Pathetic state of college basketball in Illinois

[Da Coach]

Could it be that perhaps Illinois has too many D1 teams to share all the talent with(I'm not saying that is the case, just curious)?

There is a ton of basketball talent in Illinois. More than enough to keep all 13 Illinois D1 schools stocked if that was how it worked out. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out that way.

Here was an analysis of Division I college players in 2016, and which state they came from-

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/

Of the 5,176 Division I players in the country at that time, Illinois had the 3rd most (behind Texas & California) with 272 players playing college D1basketball. Yet the great majority of them were playing for schools outside Illinois.

The problem is that there are dozens of out-of-state colleges that focus their recruiting in Illinois, and induce the top talent out of the state. The recruits seem to like to get out of Chicago.
For example... 3 of the last 10 Big Ten Players of the Year were from Illinois (Evan Turner, Frank Kaminsky, and Keita Bates-Diop) but none played for schools in Illinois.
This year's Big East Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson of Villanova, is from Illinois. 2015 ACC POY Jahlil Okafor is from Chicago, and the list of top talent leaving Illinois is endless.

Plus, most of the talent is in the Chicago area, and many of the downstate schools just have never been able to convince the Chicago area players to move downstate. part of that is the downstate schools, and even the non-major schools in Chicago (UIC & Loyola) get so little publicity, that high schoolers barely know they exist.
The schools in Chicago have a hard time recruiting in their own city- UIC has only 3 players on their roster from Illinois, and one is from Belleville! Loyola has only 4 Illinois kids and just 2 from Chicago, and that is an increase over prior seasons. Bradley has only 3 scholarship players from Illinois, but one, Donte, is leaving. We will gain one more, Armon Brummett, but in recent years, Bradley has gotten few players from Illinois.
Even the University of Illinois has only 3 scholarship players from the state of Illinois, and now it's two because Mark Smith just left the team!

I am sure all the Illinois college coaches are trying to recruit more Chicago talent, but the trend is moving the other way.

[tornado]

The problem seems to be the entire midwest, not just Illinois!
Iowa State has not had an Iowa kid as a scholarship basketball player in the past two years. If you go 3 years back, they did have two (Jordan Ashton & Brady Ernst - both of whom have been at multiple schools and had the proverbial "cup of coffee" at Iowa State - each spending only one short, unsuccessful year there).
But Iowa State did land 4 Illinois kids for next year.

Then I checked Indiana's roster - which used to have gobs of Indiana kids - but currently they only have 3 Indiana kids who play bit parts with all their main guys from out of state. - and two of those are walk-ons, so only one scholarship kid from Indiana (Collin Hartman who almost didn't come back this year anyway)

DePaul sits right smack dab in the epicenter of the hotbed of Chicago recruiting and yet has just two scholarship kids from IL and only one from Chicago (Gage- who isn't playing and Strus who just transferred in from Lewis)

Notre Dame sits little more than an hour from Illinois yet has zero scholarship players from anywhere in Illinois.

[tornado]

Again this year, the state of Division I basketball in Illinois is terrible. Loyola will be the only Illinois Division I school to play in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Last year, Northwestern was the only one, and for the 3 years before that, there were no Illinois schools in the NCAA Tournament.

Here are all the Illinois D1 schools who have played in the tournament in the past decade.
Amazing- 6 out of the last 11 years, there have been no Illinois schools, and in the other 5 years, only one school made it to the NCAA Tournament each of those years-
2018- Loyola
2017- Northwestern
2016- none
2015- none
2014- none
2013- Illinois
2012- none
2011- Illinois
2010- none
2009- Illinois
2008- none

And here are the 13 Division I programs in Illinois and when they last played in the NCAA Tournament-
Bradley- 2006 (previous were 1996, 1988, 1986, 1980, 1955, 1954, 1950)
Chicago State- Never
DePaul- 2004 (previous were 2000, 1992)
Eastern Illinois- 2001 (previous was 1992)
Illinois- 2013 (previous were 2011, 2009, 2007)
Illinois State- 1998 (previous were 1997, 1991)
Loyola- 2018 (previous was 1985, 1968 )
Northern Illinois- 1996 (previous were 1991, 1982)
Northwestern- 2017 (none previously)
Southern Illinois- 2007 (previous were 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002)
UIC- 2004 (previous were 2002, 1998 )
WIU- never
SIUE- never

UPDATE!!

2019- BRADLEY
2018- Loyola
2017- Northwestern
2016- none
2015- none
2014- none
2013- Illinois
2012- none
2011- Illinois
2010- none
2009- Illinois
2008- none

Bradley- 2019 (previous were 2006, 1996, 1988, 1986, 1980, 1955, 1954, 1950)
Chicago State- Never
DePaul- 2004 (previous were 2000, 1992)
Eastern Illinois- 2001 (previous was 1992)
Illinois- 2013 (previous were 2011, 2009, 2007)
Illinois State- 1998 (previous were 1997, 1991)
Loyola- 2018 (previous was 1985, 1968 )
Northern Illinois- 1996 (previous were 1991, 1982)
Northwestern- 2017 (none previously)
Southern Illinois- 2007 (previous were 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002)
UIC- 2004 (previous were 2002, 1998 )
WIU- never - but they're still alive and have a chance this year!
SIUE- never

[Tommy]

update!!

2019- bradley

classic! Thank you for the update, tornado! :d

[Go_Braves]

Could it be that perhaps Illinois has too many D1 teams to share all the talent with(I'm not saying that is the case, just curious)?

Examples of some of the major issues that are periodically discussed include (a) let's begin with all the freshmen "1 and done" currently playing. I have no idea what the average number of these 1 and done freshmen are that go on to the NBA after each season. I am not sure how to throttle this - because these freshmen (and even High School Seniors) have the right to go play in the NBA as soon as they can. Not that this is going to occur - but it would be interesting if no one could not be drafted in the NBA until they are 22 years old. The landscape of college basketball would drastically change. (b) The money $$$ involved. Sometime google what an average ticket costs to a Duke or Kentucky or Kansas game. And the sponsors and school supporters. That's what made Loyola last year so cool. It would be an eye opener as to what Loyola's basketball budget was verses the 3 remaining teams from last years final 4. That's why I enjoy movies like "Moneyball" where less fortunate teams somehow find a way. (c) Rule changes - Power 5 conference schools purposely do not schedule mid-major teams. They need to keep their playing field to help their own cause - not "in the name of the game" but "in the name of business". Well I could go on - I'll get off my soap box now. Go Braves - Make some Noise in this years Dance..