Illini

[jasonpeoria911]

Meanwhile Former K State Coach, Frank Martin, at South Carolina is just 13-16 overall and 3-13 in a relatively weak SEC conference. He did improve them slightly over last years team though.

Jason

The Illini basketball team falls to #23 in this week's AP poll...but this thread is really about the guy they fired last spring...


....interestingly, Kansas State has now gradually sneaked up to #16...and they haven't gotten hardly any real press or national hype & attention...unlike a few coaches whose teams are doing way worse than Bruce's
They are 13-2 with their only two losses to teams in the Top 10 (Michigan & Gonzaga)

I think this is somewhat SWEET vindication for Bruce Weber - who is taking a team with no real stars, who don't show up hardly anywhere near the top in the team stats or individual stats of the Big 12, that was barely picked to even be in the upper half of the Big 12, and was picked behind Baylor, Texas, & Oklahoma State...
..and he has made them quite successful..........Good for Bruce...

[tornado]

but Frank started with very little - they were 2-14 in the SEC last year and of that woeful group that got their coach fired...
only one player with a scoring average of more than 6 returned and their best scorer (a 5th year super-senior transfer) was injured and has only played a handful of games, leaving a freshman (Carrera) as about the only guy that can score...

Weber inherited a decent group whose coach was not fired for such a bad year - but Weber has to be mentioned in the National Coach of the Year argument along with a few other names...Mark Few, Thompson III, Crews, Dana, Shaka, Molinari, Tubby...etc...

[Old Coach]

but Frank started with very little - they were 2-14 in the SEC last year and of that woeful group that got their coach fired...
only one player with a scoring average of more than 6 returned and their best scorer (a 5th year super-senior transfer) was injured and has only played a handful of games, leaving a freshman (Carrera) as about the only guy that can score...

Weber inherited a decent group whose coach was not fired for such a bad year - but Weber has to be mentioned in the National Coach of the Year argument along with a few other names...Mark Few, Thompson III, Crews, Dana, Shaka, Molinari, Tubby...etc...

There are guys on that KSU roster who don't look anything like players he ever recruited to Illinois. I'll be eager to see what happens once he starts bringing his own guys in.

[Future Walk-On]

There are guys on that KSU roster who don't look anything like players he ever recruited to Illinois. I'll be eager to see what happens once he starts bringing his own guys in.

seriously.

They have 4 specimens on that team that would make his Illini guys cry. (other than Meyers Leonard)

[SFP]

I have always liked BW and thought Illinois was a bit to impatient. I'm glad he's doing well. Alvin Brooks must feel like a really lucky guy right now. Glad to see he's having success as well.

[Future Walk-On]

I have always liked BW and thought Illinois was a bit to impatient. I'm glad he's doing well. Alvin Brooks must feel like a really lucky guy right now. Glad to see he's having success as well.

too impatient?

[SFP]

too impatient?

Yes too impatient! I'm not an Illini fan so I look at it probably differently then you. You probably look at the Illini and believe they should be a top 10 team every year. I do not and there lies all the difference.

[Future Walk-On]

Yes too impatient! I'm not an Illini fan so I look at it probably differently then you. You probably look at the Illini and believe they should be a top 10 team every year. I do not and there lies all the difference.

I don't........

I do think that when you have the city of Chicago in your state and are in the top 15 in attendance every year in the nation...you should have more than 2 NCAA tournament wins in 7 years....

[Old Coach]

Yes too impatient! I'm not an Illini fan so I look at it probably differently then you. You probably look at the Illini and believe they should be a top 10 team every year. I do not and there lies all the difference.

Not top 10 in the nation, but top 5 in the conference.

[SFP]

Not top 10 in the nation, but top 5 in the conference.

B1G is one of the best conferences year in and year out. He also did get them to the National Title game and ran a very clean program. I guess playing it clean does not pay.

[Future Walk-On]

B1G is one of the best conferences year in and year out. He also did get them to the National Title game and ran a very clean program. I guess playing it clean does not pay.

FTR: I wasn't rolling my eyes at you

IMO Bruce's tenure was much like Jim's

had success then fell off ALOT... then appeared to get recruiting rolling again...?

Weber did nothing with 3 strong recruiting classes



I don't think playing THAT clean works now a days

[Future Walk-On]

My feelings toward Weber's firing were the exact same as Jim's

I liked both guys...but got over it and am excited about both programs now.

[Old Coach]

My feelings toward Weber's firing were the exact same as Jim's

I liked both guys...but got over it and am excited about both programs now.

I'm right there with you about Bruce. I met him on numerous occasions and spent time with him at his coaching clinics. That being said, I didn't feel like the Illini were moving closer toward winning a B1G championship under Bruce's direction. It was the classic case of needing a new voice.