CHICITYSPORTS – Chicago Sports  Blog – News – Forum – Rumors – Fans
  • BEARS
  • BULLS
  • BLACKHAWKS
  • CUBS
  • WHITE SOX
  • MESSAGE BOARD
Navigation
  • About Us
  • Chicago Sports Podcasts
  • ChiCity+
  • CHICITYSPORTS – Chicago Sports Blog – News – Forum – Rumors – Fans
  • Get In Touch
  • Join Our Group
  • Newsletter
  • Our Writers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Want to Write for ChiCitySports?
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Former Chicago Bears running back receives impressive accolade
  • REPORT: Chicago Bears To Have Private Visit With A Top Quarterback Draft Prospect
  • Latest mock draft has Chicago Bears reaching for an offensive playmaker
  • Chicago Bears fans react to Matt Eberflus’ shocking plans for Tremaine Edmunds next position
  • Matt Eberflus Hints At Change In Chicago Bears Offensive Strategy In 2023
  • Report: Ryan Poles Drops Curious Clues On Bears Draft Plans; Future Roster Decisions
  • Cubs agree to extension with Nico Hoerner
  • Cubs’ Morel expected to start season in Iowa
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Our Writers
  • Want to Write for ChiCitySports?
CHICITYSPORTS – Chicago Sports  Blog – News – Forum – Rumors – FansCHICITYSPORTS – Chicago Sports  Blog – News – Forum – Rumors – Fans
  • BEARS

    Former Chicago Bears running back receives impressive accolade

    March 28, 2023

    REPORT: Chicago Bears To Have Private Visit With A Top Quarterback Draft Prospect

    March 28, 2023

    Latest mock draft has Chicago Bears reaching for an offensive playmaker

    March 28, 2023

    Chicago Bears fans react to Matt Eberflus’ shocking plans for Tremaine Edmunds next position

    March 28, 2023

    Matt Eberflus Hints At Change In Chicago Bears Offensive Strategy In 2023

    March 28, 2023
  • BULLS

    Bulls’ guard Lonzo Ball undergoing third surgery, could miss 2023-24 season

    March 16, 2023

    Zach LaVine not letting Bulls go quietly

    March 12, 2023

    Bulls’ Lonzo Ball may need third surgery on knee

    March 9, 2023

    The Air Jordan 4 is next to get the ‘reimagined’ treatment in 2024

    March 2, 2023

    Goran Dragic’s time with the Bulls has ended

    February 28, 2023
  • BLACKHAWKS

    BREAKING: Chicago Blackhawks trade Patrick Kane

    February 28, 2023

    Chicago Blackhawks hit win streak in the month of February 2023

    February 22, 2023

    Comparing the Dynamic of Two Rebuilding Clubs

    January 25, 2023

    Chicago Fans’ One Wish for Every Team in 2023

    December 31, 2022

    Blackhawks’ Sam Lafferty returns to line-up vs. Jets

    December 9, 2022
  • CUBS

    Cubs agree to extension with Nico Hoerner

    March 27, 2023

    Cubs’ Morel expected to start season in Iowa

    March 27, 2023

    Javier Assad dominated a stacked USA lineup

    March 13, 2023

    Mike Tauchman impressing early on for Chicago Cubs

    March 8, 2023

    Willson Contreras takes shot at Chicago Cubs

    February 25, 2023
  • WHITE SOX

    Chicago White Sox agree to terms with Elvis Andrus

    February 20, 2023

    Chicago White Sox 2023 prospect watch: outfielder Oscar Colas

    January 18, 2023

    Chicago Fans’ One Wish for Every Team in 2023

    December 31, 2022

    MLB analyst pitches insane White Sox Yankees trade

    December 22, 2022

    Outfielder Andrew Benintendi signs with White Sox

    December 16, 2022
  • MESSAGE BOARD
Facebook Twitter Instagram
CHICITYSPORTS – Chicago Sports  Blog – News – Forum – Rumors – Fans
Home»Bears»Weber Has Illini on Verge of Irrelevance
Bears

Weber Has Illini on Verge of Irrelevance

Z PBy Z PMarch 16, 20113 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr Email
BruceWeberOhioStatevIllinoisynuiAc wcdil
BruceWeberOhioStatevIllinoisynuiAc wcdil
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

That collective yawn that you heard emanating out of Illini Nation on Selection Sunday spoke volumes on where the current path the basketball program has traveled in five short years.  Count me amongst the throng of students, alums and fans that could care less about watching Illinois among this year’s NCAA Tournament field.  Raise your hand if you’re excited after all the preseason hype, the early season victory over North Carolina and peaking at #12 nationally if you’re excited about backing in, barely, to the Tourney as a nine seed?

The reward for which is a match-up against former Illini coach Lon Kruger.  If they survive that, a “showdown” against every Illini’s favorite villain – former coach Bill SelfServing – awaits (or dooms) Illinois.  Say what you want about a couple of carpetbaggars like Kruger and Self ; but at this point, I’d take a revolving door of coaches using Illinois as a cheap date while awaiting the availability of the prom queen in exchange for a Top Four seed every year.

Instead, we have nice guy Bruce Weber, someone I’d love to have as a next door neighbor.  But clearly not capable of coaching an upper-tier Big Ten program like Illinois.  I thought Weber was fantastic coaching Deron Williams, Dee Brown, Luther Head and the rest of Self’s recruits to within 1:30 seconds of the National Title in 2005.  What a brilliant run with that memory of the comeback against Arizona in the frantic All State Arena forever a part of Illini pride.  But coaching is also recruiting and gelling your own classes into consistent winners, something Weber has failed mightily to even come close to accomplishing.  And yes, while we’re at it, there’s no reason with the fertile recruiting ground in the state that the Illini shouldn’t be a Top 10 team every year.  The school is one of only a few where coaches don’t need to travel more than 3 hours by car in any direction to field a loaded team every year.

I’m tired of hearing about the Jon Scheyer’s and Eric Gordan’s who got away, the backyard studs like Derek Rose who never considered Champaign and the uncoachable talents like Demetri McCamey.  Regarding the latter, it falls on Self for not getting the best out of McCamey.  If you recruit the guy, you better understand what you’re getting and if his high school coach supposedly had questions about his coachability – you pass.

Seven years into the job, Weber is still trying to get out of Self’s shadow, despite once holding a mock funeral for him, and win a tournament game with his own recruits – something he’s yet to do as the Illini have gone 0 for March Madness since 2006.  In a way, he may have a shot this weekend.  Make no mistake, all would be erased with a win over Kruger AND THEN a victory over top-ranked Kansas.  But lose to either and the weight from a loss of patience on the part of Illini Nation will continue to be a burden on Weber’s nice guy shoulders.

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
The Worst Things Bart Simpson Has Ever Done Ranked
Z P
  • Twitter

Chicago sports.

Related Posts

Bears March 28, 2023

Former Chicago Bears running back receives impressive accolade

Bears March 28, 2023

REPORT: Chicago Bears To Have Private Visit With A Top Quarterback Draft Prospect

Chicago Bears Rumors March 28, 2023

Latest mock draft has Chicago Bears reaching for an offensive playmaker

Bears March 28, 2023

Chicago Bears fans react to Matt Eberflus’ shocking plans for Tremaine Edmunds next position

Bears March 28, 2023

Matt Eberflus Hints At Change In Chicago Bears Offensive Strategy In 2023

Bears March 28, 2023

Report: Ryan Poles Drops Curious Clues On Bears Draft Plans; Future Roster Decisions

3 Comments

  1. The Vinny on March 16, 2011 2:53 am

    Enjoy reading an article that sums up the Illini’s current state instead of celebrating them just making a tournament. Now they can look forward to pulling off a MILD upset being a 9 seed toppling an 8 seed.

    How did this team get in, when last years didn’t? I guess beating UNC at the start of the year goes a long way. Does anyone think they could have won the NIT? Teams like Austin Peay and Murray State would have knocked them off, just like they did in NCAA Toruneys past. St. Marys California is my pick to win NIT which no one cares about. They only finished tied with Gonzaga and lost to them in the conference championship. They don’t come from an overated conference like the Big Ten either, so they don’t geta chance to improve on their Sweet 16 performance from a year ago. Where is Mike Francesca to stick up for the small conferences?

    Would it have been any different this year for the Illini than last year?
    The question is, who is the next coach for the Illini? They need to get guy like Butler has. Young can relate to players and oh by the way can recruit guys from Indiania and Illinois. check out their signed guys for next year. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/2086 Filling needs from Illinois, Indy, and even a point guard from Australia. Meanwhile Webber gets the last two Illinois Mr.Basketball to add to the mix and they still find themselves as underachievers.

    Last year I couldn’t help but noticed Giant Killers Northern Iowa with Johnny Moran from Alquin ILL, and Jason Orear from Nashville Illinois in their starting line-up. If Orear didn’t get hurt this year (his senior year) they would have had some inside prescence and been in the tourney. Why are teams out of state finding and devewloping these great role players from Illinois? Because they have to for one.

  2. Jonah Puls on March 16, 2011 11:11 pm

    Just one thing about your comment. You note those recruits from Butler? I don’t even remember. But, anyways, have you seen our recruiting class for next year? It’s amazing, plus we are adding Sam Maniscalco from Bradley, which will help develop Tracy Abrams from Mt. Caramel. Weber will get one more year. If he doesn’t produce next season, then I think he’s out.

  3. Dan on August 2, 2011 7:17 am

    I’m tired of hearing about the Jon Scheyer’s and Eric Gordan’s who got away, the backyard studs like Derek Rose who never considered Champaign and the uncoachable talents like Demetri McCamey. Regarding the latter, it falls on Self for not getting the best out of McCamey. If you recruit the guy, you better understand what you’re getting and if his high school coach supposedly had questions about his coachability – you pass.

    It falls on Self?

Leave A Reply

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Team Message Boards

bears TP
bulls TP
cubs TP
sox TP
hawks TP
we want you to write
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
  • Home
  • Message Board
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Our Writers
  • Want to Write for ChiCitySports?
© 2023 ChiCitySports. Designed by Dope Guys Who Run ChiCitySports.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.