Illini Basketball 2019-2020

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#202      
Anyone know when Kenpom will come out with 2019-20 ratings?

Um, excuse me. We're busy over-analyzing the latest gossip in MBB personnel changes and splitting every hair on BU's head (and a few on Lovie's beard for good measure) for every ounce of information. Please take your discussion regarding actual basketball to the appropriate thread...?

Back to the lecture at hand....Walker doing some not above board things not directly related to coaching (some not so clean recruiting tactics? personal issues?) and JW stepped in while BU was willing to let it slide? That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it (until the next poster posts something).

PS - to answer your question, I'm not sure, but last year looks like they came out in late October. I think sometimes they put out earlier ones.
 
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#203      
I am not sure how inside some of the posters are so with the ambivalence of the projected reasoning for Walker's reappointment I ask. Is there any possibility that JW asked coach to keep Walker, and now that "tie" is being released and coach got who he wanted or best he could reasonably get? Could the Kalk issues and the problems in St. L. area be partly responsible? I cannot remember a time we got too much from that area and with our new international and East coast recruits maybe just letting St. L. drop to a lower priority. The timing seems a bit odd so possible a personal matter could be involved, and the odd case of Kalk so close, could it be intertwined... Could use Columbo for this one haha... Let's play some games...please. So frustrated to have missed seeing Kofi in Italy and team at full strength. !!! I-L-L...
 
#204      
Is anyone else excited?........

I was pretty jazzed to hear Derek Piper's comments about Bosman's -Verdonk. Specifically, mentioning that he was a legit 6'8" and 230 pounds and looking at the team in Italy he was a hair taller than Giorgi (who is listed at 6'9"). He is also toutrd as a high IQ guy. My biggest concerns going into this year are:

1) Staying healthy, particularly at the 4-5
2) Staying out of foul trouble (again, particularly at the 4-5)

If Verdonk can provide meaningful minutes when necessary at the 4 when Kofi or Giorgi are out for rest or due to foul trouble we become a much more formidable team and will not be forced to play small like we did last year. Although he can step into the role of a 3, I see him playing mostly at the 4 and am optomistic he will be successful as he already comes in with a Big Ten ready body. If "good Kipper" shows up too we should be in very good shape.
 
#205      
Is anyone else excited?........

I was pretty jazzed to hear Derek Piper's comments about Bosman's -Verdonk. Specifically, mentioning that he was a legit 6'8" and 230 pounds and looking at the team in Italy he was a hair taller than Giorgi (who is listed at 6'9"). He is also toutrd as a high IQ guy. My biggest concerns going into this year are:

1) Staying healthy, particularly at the 4-5
2) Staying out of foul trouble (again, particularly at the 4-5)

If Verdonk can provide meaningful minutes when necessary at the 4 when Kofi or Giorgi are out for rest or due to foul trouble we become a much more formidable team and will not be forced to play small like we did last year. Although he can step into the role of a 3, I see him playing mostly at the 4 and am optomistic he will be successful as he already comes in with a Big Ten ready body. If "good Kipper" shows up too we should be in very good shape.

You bet I'm excited. I also love what I hear regarding Griff especially and Jones as well. If they are solid at the 3, this team has a chance to really be a force.
 
#206      
Regarding #2: if it had nothing to do with Jamall's coaching or recruiting then what could it be that would cause his demotion unless it was personal and something of his own doing? And if it was, then why would Underwood be upset about it? Makes no sense. I just hope whatever it is doesn't mess up the morale of the team and their chemistry, because this is absolutely a make or break season. Glad we got Gentry, though.
I know nothing, maybe we will all know something when we see salaries, but one of the implications from earlier in the thread was that it was a financial decision.
 
#207      
f it had nothing to do with Jamall's coaching or recruiting then what could it be that would cause his demotion unless it was personal and something of his own doing? And if it was, then why would Underwood be upset about it? Makes no sense. I just hope whatever it is doesn't mess up the morale of the team and their chemistry, because this is absolutely a make or break season. Glad we got Gentry, though.
If both Jamall and BU aren't happy about it then how could it be Jamall's decision...?
 
#208      
If we don't win half our games or make the dance this year something is wrong.

Katz pre-season Top 36 had 7 Big Ten teams, and three additional teams "in the mix" We have Rutgers twice, Northwestern twice and Nebraska and Indiana once each of the team that did not make his list.

Should we be satisfied with 10 and 10 in the Big Ten????

Michigan State
Maryland
Ohio State
Illinois
Purdue
Wisconsin
Penn State
Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota “in the mix"
 
#209      
It doesn't. Kalk just didn't enjoy his time with the Irvins

Which is fine so long as we get Miller.

Being an Irvin's shop, warts and all, is a deal worth making so long as the Ayo's and Miller's are ours.

If that ceases to be the case, there will need to be a sharp reassessment.
 
#210      
If both Jamall and BU aren't happy about it then how could it be Jamall's decision...?
I didn't mean Jamall making the decision, I meant "something of his own doing" meaning something he did that basically caused Whitman to have to make a decision to demote him.
 
#211      
Did Walker's "demotion" include a pay cut? Or does Gentry's hire mean the Men's BB budget for staff just increased by about $300,000?
 
#212      
I am not sure how inside some of the posters are so with the ambivalence of the projected reasoning for Walker's reappointment I ask. Is there any possibility that JW asked coach to keep Walker, and now that "tie" is being released and coach got who he wanted or best he could reasonably get? Could the Kalk issues and the problems in St. L. area be partly responsible? I cannot remember a time we got too much from that area and with our new international and East coast recruits maybe just letting St. L. drop to a lower priority. The timing seems a bit odd so possible a personal matter could be involved, and the odd case of Kalk so close, could it be intertwined... Could use Columbo for this one haha... Let's play some games...please. So frustrated to have missed seeing Kofi in Italy and team at full strength. !!! I-L-L...
I vaguely remember Whit presenting/ putting in a good amount of effort, to BU that Walker should stay, although BU had the final say in the matter. Could be what other posters were alluding to as well. I’ll tell you what, pretty sure I didn’t hear that about Dustin ‘the Canadian pipieline’ ford.
 
#213      
Walker has been a good mentor and fundamentals coach. He has not been a good recruiter. It is tough to win at Illinois when you can't land instate players.

It is obvious to most that this decision had to be made. If Tilmon and Smith turn out to be good players at Illinois he is likely still an true asst.
 
#215      
Katz pre-season Top 36 had 7 Big Ten teams, and three additional teams "in the mix" We have Rutgers twice, Northwestern twice and Nebraska and Indiana once each of the team that did not make his list.

Should we be satisfied with 10 and 10 in the Big Ten????

Michigan State
Maryland
Ohio State
Illinois
Purdue
Wisconsin
Penn State
Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota “in the mix"

IF Verdonk is ready to play and Griffin OR Tevian are ready to contribute big time then our roster looks like:
1. Ayo
2. Trent (backup 1/2 Feliz = 80 minutes for 3 guys)
3. Griffin/Tevian (backup from Da'Monte/Kipper)
4. Giorgi (backup from Verdonk/Kipper)
5. Kofi/Giorgi
With Verdonk and Griffin OR Tevian clicking I see no reason why that team couldn't finish 1st in the conference. Of course those are some pretty big IFs.

Ultimately we make the tournament (as ANY seed) and I'm happy, or we miss the tournament and I'm perplexed,confused,hurt,outraged and all the other emotions Illinois fans are accustomed to.
 
#217      
How in the hell do you know that? Some of you people just kill me with your mind reading. LOL

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#219      
If this is true, that's a problem. If BU was asked to demote someone - whether he fought it or not - no one should know whether he's happy about it or not. Good leaders own the ultimate action/decision and are not transparent.

If BU was forced to make a move in this situation, he is clearly not the leader in this instance.
 
#220      
This was not a decision that stemmed from BU.

It’s not about Whitman inserting somone, it’s about Whitman removing someone.

And it’s mainly about the student following the lead of his teacher.

ok, not an insider, not a subscriber, don't know squat. But enough nuggets have leaked to make me concerned.

Walker was moved on by Whitman, supposedly for some transgression (gray area?). But was that a pretext for recruiting failures? Underwood didn't think the transgression was serious. Certainly not serious enough to warrant removal. What's the message to staff? Gray areas, no can do? How do you think that sits? How do you think Whitman big footing what should be an internal MBB decision sits? Not great, Bob. Again, this could be way off the mark, but this is how I see it.

Underwood made lemonade out of lemons with the Gentry hire. Guy can coach, just hope he can recruit.
 
#221      
If Gentry is an improvement over Walker (which it seems to be), count me in as a supporter of this move. Anything that will help strengthen the coaching staff.
 
#223      
Players looked relaxed and happy tonight at the tip-off dinner. Hope abounds for the upcoming season!
 
#224      
JW has people, who he answers to also. It's an important year for his picks for coach of FB and BB it's year 4 for both, although both were such late hires, I give both some benefit of doubt for that. Let's relax some. I'm doing deep slow breathing currently.

I believe this is year 3 for BU.
 
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