I believe I would like to see that.

Shaka Smart. Sure hes from Madison & loves Chicago, but he makes $1.2 Million at VCU & he reportedly has his sights set higher than Illinois, like UCLA perhaps, & will get at least $2 Million per year.
Based on the way Mike Thomas handled the head football coach recruitment process, I don't have much confidence in him to get the right guy for the basketball program.
Illinois is about to embark on a football & basketball era that wont be very good, & there is a chance that neither the basketball or football teams play in a post season game during the Mike Thomas era.

Bruce Weber needs to take a year off. I bet he could give Boers' buddy (NOT!) Bill Raftery a run for his money as an analyst.

Shaka Smart. Sure hes from Madison & loves Chicago, but he makes $1.2 Million at VCU & he reportedly has his sights set higher than Illinois, like UCLA perhaps, & will get at least $2 Million per year.
Based on the way Mike Thomas handled the head football coach recruitment process, I don't have much confidence in him to get the right guy for the basketball program.
Illinois is about to embark on a football & basketball era that wont be very good, & there is a chance that neither the basketball or football teams play in a post season game during the Mike Thomas era.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

So Shaka Smart turns down NC State last year, but he is coming to Illinois this year?



Not happening.

So Shaka Smart turns down NC State last year, but he is coming to Illinois this year?



Not happening.

I rarely troll.

a Top 10 job in college basketball down in Champaign.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

Uhhhhhh NO.

I agree with you but Illinois is a bigger program than NC State.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

You might be right, RFDC. It makes all the sense in the world for Shaka Smart to leave VCU for what many nationally feel is a Top 10 job in college basketball down in Champaign. It might not happen.

Shark...Illinois isn't even a top 25 job.

RFDC, that's what CBS/Turner Sports' Seth Davis, also with Sports Illustrated, Tweeted today...

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

RFDC, that's what CBS/Turner Sports' Seth Davis, also with Sports Illustrated, Tweeted today...

Are you sure he didn't mean top ten in the Big Ten?

Rick, based on what Seth Davis Tweeted earlier today, he said that Illinois is a Top 10 job in all of college basketball and mentioned them in the same breath with Duke, Kentucky & Kansas among plum jobs across America. I don't necessarily agree with that.

Here is a list of the top 100 teams in random order. Obviously this is subjective, but it isn't difficult to find 25 teams more attractive than Illinois.

EDIT: This list is sorted by RPI ranking.

1. • Syracuse Y
2. • Kentucky Y
3 . • North Carolina Y
4. • Duke Y
5. • Michigan St. Y
6. • Kansas Y
7. • Ohio St. Y
8. • Marquette N
9. • Baylor N
10. • Indiana Y
11. • UNLV N
12. • Michigan N
13. • Temple N
14. • Wichita St. N
15. • Southern Miss N
16. • Missouri N
17. • Georgetown Y
18. • Memphis N
19. • Louisville Y
20. • Murray St. N
21. • Colorado St. N
22. • Florida St. N
23. • Creighton N
24. • Gonzaga N
25. • Wisconsin N
26. • St. Mary's N
27. • San Diego St. N
28. • Vanderbilt N
29. • Florida Y
30. • Saint Louis N
31. • Connecticut Y
32. • Alabama N
33. • Iowa St. N
34. • California N
35. • New Mexico N
36. • Harvard N
37. • Notre Dame N
38. • Long Beach St. N
39. • VCU N
40. • Iona N
41. • Purdue N
42. • Virginia N
43. • Texas N
44. • Kansas St. N
45. • BYU N
46. • South Dakota St. N
47. • South Florida N
48. • Nevada N
49. • Oral Roberts N
50. • UCF N
51. • West Virginia N
52. • Miami (FL) N
53. • Mississippi N
54. • Xavier N
55. • Marshall N
55. • N.C. State N
57. • Northwestern N
58. • Cincinnati N
59. • Middle Tenn. St. N
60. • St. Joseph's N
61. • Belmont N
62. • Akron N
63. • Oregon N
64. • Davidson N
65. • Drexel N
66. • Seton Hall N
67. • New Mexico St. N
68. • Washington N
69. • Weber St. N
70. • Ohio N
71. • Mississippi St. N
72. • Montana N
73. • Northern Iowa N
74. • Dayton N
75. • Buffalo N
76. • Colorado N
77. • Tennessee N
78. • Arizona Y
79. • Loyola (MD) N
80. • Wyoming N
81. • La Salle N
82. • Massachusetts N
83. • Long Island N
84. • George Mason N
85. • LSU N
86. • Minnesota N
87. • Cleveland St. N
88. • Princeton N
89. • Bucknell N
90. • Illinois
91. • Lehigh N
92. • Denver N
93. • Wagner N
94. • Valparaiso N
95. • St. Bonaventure N
96. • Stanford N
97. • Pennsylvania N
97. • Pittsburgh N
99. • Georgia N
100. • Kent St. N

I agree with everything you have BC except maybe Marquette.

While saying it is a Top 10 destination is a stretch it is definitely a top 25 place to land.

UNC, Duke, NCSt., UK, KU, IU, Syracuse, Georgetown, UConn, Texas, NDame, UCLA, Arizona, Stanford, Michigan, MichSt., Wisconsin, OhioSt., Cal & USC (20) all would seem to be better landing spots.

UNLV, Louisville, Arkansas & Oklahoma have similar, if not better tradition and definitely better support.

LSU, Missouri & Iowa seem to emphasize/fund/support their athletic programs more than Champaign.

Miami, UVA, BostonCollege, Georgia, Purdue, Wake Forest, St. John's & Illinois would seem to have legitimate claims to the next tier (#s 28-35)

Illinois seems realistically like a Top 20-35 program. It's really in NCAA hell. Unhealthy expectations in a conference with big schools unashamed to pay for the best. Too far away from any metro area for people/media to really follow it. Bad weather. An un-scenic campus.

Im pretty hammered right now.

the BB proving grounds of Dike Eddleman and Red Kerr? That's top 10 material right there..

I don't think Texas, Notre Dame, Stanford, Wisconsin or Cal belong on your first
list. All excellent schools but I would argue they are all "football" schools first, although they likely put quite a bit more money into their basketball programs and facilities. The Assembly Hall isn't winning anyone over.

I don't believe Oklahoma, LSU, or Iowa would be ahead of them regardless of fan support. I fully agree that if the U of I was within 45 minutes of downtown Chicago they would be closer to that top tier.