. tales of adam is a good, light read.

erm...no. Iowa will improve a bit from a team that won 6 Big Ten games last season. Iowa lost its best player in Freeman. They lost 3 seniors of consequence in Johnson(played 89% of all minutes), Gorney, and Looby. The incoming class is mediocre at best and the 2 sophomores who had serious time last year were horrendous shooters from inside the arc.(Peterson sucked from outside too) They're basically Indiana with Cyrus Tate.(which admittedly is a huge difference, but it still ain't pretty) As manbear said Freeman was not our best player. Highest usage rate, but played out of the system, was not efficient and was by many sources (even before he left) a negative presence. Johnson did nothing after the Indiana game. He was a spot-up shooter who didn't shoot well but his numbers looked good because of what he did in the non-conference and against IU. Looby was almost out of the rotation and when he was getting minutes he contributed NOTHING on offense. Gorney had about 3 decent games. Kelly and Tate were the best players and before injury Cole would have been third. I will make any internet bet with you guys that Iowa has a better record this year both overall and in the Big Ten. Maybe we'll even be as good as Lewis College and can take you to the wire in Champaign. But then again in about the 3rd week you guys both said Iowa football was "awful" "lousy" would be fighting for the bottom of the league. Your disdain for the school clouds your judgment. haha. "all of our former players sucked, all of our current players are awesome, etc etc etc"

i don't think there's a chance that iowa finishes above illinois. legion will be playing once big ten season starts, and i think 3 guard rotation of mccamey/brock/legion is one of the more potent offensive combinations in the conference. granted they have no interior players to speak of, but they never really have under weber. pruitt often did more harm than good at the end of ballgames and randle was a guy you didn't have to guard anywhere outside of 10 feet. not returning smith hurts bad, but they're still good enough to finish 5th or 6th. everyone likes mike tisdale to start at center, but as you all know, i don't think he can play his way out of wet paper bag. however, there are some interesting options at the forward positions. richard semrau has apparently worked his way back to full strength from a life-threatening illness and other injuries that have dogged his first couple of years in champaign, he was at one point a top 30 recruit and has shown flashes in practice. bill cole is a wild card, he was recruited ahead of robbie hummel to ui and has a nice all-around game for a guy his size. however, bruce will have to show some faith in these guys and just let them play through whatever they need to play through--hopefully they'll be key contributers. dominique keller was the second-leading scorer in the juco ranks last season and can put the ball in the hole, i'd be happy if he can average 10 and 6, and it would bode well for our chances in conference. mike davis is an athlete, and well, that's about it at this point, if he can hit the boards, defend, and occasionally knock down the ten-footer, he'll be serviceable starter and fulfill my expectations. stan simpson, unfortunately, cannot redshirt, and will probably waste away his freshman season on the bench. there will be a lot of rotating at the post positions and it would be nice if the coach can find a nice mix instead of going with just a couple of guys logging a lion share of ineffective minutes. i'd also like to see bruce start out with frazier and meacham on the bench when big ten season starts. they're role players and valuable ones at that, but they aren't starters on a tourney team and i hope he realizes it. they have their strengths and they need to be utilized toward those strengths, but the ball cannot be in frazier's hands at the end of games if we want to win more than 8 games in conference. everybody better get their last licks in on illinois this season if they can, but i still don't think it will be all that bad. like i said, mccamey, legion, and brock can all get their own shot and need to be given the green light on every possession.

Doesn't matter, he be singing a different tune after they get their ass kicked in the playoffs. If Orton doesn't get hurt on cheap shot by Lions and plays do the Bears win this game? worst and luckiest 9-0 team in the hgostroy of the sport. i'm sure mercury morris is sweating.

they threw for 289 today. i could have thrown for 300 yards with 2 dbs back there.

good luck trying to win in the playoffs without a passing game to speak of, jeffy, you mustachioed jerk.

pretty easy to call a pass with 2:15 left. yeah. it doesn't really matter as the clock would have been stopped anyway.

as you can see, if i were a titan fan, the situations would have been reversed. sorry for being a bear fan, everybody.

game. i hate bo scaife, i hated him since this game started.

their cb's have made some big plays.

yeesh, he really picked a winner on that one.

he keeps breaking the wrong way.