MBB at Illinois Game Thread
Yeah, I shouldn't be watching either, but I know there are others out there who are looking for punishment on a Tuesday night too. The good news is it's on the Cock and 10 total people will be watching.
February 13th, 2024 at 9:47 PM ^
This shit doesn't work.
February 13th, 2024 at 9:56 PM ^
It's admissions. It's guys leaving early. It's academics. It's a lack of NIL. It's, it's, it's fucking bleak.
February 13th, 2024 at 10:45 PM ^
Exactly. What top tier coach would want to take this job with these factors? You have commits like Shannon and Love and admissions gets in the way.
NIL is already third tier and basketball takes a back seat to football.
Not a good situation
February 13th, 2024 at 11:31 PM ^
What top tier coach would want to take this job with these factors?
This has very much been your thing.
(Edit: Wait, I just realized that I might be confusing you with MGloBules or whatever. Well, the rest still applies.)
And I have also said that if Juwan is back next year I will shrug and see what happens.
But if Juwan returns and it’s still like…this…can we hire someone else then? Or do we just say, “Hey, no one can ever possibly win a national championship so we may as well let Juwan stay and keep getting his face bashed in.”
Because at some point I would like to see if someone else who is looking for a head coaching gig could do better. They almost literally couldn’t do worse than the current situation.
February 14th, 2024 at 1:50 AM ^
I don’t disagree.
warde and cc need to spend the next 6-8 months getting the house in order and making sure the infrastructure is there for a coach to be successful, because it’s not right now.
Next year could be Juwan’s prove it year. Tournament or gone. That gives them time to do a thorough search and get their guy, while making sure that the foundation is solid.
February 14th, 2024 at 2:28 AM ^
Tournament? You want to waste another season to see if he goes to the tournament? He could double his wins and not go and there is way more leaving than coming. DOUBLE! Why waste everyones time?
February 14th, 2024 at 6:05 AM ^
Doesn't matter if Juwan is back or not.
We are at a damage control point now at historical levels.
Next year's recruiting class comprises a 5'11" and a 6'2" pair of point guards, with 6'8" swingman.
Little to no interest is likely from the portal with the state of the program.
There isn't a line of HC's lining up for this rebuild, which could easily require 3 recruiting cycles for a turnaround.
Fans can voice their opinions without it being called out as it "being very much your thing", whatever that means.
This is a blog which means everyone has their own thing.
Right now the thing is an apathetic knot regarding the program.
Warde, start the process please
February 14th, 2024 at 8:45 AM ^
I think I might be missing your point but to try and clarify something here:
The “very much your thing” was in regards to the notion of “Who would want to come here when we have middling NIL and hard standards for transfers?”
As I said, I may have been confusing a couple posters who have similar user names and have had similar takes on Howard. So maybe it’s wrong to pin it on an individual. But the notion of “Our infrastructure sucks therefore this is what we get” is what I am really responding to. Our infrastructure is sub-par, therefore it will be unrealistic to replicate the Beilein era. But I find it laughable to think what we’re seeing this year is actually the best we can hope for just because no one has forced the admission office to change its standards on transfers.
February 14th, 2024 at 12:03 PM ^
This year obviously isn’t the best we can do. But the infrastructure needs to improve to attract a coach that will get us where we want to be.
There’s so much more competition for talent in basketball than there is in football. That’s why the foundation is so important.
Basketball is a unique beast. We’re effectively limited to grad transfers. You can get a few high caliber grad transfers in football every year whereas the pickings in basketball is pretty slim. These guys graduate in three years now with 2 years left of eligibility in football.
You have to deal with one and done’s in basketball, g-league, international pro leagues, in addition to other programs, whereas in football there’s only one pathway to the pros and you’re stuck in college for a minimum of three years to even get to that point.
There’s also a lot more viable college options for basketball than football. A top transfer in football is only going to consider maybe 30-40 schools in the power 5. In basketball you have the power 5 plus Big East and WCC.
February 13th, 2024 at 10:20 PM ^
Something something National Champions something something
February 13th, 2024 at 11:29 PM ^
I almost never bet on Michigan games either way, but I was really close to betting on Illinois to cover tonight. Would've won if I had. What a sorry state this basketball program is in. I understand some of the challenges (admissions, a lack of commitment to NIL, etc.), but there is no reason for Michigan to be dead last in the Big Ten. Middle of the pack, maybe, but dead last? This is absurd.
February 14th, 2024 at 9:07 AM ^
Ellerbee level reached.
February 14th, 2024 at 9:59 AM ^
This was more fun under Amaker, was it not?
February 14th, 2024 at 11:47 AM ^
The Juwan experiment is officially over. Name me one former NBA star with tens of millions on the bank who ever came back to lead a top 5 CBB program.
Give me a young, hungry, ruthless coach or an old genius (Beilein) over this please.
As usual though, Warde will do what he is best at, which is nothing.