FaIllinois Basketball Coaching Search Thread

[jeffx]

Thats kind of a huge risk, don't you think? IIRC, VCU was one of the last teams into the tourney two years ago, and I don't think they won their conference last year. Shaka would be making almost double the money at Illinois, have better facilities, better talent base, better exposure.

I don't know what "elite" program is going to hire a relative unknown like Shaka Smart. Kansas didn't hire Bill Self from Oral Roberts. I think its a big step going from small-time program to big-time program. Look at that idiot from Texas A&M, Billy Gillespie. He was from a major conference and he still couldn't handle Kentucky.

Maybe Shaka will be like the Butler guy...happy to get his payday then fade back into obscurity in a couple years. But its stupid if he's holding out for a
"better" job.

I think your last paragraph nailed it. Maybe Smart is one of those coaches that's happy where he is.

 

[Champ]

Shaka wants a big name school.

 

[Bomberooski]

Shaka doesn't need to step into a huge rebuilding project unless they are throwing him $2.5 or more.

$1.2 with a good thing going and not a lot of pressure/stress is a tough job to give up.

Same reason Mark Few will never leave Gonzaga. Not worth giving up a stress free job to go take a job where you are under a HUGE microscope

 

[FirstTimer]

Shaka doesn't need to step into a huge rebuilding project unless they are throwing him $2.5 or more.

$1.2 with a good thing going and not a lot of pressure/stress is a tough job to give up.

Same reason Mark Few will never leave Gonzaga. Not worth giving up a stress free job to go take a job where you are under a HUGE microscope

Honestly, Shaka would have like a 5 year honeymoon with Illinois. If I were Shaka I'd make the move. Worst case is that it doens't work and you end up going back to a school like VCU anyways.

 

[ralaw]

Illinois also just isn't that great of a job. The only people that think Illinois is a good job are those people that live in Big 10 country. Chicago's top players leave the city and I don't think he has the reputation to keep them. It would take several years to get his program in, which is a hectic, full-court, press and trap system. His offensive philosophy leaves a lot to be desired, which simply is a dribble, drive and kick, so he needs to work on that.

 

[FirstTimer]

Illinois also just isn't that great of a job. The only people that think Illinois is a good job are those people that live in Big 10 country. Chicago's top players leave the city and I don't think he has the reputation to keep them. It would take several years to get his program in, which is a hectic, full-court, press and trap system. His offensive philosophy leaves a lot to be desired, so he needs to work on that.

:joker:

Wut?

 

[ralaw]

:joker:

Wut?

In order to win at Illinois the way people would expect he needs to be able to recruit in Chicago, which is where the talent is. I thought this was common knowledge?

 

[Bomberooski]

Honestly, Shaka would have like a 5 year honeymoon with Illinois. If I were Shaka I'd make the move. Worst case is that it doens't work and you end up going back to a school like VCU anyways.

My guess is he has his list of the five jobs he would take in a heart beat and you just kind of go snake in the grass and wait until one opens up and jump at it.

$1.2 at VCU is still unreal.

 

[FirstTimer]

In order to win at Illinois the way people would expect he needs to be able to recruit in Chicago, which is where the talent is. I thought this was common knowledge?

Not really the point.

Kids "leaving the city" or wanting to leave Chicago doesn't have much bearing on U of I recruiting because...well...... U of I isn't located in Chicago. So kids could "leave the city" and attend U of I.

On top of that nearly half the current Illinois roster is from Chicago.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Thats kind of a huge risk, don't you think? IIRC, VCU was one of the last teams into the tourney two years ago, and I don't think they won their conference last year. Shaka would be making almost double the money at Illinois, have better facilities, better talent base, better exposure.

I don't know what "elite" program is going to hire a relative unknown like Shaka Smart. Kansas didn't hire Bill Self from Oral Roberts. I think its a big step going from small-time program to big-time program. Look at that idiot from Texas A&M, Billy Gillespie. He was from a major conference and he still couldn't handle Kentucky.

Maybe Shaka will be like the Butler guy...happy to get his payday then fade back into obscurity in a couple years. But its stupid if he's holding out for a
"better" job.

It is a huge risk, because as soon as VCU has a bad season, the bloom will be off the rose and he'll be "stuck" at VCU.

That assumes he wants to leave at some point. He is well paid, and maybe he wants to be like Mark Few and Brad Stevens and build VCU into a Gonzaga or Butler (and believe me, Butler had a down year, but they will be very good next year).

Mark Few & Gregg Marshall turned down Nebraska too, this week. Yes, I know it's Nebraska, and hoops will always be second fiddle, but it's still a big school in a major conference. The point is, in hoops these days, the little guys have proven that they can compete with the big guys. So if you are well paid, and have a program at a point where you are a tournament lock every year or went to back-to-back championship games, why leave? Programs like Illinois or Nebraska or Alabama are death traps if you don't win right away, and aren't exactly dream jobs.

Bruce Webber is a good coach who had a "down" year, and it looks like he'll be back at Southern Illinois where he started. If i'm Smart, fuck that, i'm good where I am.

 

[Senser81]

Illinois also just isn't that great of a job. The only people that think Illinois is a good job are those people that live in Big 10 country.

When Bruce Weber got the job, he inherited an NCAA-title worthy team. Smart would be inheriting Weber's crap team, so there's that, but its not like the job isn't good. It should be pretty easy to win at Illinois. Even Weber did it, really, and all his recruits were 7 feet tall and weighed 150 pounds.

 

[FirstTimer]

It is a huge risk, because as soon as VCU has a bad season, the bloom will be off the rose and he'll be "stuck" at VCU.

That assumes he wants to leave at some point. He is well paid, and maybe he wants to be like Mark Few and Brad Stevens and build VCU into a Gonzaga or Butler (and believe me, Butler had a down year, but they will be very good next year).

Mark Few & Gregg Marshall turned down Nebraska too, this week. Yes, I know it's Nebraska, and hoops will always be second fiddle, but it's still a big school in a major conference. The point is, in hoops these days, the little guys have proven that they can compete with the big guys. So if you are well paid, and have a program at a point where you are a tournament lock every year or went to back-to-back championship games, why leave? Programs like Illinois or Nebraska or Alabama are death traps if you don't win right away, and aren't exactly dream jobs.

Bruce Webber is a good coach who had a "down" year, and it looks like he'll be back at Southern Illinois where he started. If i'm Smart, fuck that, i'm good where I am.

:smh:

Illinois has been pretty underwhelming since that NCG appearance. Weber's offensive philosophy blows too.

I guess Weber is an alright coach but honestly he's had a lot of "down years" at Illinois.

 

[FirstTimer]

When Bruce Weber got the job, he inherited an NCAA-title worthy team. Smart would be inheriting Weber's crap team, so there's that, but its not like the job isn't good. It should be pretty easy to win at Illinois. Even Weber did it, really, and all his recruits were 7 feet tall and weighed 150 pounds.

The thing is I think the team has some decent talent.

Paul
Leonard
Richardson
Bertrand
Maniscalco was a decent PG
Abrams
Griffey

That Weber couldn't get more out of that group is disturbing. Leonard should be a double double waiting to happen yet Weber never seemed to really push to get him touches. He tried to ride Paul's hot hand in some games but in other Paul would shoot the Illinois out of wins and Weber seemed to have no control.

Watching a Weber coached team drove me fucking crazy. Especially this year. It was like watching Mike Martz recruit for the triple option, yet still try and run Air Coryell.

 

[ralaw]

I'm not sure if any of you have been to VCU, but its a nice campus in the city. I believe it has some 30,000+ students as well. It may not be an elite program, but the school has that sort of feel to it. Given the surrounding talent there is a lot of grown potential at the school. I do believe he'll eventually leave, but as I mentioned I believe he has his sights set on a particular situation.

 

[FirstTimer]

I'm not sure if any of you have been to VCU, but its a nice campus in the city. I believe it has some 30,000+ students as well. It may not be an elite program, but the school has that sort of feel to it. Given the surrounding talent there is a lot of grown potential at the school. I do believe he'll eventually leave, but as I mentioned I believe he has his sights set on a particular situation.

Duke/UNC?


:shifty:

 

[spiker]

People who say that U of I should recruit Chicago better aren't thinking big picture or just regurgitating what they've heard somewhere else. U of I needs to recruit better everywhere, not just in Chicago. That's the truth. It doesn't matter where the good players come from, they just need to get them to Champaign.

 

[FirstTimer]

People who say that U of I should recruit Chicago better aren't thinking big picture or just regurgitating what they've heard somewhere else. U of I needs to recruit better everywhere, not just in Chicago. That's the truth. It doesn't matter where the good players come from, they just need to get them to Champaign.

Very true. I remember everyone screaming about "keeping the Peoria pipeline intact" when to my recollection it never really netted Illinois any real difference makers. Frank Williams comes to mind. Was Sergio McClain from Peoria? Other than that... meh?

Plus the Chicago thing is being blown out of proportion. Nearly half the current roster is from there.

 

[spiker]

Very true. I remember everyone screaming about "keeping the Peoria pipeline intact" when to my recollection it never really netted Illinois any real difference makers. Frank Williams comes to mind. Was Sergio McClain from Peoria? Other than that... meh?

Dee Brown too

 

[spiker]

Nevermind. I thought Dee Brown went to Peoria Manual but Wikipedia says he went to Proviso East.

 

[ralaw]

People who say that U of I should recruit Chicago better aren't thinking big picture or just regurgitating what they've heard somewhere else. U of I needs to recruit better everywhere, not just in Chicago. That's the truth. It doesn't matter where the good players come from, they just need to get them to Champaign.

Your comment could be true for any program. However, when you're not one of the elite programs (Duke, UNC, Kentucky, etc) that recruit nationally you have to be able to recruit your region first. To build a successful program you have to start with your region and branch out. This is recruiting 101.

Plus the Chicago thing is being blown out of proportion. Nearly half the current roster is from there.

I'm talking about the elite Chicago talent. Obviously a school like Illinois could recruit marginal Chicago talent that probably should be at a lower level D1 school, but these are your role players. When I guy like Jabari Parker (who is the best player in highschool basketball) stays in Illinois is when things will turn. However, I really don't see the elite Chicago talent wanting to go to Illinois or DePaul for obvious reasons.