Illinois likely to miss out on all of top recruits

[Da Coach]

News that Bruce Weber and his dynamic recruiting staff don't want to hear--

The state of Illinois recruiting
The Fighting Illini could miss out on all four of the top in-state recruits...

http://blogs.suntimes.com/preps/2007/07/the_state_of_illinois_recruiti.html#more

[smitty]

Here is a link to a topic (one of many) on one of the Illinois message boards about the bad recruiting news that is being reported. It sounds as if they are ready to unload the whole coaching staff.
"McClain-Price-Webster...who's to blame???...."

http://forums.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=169#S=169&F=2616&T=704604

[tornado]

One of my own colleagues, an Illini fan, conceded they are in meltdown mode.
--posts moaning that they didn't fire Weber and hir Billy Gillispie
--and a "we're at a time of crisis" post that has already reached 21 pages!!!!

http://forums.illiniboard.com/boards/showpost.php?b=hoops;pid=73449

[MacabreMob]

Keep McClain - he is the "G-L-U-E".

[Braves4Life]

One of my own colleagues, an Illini fan, conceded they are in meltdown mode.

I'd be interested in your take on Weber's future. I give him no more than 3 years at Illinois unless he can coach his @ss off.

I do think he's a good coach but is destined to end up back at a mid-major where he will again be successful with a whole lot less pressure.

Just my take on things

[tornado]

Drawn from the opinions of many Illinois fans, both personally and on the boards....
There are obviously two camps, one wants to fire Weber now and the entire staff, the other wants to keep him and can the assistants.

Very few people seem willing to stay the course with the coaching personnel they have.
It would completely shock me if Bruce Weber doesn't get rid of at least one assistant soon.
As good of an "in-game" coach as he might be, the fans will only take so muchof the very best talent turning a blind eye towards Illinois.

Look what schools like Kansas State, Indiana, Kentucky, and Florida have done in such an incredibly short time just by hiring a coach that can get the studs.

[MacabreMob]

Drawn from the opinions of many Illinois fans, both personally and on the boards....
There are obviously two camps, one wants to fire Weber now and the entire staff, the other wants to keep him and can the assistants.

Very few people seem willing to stay the course with the coaching personnel they have.
It would completely shock me if Bruce Weber doesn't get rid of at least one assistant soon.
As good of an "in-game" coach as he might be, the fans will only take so muchof the very best talent turning a blind eye towards Illinois.

Look what schools like Kansas State, Indiana, Kentucky, and Florida have done in such an incredibly short time just by hiring a coach that can get the studs.

Well, from everything I heard from Illini fans I knew when BU was looking for their head coach... WM was DA MAN for the in-state recruits cause he is SO WELL respected by ALL HS coaches throughout the WHOLE state.

KEEP WM! HE IS THE GLUE!!!

[daPAWW1]

How Major is Major?

Illinois does itself no favors by continuing to hire 'mid major' coaches who have to prove themselves as great recruiters! Most might disagree with my assessment of BW - but I don't think he was ever a 'great' recruiter - yes, a good coach and talent developer but I just don't see that unique 'dynamic characteristic' in Bruce or his staff!

I think the part of this that bothers me the most is that everytime they get shut out on a 'star' they start looking at kids who are considering mid and mid high-mid major programs - like ours!

Regardless of talent, coaches, or recruitiing levels the Illini are most likely going to the NCAAs by virtue of their league strength, so quite frankly who cares!

[tornado]

Re: Illinois likely to miss out on all of top recruits

News that Bruce Weber and his dynamic recruiting staff don't want to hear--

yet another report(from a premium site after interviewing some of the Illinois kids at the Peach Jam)
says this.......

"...there is a lot of speculation now that Oregon is going to land Michael Dunigan and his AAU teammate Matt Humphrey. That news along with talk that Illinois is not in great shape with Iman Shumpert has Illinois fans pretty distraught this week since those are arguably the top three players from the state in the senior class to be."

[bert notorius]

I'm no Illinois fan ( ) but to fire a coach who is 112-28 (0.800) at your program and who appears to be squeaky clean (and squeaky voiced) doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

[MacabreMob]

I'm no Illinois fan ( ) but to fire a coach who is 112-28 (0.800) at your program and who appears to be squeaky clean (and squeaky voiced) doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

I don't want to see BAM fired.

I love his winning record... it puts on a nice sugarcoat lining.

Keep him (and DEFINITELY WM) as long as you (they) can.

[Da Coach]

I'm no Illinois fan ( ) but to fire a coach who is 112-28 (0.800) at your program and who appears to be squeaky clean (and squeaky voiced) doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

I agree. It's curious that the only people who want to see Weber fired are the core Illinois fans. He's a very good coach. He's is just not a top level recruiter.

[bert notorius]

I believe the fans that are in panic mode are the same fan(atic)s who still vilify Self for leaving, made inappropriate remarks about Gordon, and would vilify Weber if he left on his own accord. Once the season gets underway, things will settle down a bit. Last year was hard to watch for a variety of reasons, and not from just the ugly basketball that made its way to the court. And what really puzzles me is why Weber didn't just throw Smith to the wolves. That alone would have silenced a great number of naysayers. Jamar is not that good of a player to risk a career over. Curious.

[amckillip]

I believe the fans that are in panic mode are the same fan(atic)s who still vilify Self for leaving, made inappropriate remarks about Gordon, and would vilify Weber if he left on his own accord. Once the season gets underway, things will settle down a bit. Last year was hard to watch for a variety of reasons, and not from just the ugly basketball that made its way to the court. And what really puzzles me is why Weber didn't just throw Smith to the wolves. That alone would have silenced a great number of naysayers. Jamar is not that good of a player to risk a career over. Curious.

Maybe he honestly thought he was doing the right thing, and if that's why he kept Jamar, more power to him. I'm in the pull his scholarship boat, as I think most are, but sometimes it takes a lot to do what you think is right in the face of everyone telling you its wrong.

[vbird]

I'm no Illinois fan ( ) but to fire a coach who is 112-28 (0.800) at your program and who appears to be squeaky clean (and squeaky voiced) doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Squeaky clean, now that's a joke. Illinois has had as many arrested players as anyone during Weber's tenure.

Illinois fans are concerned that Weber took over a fully stocked program, and watched it slowly go downhill without much hope on the horizon, as the rest of the conference seems to be passing them by.