The current state of Basketball in Illinois is pathetic. I don't think its ever been worse. It isn't much better with football, but at least NIU & NU are good.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I agree with your statement about Depaul and Illinois that they shouldn't be this bad. Just look at the Whole State of Illinois, I don't follow the small schools, but are any of them going to the Tourmament this year.

They always talk about the Chicago Public League, need a Coach that can coach and recruit these players.

For Northwestern, Probably looking at an Assistant Coach and hope he does well, I would put a Feeler out to Chris Collins of Duke to see if he would be intrested. Of Course, Duke Assistants haven't done well in the past, but would understand the Academics part.

For Illinois, If Shaka Smart has another tournament run, his name gets louder, no Butler this year, did Stevens miss his time, but I will throw out Mark Few from Gonzaga for my pick. His teams make the Tournament every year and and always gets some good players and gets them to perform.

There's a chicken and egg element at work here though, Rick. Izzo made Michigan State. Before he developed that program, I don't think anyone would have said it was a better job than Illinois. They had good years (Magic, Kelser) and off years. Heathcoate ran a decent program but I wouldn't have said it was better than Illinois.

I would say it's more like this:

Indiana: Head and shoulders the best job in the Big Ten. It's an elite basketball school on par with Duke, UCLA, etc.

Ohio St., Michigan St., Illinois, Michigan, Purdue: I consider all these about the same. They all have good traditions, but football is the king at all of these schools (and in fact, at every Big Ten school except Indiana). Illinois might be the one where basketball is close to on par with football, but I think that's more because of the lack of success in football rather than any great basketball traditions.

Iowa, Wisconsin: I don't consider Wisconsin quite on par with five above, but perhaps their recent success has elevated them there. Iowa has had good success in basketball at times, but it's always going to be secondary to football. We have enough Iowa guys here to correct me if I'm wrong, but my impression is that an undefeated NCAA champion in hoops would be met with less enthusiasm in Iowa City than a 10-3 football team that lost the Motor City Bowl. In fact, hoops might actually be third behind wrestling. To me, these programs as just below the five above, but clearly better than the ones below.

Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State: I still have a hard time considering two of these Big Ten schools, but for both of them what I said above about Iowa is probably even more intense. Spring football takes precedence over March Madness in Lincoln and Happy Valley. Minnesota is just something less than any of the schools above.

Northwestern: It's Northwestern.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

agreed on mich st being a bad job...izzo made that school a powerhouse..when he leaves the program will suck..illinois is a top 30 job

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Michigan state is a a better job. no question.


Better facilities, good recruiting base, same exposure (actually better lately, but that's due to Izzo's success). Way better history. More stable administration.


Wow. It's not really close.

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I have to disagree with you. Michigan State will never be more than the number two school in their own state. Yeah, Izzo has been there a long time and had remarkable success. But when he leaves, they're probably not going to compete with Michigan on a year-in year-out basis.

Illinois has a good history in basketball going back to Boudreau, the Whiz Kids, Johnny Kerr, the teams in the eighties. Michigan St. has been strong in the Izzo era, but I think the best you could say is that they're similar type jobs. I really don't see why you think Michigan State is much more prestigious than the Illinois job. In fact, a coach can come in and improve the situation at Illinois. Izzo is a hard act to follow.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I think Brian Gregory would be a great fit at NU.

I do not think anyone outside of Illinois would believe Illinois was as good of a job as Mich St.

2 National Titles in the last 30 years, and how many final four appearances? Not to mention the Big 10 championships.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Recent success isn't the only thing that makes a job or program attractive. Michigan State has been far more successful than Indiana for a long time now and I know you're not going to use that fact to argue it's a better job than the one in Bloomington.

I think I'm looking at it pretty clearly. A sharp young guy could come to Champaign and turn that program into a perennial contender the way Izzo did at MSU. In fact, in some ways the Illinois job is probably better. Illinois really doesn't have the history on the football side that Michigan St. does- at least recently- and the Big Ten is always going to be a football league even if they have probably actually been more successful on the hoops side.

I agree with you that a program like NC State is the equal of Illinois (I'd say Michigan St.) too. The basketball coach is king at an ACC school. It's a basketball league. I might even put a program like Maryland ahead of those jobs I listed as the first group below Indiana.

Izzo has had so much success and is so ensconced that he's likely the most powerful guy in the MSU athletic department. I don't think that's going to be the case for his replacement, whenever it happens and whoever it is. The next coach will be the number four man at MSU behind the AD, the football coach, and Duffy Daugherty's ghost.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I stand by this pick..... nice win for them this weekend over Kentucky.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

In the Chicago Sun Times today, Chris Collins name came up for both jobs.

In the Article if Northwestern loses to Washington in the NIT, the AD has been mum on Carmody's status and with just 1 year left on contract, could be a change.

Also if Illinois got Collins, it would be a coup.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/11324482 ... llins.html

No offense Mud, but Chris Collins is a fool if he is interested in the NW job. He could walk into a lot better job somewhere.
I could possibly see Illinois, but not sure he'd want that either.

Of course Ammaker is at Harvard right now, never thought that would happen either.

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I don't know about Collins. The problems Duke assistants have had remind me too much of the problems Bellicheck's guys have had. You just begin to wonder if any of the assistants are in fact privy to enough of what the boss is thinking. Do they really have any objectivity or understanding about the entire program, not just their unique area?

Perhaps it isn't fair, but I'm always thinking about Doug's self-control issues & how many of those he would have ingrained into his son. Until proven otherwise I have this concern that any Collins is too close to burnout at any time. Chris may do well, but I doubt that it will be in his first job, or first 4-5 years.

Personally, I'm looking to grab one of Bo Ryan's guys. The program isn't pretty, but it is damned consistent in the same league.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

For Northwestern, I can't come up with a name better than Bruce Weber. In fact, it seems to be a nearly perfect fit.
For Illinois, I'd go after the big guys like Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart but would have no problem going with someone like Chris Mack from Xavier.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

If your Illinois and want Shaka Smart, you can see how he does against a Big 10 team tommorow against Indiana.

BRick, will agree on the Duke Assistants, Amaker does better at the small time jobs, really the best one you could say is Mike Brey at Notre Dame.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I think Shaka walks in to any vacancy he wants even if the Hoosiers beat VCU by 30.

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I'll take Shaka Smart if he shows up drunk against the Hoosiers, lights the bench on fire, and forfeits the game.

No thanks on Chris Collins or Eric Collins or Marla Collins.

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You know me like that.

How about a Tom Collins?

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Illinois should get the Norfolk State coach. He can actually beat Missouri.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

And he's black.

Another bonus.

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This tourney is a good process of elimination - Wichita State Coach and Duke Assistants are out.

Today in the Chicago Sun Times, looking good for Shaka Smart to Illinois.

http://www.suntimes.com/11396707-417/so ... coach.html

So many posters here completely disagree with everything written in that article.

Duke
North Carolina
Kansas
Kentucky
Indiana
UCLA
Indiana
Ohio State
Syracuse
Illinois

That's about right.

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You know me like that.

I think they accidentally left out a zero. Top 100 for sure.

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Illinois has the 10th best winning % in the history of college basketball, better than any Big 10 team.

Purdue would have to win 107 games in a row to overtake them.

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You know me like that.

Great stat. But a completely different topic than "among the top 10 programs in the nation".

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I consider a history of winning more than other schools to be a significant factor in the determination.

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You know me like that.

I certainly think that's one component in judging how a program ranks. I think my breakdown of the Big Ten programs on the previous page in this thread is unbiased and even-handed.

I wouldn't say Illinois is a top ten program nationally. Is it really a better job than Virginia in a basketball league?

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don