Gonzaga first made the tournament in 1995. While that is indeed a lot earlier than 10 years ago, it didn't have anything to do with John Stockton, who graduated in 1984.
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Gonzaga first made the tournament in 1995. While that is indeed a lot earlier than 10 years ago, it didn't have anything to do with John Stockton, who graduated in 1984.
Sure, but John Stockton didn't really put Gonzaga on the map in any case. Nobody knew who he was coming out of college -- he was on the Honorable Mention AA team his senior year, and he never led the team to a conference title or postseason tournament. It was only later, when he became an NBA great, that people noticed the weird name of the school he attended. Gonzaga was put "on the map" by their run to the Elite 8 in 1999, and stayed there because they haven't missed the tournament since.
Only Spokanians and some jesuits and some Washingtonians bad heard of the school until ~1985.
In ~1985, roughly when Stockton became an all-star, the tent was expanded to include huge sports nerds.
In ~1999, that tent was expanded to include slightly less nerdy sports nerds.
As of now, that also includes every one who regularly fills out an office pool, but only their third or fourth one.
Not really related, Kutztown State is still at phase 2.
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+1 It was Dan Monson with the Calvary/Frahm/Santangelo team in 1998-1999 that put Gonzaga on the map. And Few took it to another level.
I guess that makes me a sports nerd. Seriously, if you were any sort of basketball fan, you knew about Gonzaga once John Stockton took the NBA by storm in the mid 1980s.
I wish he would go outside the B1G. Unfortunately NU is not for a lot of kids. I have no idea what Smith is thinking but as a general statement a lot of kids don't want to put in the work in the classroom while playing at the highest level in college. You really can't blame a lot of them because it takes a really special kid to excel in both the classroom and D1 sports. That's why the NU kids are so outstanding. Good luck to Smith, he should go where it is the best fit for him.
I really think we put too much stock in how difficult our classes are. The difficult part is getting in. Once you're in it's really not that challenging and speaking from a perspective of someone who transferred here it was actually much easier than my other school. I found it easier because the professors were great and wanted you to succeed as long as you put forth effort.
They thought the same about Moore. Me thinks they may be a bit delusional.
They are very confident. If you are right, there will be a lot of them jettisoned from the top of their corn storage silo tonight.
They were right to be confident. He's a pumpkinhead...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...commits-illinois-spt-0427-20170426-story.html
No big shock at all. Instant playing time he wouldn't have got at MSU. BU is out recruiting Lovie after 1 month. Oh well, Lovie is a nice man.
You got a good one. Beat CCC straight up even with a coaching change. Going to be hard for NU to get the downstate kids, I guess.
I'm still plenty happy with my NU degree, experience, and the state of our athletic program. Even YOU must be able to admit that we're on the way up in BBall and far more established in football right now than Illini.
I don't think any of us wouldn't admit that. We just understandably scoff at and react negatively to this newfound elitism some of your fans have toward us, given the series results, both recent and all-time. I can honestly say I used to cheer on NU, but post-Chicago's Big Ten Team, your fans have developed a nothing-short-of-blind hatred for Illinois on all levels. Now, part of that comes with being more competitive and obviously you want a little bad blood/intensity between an instate competitor, but some of it is just so strange. An example would be acting like the University of Illinois has like a strictly farmer fan base because - like nearly all state flagship schools - it was purposely placed in a quieter town away from major cities ... it's not like Illinois isn't the most followed instate team across nearly all counties, including the one your campus is in. University of ILLINOIS = university for ALL of Illinois. Every corner.
But yes, I'd be very excited if I were a Wildcats fan, and I'm not too big of a homer to admit that. I'm also extremely excited as an Illini fan!
I think you've been around here long enough to see how opposing fanbases are treated on this board. If your fanbase is fairly intelligent and humble (Nebraska, most of the Tennessee fanbase, Wisky, and Pitt are some examples) they are treated well here, If they are arrogant, delusional, post nonsense, and otherwise troll (Iowa, Illinois outside of a few regular Rivals posters such as yourself and Combes) they are treated accordingly. It has zero to do with "newfound elitism", imo.
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Oh give me a break. The vast majority of reaction from "Chicago's Big Ten Team" has been from butt hurt Illinois fans. At no point has anyone at NU thought we were gonna be most popular team in this state or even the city of Chicago. The fact that you guys are so mad about this is all of the proof needed that the marketing gag worked.
Enjoy another amazing recruiting class...and looking up at the standings at us.
Oh cmon now Chitown. As someone who actually competed against your team and on your campus back in the Stone Age, I can tell you my dislike is seeded in that very "elitism" attitude I experienced by U of I that you describe that is newfound at NU. I can assure you my dislike is not blind. A lot of the hatred you describe has been bred over years of your fans snickering, mocking and ridiculing NU as if they are a pimple on a tough guys butt.
You guys got a great recruit today, I would think you would be celebrating on your home board versus coming on here for any reason. IMO, far too many Illini fans come out of the woodwork and get puffy chested at either a win or a big verbal and disappear after a spanking. How many NU fans ( I know there aren't any) were trolling your board when we got a verbal from O'Rouke or Newsome, 2 in state studs that Lovie wanted badly?
Of course, we are going to make farm and horse manure jokes, just like you guys always bring up the high school football stadium and the Zinger of all zingers, we have more fans in every county in the state. Right now, we have a clear advantage in football and we are closing the gap in Basketball. I think it is good for both teams to be winning. I will never get tired of pounding you guys in football, but it would be much sweeter if you were actually 500. In basketball, you clearly have had the best of us. Pretty sure, many Illini fans reminded us of our two losses to you during our best season.
We have two great coaches locked up for the next decade. I like where we are and we are no longer your patsy.
I think he actually meant "superiority" rather than "elitist". Elitism really doesn't fit here. Check your dictionary.
Do NU fans now generally think we are now better at athletics than Illinois? Probably in football, based on the past 10 - 20 years, sure. That's the time period that's relevant to us. Are we overly excited about the status of our basketball team? Maybe. We have only had one reasonably successful season. This coming season is very important to show that 2016/17 wasn't just an anomaly. And, it needs to be backed up with some more recruiting success.
Personally, I'm very proud of NU Athletics' ability to now be very competitive in the B1G as a small private school. It's also extremely enjoyable for me to see a strategy laid out for NU that truly incorporates athletic excellence with our preexisting academic excellence, and for this strategy being effectively executed on. That's pretty rare in the world. I get the same satisfaction with the Cubs, wherein Theo set a strategy, executed on it, and now seeing it succeed. It's just cool! The end goal of Phillip's and Shapiro's strategy has yet to be achieved, but we are getting a court side seat to watch this feat unfold, and it's a ton of fun. I'd say we're about halfway through a ten year plan, and the best pieces are yet to be placed. NU is the ultimate underdog story, or Cinderella story; a perennial doormat program in both anchor sports now trying to reach for the crown.
Lastly, I think the greatest sports city in the country deserves an amazing local University athletic program. It just makes sense. And, before you jump in with the "Evanston is not Chicago", save your breath... you can get there via the CTA, and it is closer to the loop than Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport. Northwestern athletes will soon be spending free time in a spectacular setting right on Lake Michigan looking out on Chicago's skyline rather than soy and corn fields. It's Chicago... deal with it.
I read both the Illinois Rivals and Scout boards as well as, of course, this board, and I have to say NU fans are a bit more snarky towards Illinois per post than Illinois fans are towards NU per post. They have their share of fans who hate NU like poison (Illinoisman39/ThaKid101...lol) but quite a sizable percentage of Illinois fans say objective/positive things about the football program and now the basketball program.
To be fair Glades, that's because the only people who go to their boards are trolls like you and I. Putting up ThaKid up against the great Gladeskat just isn't fair. It's like fighting a girl.
Mark Smith is a 6'5" SG and the Illini have a returning SGs in 4 star Jalen Coleman Lands, 6'6" Kipper Nichols and Aaron Jordan returning and three SGs recruits in Frankie Williams' son and another 4-star SG coming in. So Illinois will have 6 SGs fighting for minutes. Good luck for all those minutes at Illinois for Mark Smith. As for recent and relevant history, NU has made the tourney and Round of 32 last season and the Illini has not been in the tourney the past two seasons and once in the past 5 seasons. That is no reason to puff your chests out. NU lost to the Illini at home because Lindsey was out. And the Illini were hot from 3s in Sham-bana. NU might remember those losses next season.
But congrats to the Illini. Nice get but your program is not a top 20-40 program anymore and has not been since Billy Self left Champaign. Yes, I know Uncle Brucey led the Illini to the NCAA finals in his first season with Self players and a home game in the regional finals v. Arizona at the Rosemont Horizon but has declined from there to where they are today, a no. 10 seed in the BTT or lower.
But congrats to the Illini. Nice get but your program is not a top 20-40 program anymore and has not been since Billy Self left Champaign. Yes, I know Uncle Brucey led the Illini to the NCAA finals in his first season with Self players and a home game in the regional finals v. Arizona at the Rosemont Horizon but has declined from there to where they are today, a no. 10 seed in the BTT or lower.
Pretty safe to say that Illinois' basketball brand is very strong in the state. If an NIT season and coaching change does not deter Smith or Ayo, many top area recruits probably agree that it's a desirable program for them.
Congrats to the Illini on this addition.
Congrats to the Illini on this addition.
We weren't a top 40 program when we were playing in the National Championship game and got second in the Big Ten the following year? Haha...
Anyway, you might be right, we might never be good again. But Illinois basketball was a top 3-4 program in the Big Ten for all of the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. We were pretty bad in the 1970s, after the Slush Fund scandal, and we have sucked during the late Weber years/Groce Era. History says that was the exception, not the norm, and I have confidence Underwood will get us back to our expected success. I might be wrong, and we can't brag until we get there! I like the start he's off to, so we'll see.
Is there still hope for relanding JT, or has that ship sailed? Do you think Smith's decision has an impact?
Really not sure ... apparently Smith has been in his ear, and there is increasing optimism with Tilmon given that KU seems to be filling its spots semi-quickly and there is a popular sentiment that if he were Missouri-bound (as was often assumed), why hasn't he just committed already? I'll fully admit that I'm taking the 110% homer position on Tilmon: if he recommits, great; we have some REALLY good talent to build on to start the Underwood Era. If he doesn't, there's reason to believe maybe the headache isn't worth it. LOL, I know it's ridiculous to potentially hold both opinions, but hey - I'm a fan.
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