Further Fallout from Illini Win Over the Braves

[lefty]

lefty, If Jim Les had used one of the BU players ahead of the reported schedule, and that player got reinjured, requiring several more games missed, I am sure a point would have been made claiming JL mismanaged his injured player.
Why is Bruce Weber off limits when it comes to questioning why he did what he did.

It was apparent to me watching the Ill-BU game that Jamar was hurting and I wondered a out loud why he was in the game with so much at risk, so early in the season.
Sure enough, the time Jamar played against BU clearly had an impact on his lack of playing ability in the next couple games.
Now Jamar might not even play for another 3-4 games.
Was it worth it just to beat Bradley?
I just think it was silly gamble, a big risk for a game so early in the season. Why did he take that chance, and now he is paying for it with Jamar's absence, and the lack of good shooting from anyone else on the team?

Why do you feel you have to defend JL on a decision BW makes?
Maybe if JS doesn't play against BU and plays against MD and can't play against AZ. I mean BW made the decision and from what I understand JS was cleared to play...would have more rest been better? That's easy to say now. I'm sure if BW was told that JS won't be able to play for couple of weeks if he plays against BU he wouldn't have played him.


MM...I'm both an Illini and BU fan and I don't have any orange and blue panties

[molar50]

Re: Weber

I know that the Chicagoland Classic was scheduled after Patrick O'Bryant was drafted. I was informed that Illinois was not considering this tournament if O'Bryant was still going to play for Bradley this season. Weber was smart enough to know the importance of this game against Bradley.

[Da Coach]

lefty, If Jim Les had used one of the BU players ahead of the reported schedule, and that player got reinjured, requiring several more games missed, I am sure a point would have been made claiming JL mismanaged his injured player.
Why is Bruce Weber off limits when it comes to questioning why he did what he did.

It was apparent to me watching the Ill-BU game that Jamar was hurting and I wondered a out loud why he was in the game with so much at risk, so early in the season.
Sure enough, the time Jamar played against BU clearly had an impact on his lack of playing ability in the next couple games.
Now Jamar might not even play for another 3-4 games.
Was it worth it just to beat Bradley?
I just think it was silly gamble, a big risk for a game so early in the season. Why did he take that chance, and now he is paying for it with Jamar's absence, and the lack of good shooting from anyone else on the team?

Why do you feel you have to defend JL on a decision BW makes?
Maybe if JS doesn't play against BU and plays against MD and can't play against AZ. I mean BW made the decision and from what I understand JS was cleared to play...would have more rest been better? That's easy to say now. I'm sure if BW was told that JS won't be able to play for couple of weeks if he plays against BU he wouldn't have played him.


MM...I'm both an Illini and BU fan and I don't have any orange and blue panties

This isn't about Jim Les. It is about Weber's decision to play Jamar Smith only 12 days after he was injured. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the Austin Peay game on Nov. 13. The Illni reported that he would be out 4-6 weeks.

http://www.herald-review.com/blogs/marktupper/?p=285

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/111406/PM__BBHG668O.075.shtml

Yet, because he wanted to win the Bradley game so much, he took a chance and allowed him to play Nov. 25 against Bradley for 17 minutes of uptempo action. He is the coach and that's his decision to make. It helped Illinois beat Bradley, but no doubt it set Smith's recovery back. He might have been available more against Maryland and Arizona. How much more time he will miss now is unknown. But to bring a kid back from even a minor ankle sprain in 12 days is risky, and this was more than a minor sprain.
Now Illinois is saying things like they- "would rather let sophomore guard Jamar Smith heal quickly than extend the recovery time on his high ankle sprain."

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/sports/stories/101965.asp

Funny, when he played against Bradley, Weber was saying he wasn't hurting anything by playing. Now he says he won't heal right until he gets some rest. Weber is paying the price for his actions, and even Illinois fans are right to question the move. I believe he will eventually regret bringing him back too soon.

[RocketWatcher]

As as a BU fan do you care if BW is off or on the hook?

For some reason BU fans like to criticize what seems like every aspect of Illinois basketball.

Hmm...

[tornado]

As as a BU fan do you care if BW is off or on the hook?

For some reason BU fans like to criticize what seems like every aspect of Illinois basketball.

Hmm...

Maybe some, but certainly not all.
I am an Illinois fan as well as a BU fan, and yet somehow just this very topic seems to have folks calling for it to be off limits?

lefty, I only made the comment about JL to show that it is a topic worth discussing, as it sure would be if it was any other coach.

And I am not being anti-Illinois by questioning the logic of playing a kid just a week and a half after an injury that was said to be going to take 4-6 weeks to recover.

Here, based on an official release from the university, Mark Tupper (quite possibly the most informed of guys who cover the Illini) says it will be 4-6 weeks (dated 11/16).
Then NINE days later Jamar logs 17 minutes against Bradley.
If you saw the BU-Ill game, then I an sure you noted Jamar was clearly hurting before the end of the game, limping down court, and they still left him in.

http://www.herald-review.com/blogs/marktupper/?p=288

I don't buy the sell-out that Weber was only doing what his advisors (trainers, etc.) told him. Just who is in charge?
I fully believe BW knew the risks and took them anyway.
That's fine, he's the coach, but now the discussion is about how that decision has hurt him, and has hurt Jamar. Clearly it has, and anyone who says otherwise, isn't being realistic.
Now they are saying Jamar might not return for another week.

This isn't the Illiniboard, where any discussion about Weber that exposes a bad move gets deleted.
This was a very bad move.

And Rocketwatcher....why do you think it is that some BU fans dislike the Illini?
And have you ever checked the Illiniboard, and seen the way they ridicule anyone they don't like?
Get real, the Illini are treated better on this board than any team I can think of is ever treated on any BCS team's board.

[gobu]

Which losses would look worse to the NCAA selection committee, Maryland and Arizona in close games short-handed, or a loss to Bradley under the same circumstances? I am thinking Weber did what he thought was best for his team to make the NCAA's, which was beat Bradely.

[Da Coach]

I think you are right that a loss to Bradley would hurt Illinois more. I am not sure I believe that was the main reason on BW's mind. I think he just hated to lose to an "inferior" in-state rival in Chicago, where he wants to maintain a recruiting edge..

[MacabreMob]

Which losses would look worse to the NCAA selection committee, Maryland and Arizona in close games short-handed, or a loss to Bradley under the same circumstances? I am thinking Weber did what he thought was best for his team to make the NCAA's, which was beat Bradely.

But you see.... you have it backwards.

Which WINS look better to the selection committee? Just one over Bradley? Or two over ranked BCS teams?

The committee isn't gonna care how close UNI played at Washington - they lost. That's it.

[lefty]

Which losses would look worse to the NCAA selection committee, Maryland and Arizona in close games short-handed, or a loss to Bradley under the same circumstances? I am thinking Weber did what he thought was best for his team to make the NCAA's, which was beat Bradely.

But you see.... you have it backwards.

Which WINS look better to the selection committee? Just one over Bradley? Or two over ranked BCS teams?

The committee isn't gonna care how close UNI played at Washington - they lost. That's it.

Illinois didn't win two over BCS and there is no guarantee that they would have if JS played.Again I doubt BW knew if JS plays against BU he wouldn't be available for MD and AZ.
If JS doesn't play against BU and they go on to lose to MD and AZ...that doesn't look good to committee either.

[tornado]

Maybe, and I know it's all supposed to be by a mathmatical formula/RPI, but you and I bopth know a national TV loss probably hurts when it comes down to the people on the selection committee.

More than anything else, come selection time in March, it's those supposed "quality wins" that earn a team an at large bid.
Just ask Creighton or Missouri State from last year.
Missouri State's failure (in 2005-06) to win a single non-conference game over an opponent whose RPI is greater than 50 is what likely did them in. Supposedly same goes for Michigan.