Writer Ranks the DI Teams in Illinois

[tornado]

Other guys have done this, but now the writer for the Illini does it,
Paul Klee......and he sure has a high opinion of the Big Ten guys...

http://www.illinihq.com/news/mens_basketball/2008/12/09/klees_best_of_illinois/

He also apparently does NOT know that SIUE is now DI - also "Robert Kreps" of UIC never goes by "Robert"!

http://uicflames.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kreps_robo00.html

1. Illinois (8-1)
Preseason buzz surrounded the 2009 recruiting class, but development of big men like Mike Davis was equally important to the future; So far, so good

2. Northwestern (6-1)
The Wildcats are a blown lead (at Butler) away from being unbeaten; Seven or eight wins in Big Ten play seems a reasonable goal

3. Illinois State (8-0)
If you miss the state's top NBA prospect, 6-foot-3 Osiris Eldridge, catch him next season: The do-everything guard is only a junior

4. Southern Illinois (3-4)
Outside Creighton – and Salukis have won nine of their last 11 meetings – the MVC is up for grabs; SIU overscheduled for its youth

5. Bradley (4-3)
Tonight's game at Butler (7-0) will tell plenty about the Braves; Check out guard Sam Maniscalco, a friend of UI's Demetri McCamey

6. DePaul (4-2)
That 27-point loss to Northwestern had to tickle; Former UI recruiting target Dar Tucker is a future All-Big East player

7. Illinois-Chicago (5-2)
Flames the toughest to peg on this list; Beat Vanderbilt (by 19 points), lost to DePaul (by 4); Maroa-Forsyth's Robert Kreps averages 13.6 ppg

8. Loyola (4-5)
A 21-point win against Georgia raised Illini eyebrows; After seeing down-in-the-dumps Georgia in person, the blowout makes sense

9. Northern Illinois (4-5)
Before the season, former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, recruited to Colorado by NIU coach Ricardo Patton, visited DeKalb

10. Chicago State (3-4)
Be wary, Illini: Confident Cougars enter the Assembly Hall believing they can win, having scored 87 points at then-ranked Marquette

11. Western Illinois (3-5)
Jim Molinari, who eased the transition between Dan Monson and Tubby Smith at Minnesota, snapped IUPUI's 19-game home win streak Saturday

12. Eastern Illinois (2-5)
The bright spots? EIU beat Tennessee State, something Illinois couldn't do, and signed a good one in 2009 recruit Shaun Pratl (Richards)

[mportsch]

For comparison's sake, here's the current Pomeroy rankings of these schools:

16. Northwestern
32. Illinois
67. Illinois State
109. Illinois-Chicago
116. Southern Illinois
151. DePaul
153. Bradley
235. Loyola
263. Chicago State
273. Northern Illinois
283. Eastern Illinois
319. Western Illinois

It's still early, so these rankings can still move a decent amount based on one or two games. That said, there's not much difference between this ranking and Klee's.

[Scouter]

Robo Kreps? Wow...

[mportsch]

[tornado]

For comparison's sake, here's the current Pomeroy rankings of these schools:

16. Northwestern
32. Illinois
67. Illinois State
109. Illinois-Chicago
116. Southern Illinois
151. DePaul
153. Bradley
235. Loyola
263. Chicago State
273. Northern Illinois
283. Eastern Illinois
319. Western Illinois

It's still early, so these rankings can still move a decent amount based on one or two games. That said, there's not much difference between this ranking and Klee's.

this is silly, everybody knows that Northwestern is NOT the 16th best team in the nation!

[pfunk880]

this is silly, everybody knows that Northwestern is NOT the 16th best team in the nation!

***Biting my tongue

[Big Mike]

12/15 update.....http://hoopsil.com/2008/12/updated-t...s-dec-15-2008/

[Braves4Life]

12/15 update.....http://hoopsil.com/2008/12/updated-t...s-dec-15-2008/

This one is most believable. Though I would put UIC above Northwestern.

[MacabreMob]

12/15 update.....http://hoopsil.com/2008/12/updated-t...s-dec-15-2008/

This one is most believable. Though I would put UIC above Northwestern.

So after W Illinois beats UMKC (which WILL happen - book it! - the Schadenfreudes will be out in full-force too)... does W Illinois climb high enough and overcome Bradley?

[Da Coach]

Here is a commentary on Illinois State's schedule. They received 3 votes in the coaches poll this week.--

http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/12316083

Again, the Redbirds weren't great last season, they haven't beaten anybody so far this season, and they probably won't play anybody the rest of this season. That's a bad combination for a team wanting to be taken seriously, because even if they are good there's no way to know considering the schedule put together presents zero opportunities to impress anybody ... save the handful of dumb voters in the coaches poll.

[tornado]

Wow...that's harsh...several comments stand out...

"But ISU has played absolutely nobody, and when I say nobody I mean N-O-B-O-D-Y."

"they haven't beaten anybody so far this season, and they probably won't play anybody the rest of this season."

" ISU, on the other hand, hasn't done anything to deserve the benefit of the doubt."

and from the reader comments--

"I don't understand WHY they scheduled like they did. It's pathetic"

"If Illinois State gets left out again this year, they have no one to blame but their Athletic Director."

"this is the most BORING schedule I've seen in 20 years. I think the MVC is even peeved at them"

"Honestly I think the reason that Illinois State...scheduled such weak nonconference opponents is to build some interest in their program."
ha, ha....as they draw "crowds" of barely 4000....

[cpacmel]

"they haven't beaten anybody so far this season, and they probably won't play anybody the rest of this season."

I think this last part is more troubling than anything else. Conference play hasn't even begun and Parrish is already writing off the Valley completely.

[Phantom]

"Honestly I think the reason that Illinois State...scheduled such weak nonconference opponents is to build some interest in their program."
ha, ha....as they draw "crowds" of barely 4000....

Our fans are fickle, EVERYONE knows that. However, given this year's schedule, I ALMOST don't blame the fence sitters for not coming out yet. We won't start drawing good crowds until Valley play begins. (We might get a decent crowd for UIC on Sat though, I hope).

Plus, factor in that not only have we played nobody, but all but 1 of our home games have been during Thanksgiving or Xmas break. So when students are gone, attendance is much less (An exception was our game vs. SIU last year). Plus there are those fans who don't really like going to games over break, since no students/no band = no atmosphere (people have actually said this to me.) Break games usually suck, and they are twice as bad when you have teams like Winston-Salem in the house which will generate zero interest/excitement.

[Da Coach]

HoopsIL.com has updated their Illinois college rankings--

http://hoopsil.com/2008/12/updated-team-rankings-dec-15-2008/

Bradley stayed at #5, but SIU dropped from #4 to #6, UIC rose from #7 to #4, and ISU rose from #3 to #2.

[tpguy1]

Here is a commentary on Illinois State's schedule. They received 3 votes in the coaches poll this week.--

http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/12316083

Again, the Redbirds weren't great last season, they haven't beaten anybody so far this season, and they probably won't play anybody the rest of this season. That's a bad combination for a team wanting to be taken seriously, because even if they are good there's no way to know considering the schedule put together presents zero opportunities to impress anybody ... save the handful of dumb voters in the coaches poll.

As a Redbird fan I have to agree that there is no excuse for us receiving votes.