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Oh no...Bamisile has flipped from NU to Va Tech

The college basketball recruiting environment is really shitty right now, and it's moving in a direction away from NU. Whereas in football, more and more kids are concerned about their futures after football, most top basketball recruits are thinking one-and-one done -- whether it be "done" to the NBA, or "done" to the transfer portal. Basketball players seem much more in need of immediate gratification. They are not going to be immediately gratified by an NU program that has made one NCAA tournament appearance in history, and sends zero players to the "league." Basketball players as a group seem much less driven by academics than football players.

I'm not sold on Collins as a coach -- one post-season appearance, lousy record in close games, etc., but I thought he was leveling the playing field a bit in recruiting. Today's developments are pushing me further into the "NU is never going to be consistently competitive in basketball" camp, no matter who the coach is.

I posted a while ago that NU should drop MBB. If they aren’t going to support the program in a way that allows it to be competitive, then sink that money into FB and the other non revenue sports. Too much money is wasted on a crap program.
 
I posted a while ago that NU should drop MBB. If they aren’t going to support the program in a way that allows it to be competitive, then sink that money into FB and the other non revenue sports. Too much money is wasted on a crap program.

Two consecutive recruiting class with a 247 rating above .90 for the first time, in well, ever, a specatcular arena, and we're going to drop basketball now?
 
Heard that about filling the team for this season. How are we looking for number of open schollies next year?

Fairly good, actually since we're so young. We only lose Turner and Spencer next year and one of those spots is already filled by Aulidge, If we recruit our typical class of 3 for 2020, that will mean only one open slot, which most team appear to be keeping open in today's climate for a transfer. Of course we can just bring in 4 recruits in 2020 instead of our usual 3, and then have a full complement.
 
Two consecutive recruiting class with a 247 rating above .90 for the first time, in well, ever, a specatcular arena, and we're going to drop basketball now?

Develop a nationally renowned WBB program. Stop wasting big money on a HS level program w insufficient student and admissions support. The tree fell on the woods and the only place that heard or cared was this Board.
 
Develop a nationally renowned WBB program. Stop wasting big money on a HS level program w insufficient student and admissions support. The tree fell on the woods and the only place that heard or cared was this Board.

We have have our best two-year stretch of recruiting since 247 has tracked recruiting in the last two years. If we accomplished that entirely without any support from admissions, CC is an even bigger miracle worker than I thought he was...
 
Fairly good, actually since we're so young. We only lose Turner and Spencer next year and one of those spots is already filled by Aulidge, If we recruit our typical class of 3 for 2020, that will mean only one open slot, which most team appear to be keeping open in today's climate for a transfer. Of course we can just bring in 4 recruits in 2020 instead of our usual 3, and then have a full complement.

Ok, that’d easy. I’ll order one five, one four and two three stars, hold the decommits. Look forward to that breakout 20-21 season.
 
We have have our best two-year stretch of recruiting since 247 has tracked recruiting in the last two years. If we accomplished that entirely without any support from admissions, CC is an even bigger miracle worker than I thought he was...

Oh, how has that played into wins and losses? That’s all I really care about.
 
Ok, that’d easy. I’ll order one five, one four and two three stars, hold the decommits. Look forward to that breakout 20-21 season.
You're probably not that far off from the recruits we will actually get, given the current 2020 offers and recruiting trend.
 
Ok, holding my breath and saving for archives as you are the great predictor.

On the only two predictions that actually matter, I am batting 1.000. Board ban wager still open if you think we will have the same or worse record in the BIG this year!
 
Yes, the one I asked. How have those recruiting classes you cited translated into wins and losses?

We don't know yet, since they are the classes of 18 and 19. But if we are to go by the experience we have seen at other schools, we should expect a marked improvement by the time the '18 recruits are juniors (2020-21 season).
 
Doesn't he know that he could be a part of NU's second ever NCAA Tournament appearance?
He chose to go to a school 3 hours from his house, and he mentionef family multiple times in his interview with Lou. Guessing there is a family situation going on where he wants to stay close to home. Can't fault the young man for that.
 
The college basketball recruiting environment is really shitty right now, and it's moving in a direction away from NU. Whereas in football, more and more kids are concerned about their futures after football, most top basketball recruits are thinking one-and-one done -- whether it be "done" to the NBA, or "done" to the transfer portal. Basketball players seem much more in need of immediate gratification. They are not going to be immediately gratified by an NU program that has made one NCAA tournament appearance in history, and sends zero players to the "league." Basketball players as a group seem much less driven by academics than football players.

I'm not sold on Collins as a coach -- one post-season appearance, lousy record in close games, etc., but I thought he was leveling the playing field a bit in recruiting. Today's developments are pushing me further into the "NU is never going to be consistently competitive in basketball" camp, no matter who the coach is.

When Collins came in there was a lot of space for him to do much better recruiting-wise, than his predecessors, but still have less talent than two-thirds of the Big Ten. He is, in fact, doing a much better job of recruiting. But if you follow the Big Ten most teams are recruiting better in recent years.

The newest phenomena in D1 basketball is a surge in transfers and from what's been reported, NU cannot participate in the transfer market in a similar manner to other conference schools.

Upper major basketball is about talent and NU's restrictions guarantee that the years NU has the talent to compete in the middle of its conference will be very few and far between.

Collins understands this. Unless a guy like Nance finds magic, Collins will leave.
 
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Collins understands this. Unless a guy like Nance finds magic, Collins will leave.

I get what you’re saying, but do you really think he’s going anywhere unless he’s fired. I don’t think he’s necessarily a bad coach, but he’s got a bad record and it’s hard to imagine an AD at another school being able to get donors etc. to pay his buyout to hire him away while he’s still under contract at NU.
 
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Yeah, as you said, we don't know the situation here (and we may never know it), so I won't go down that path as it relates to Joe Bam specifically. But I agree that while it only takes a few top players to pick a school to make a good basketball team, it's why winning at NU consistently is so difficult. The one and done rule (which I don't disagree with by the way- I actually think kids should be able to go from high school to the pros if they want to try that) does NOT help NU at all. It devalues education, which is one of our top, if not THE top, reason to come to NU. Loosening academic requirements may help some, but even that seems like it could only help us to a certain degree. Leading the NU basketball program is a brutally tough job. Personally I think Collins underestimated it, and I wonder if he's tired of it at this point and hoping for any sort of change.

He has a few million reasons a year for many years to come to keep at it .....
 
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He has a few million reasons a year for many years to come to keep at it .....
Ah money isn’t everything. With his background and family ties, I could see him following another Dukie’s example — Quinn Snyder. Nearly destroyed the Missouri program, then went overseas and to the D league and rehabilitated his career. One of the best coaches in the NBA now. If I were Collins, I would certainly be thinking about my exit strategy.
 
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We don't know yet, since they are the classes of 18 and 19. But if we are to go by the experience we have seen at other schools, we should expect a marked improvement by the time the '18 recruits are juniors (2020-21 season).

Well, two things I’ve noticed: first, the answer is that so far, the results are not good. There are three or four more years to play out, but the first two years involving recruits from those classes have truly sucked.

Second, that you have not confirmed the multiple requests that 20-21 is the agreed make it or break it season. I feel another archive dive approaching. But maybe you simply missed those posts...repeatedly.

I’ll echo what Turk said - piling on you is because of your over the top and often insulting Pollyanna posting coupled with your pompous and erroneous belief to be so right. This is another sucky day in Wildcat MBB and piling on your wrong predictions has no impact on it. It independently provides satisfaction and builds growing testimony that you predict about as well as wrassler.

And if we see a significant season ending injury or transfer announced this summer, I will be jumping on your bet. The depth of this team is non-existent.
 
I posted a while ago that NU should drop MBB. If they aren’t going to support the program in a way that allows it to be competitive, then sink that money into FB and the other non revenue sports. Too much money is wasted on a crap program.
The Big 10 would not allow NU to stay in the league without playing MBB. And membership in the B1G is a huge revenue stream. So it will never happen.

Adjust your expectations to the reality of NU MBB: consistently in the bottom third, with ocasional flashes of brilliance. Focus your attention on FB.
 
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The Big 10 would not allow NU to stay in the league without playing MBB. And membership in the B1G is a huge revenue stream. So it will never happen.

Adjust your expectations to the reality of NU MBB: consistently in the bottom third, with ocasional flashes of brilliance. Focus your attention on FB.

Agreed. It’s just back to where we used to be. So what.
 
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I get what you’re saying, but do you really think he’s going anywhere unless he’s fired. I don’t think he’s necessarily a bad coach, but he’s got a bad record and it’s hard to imagine an AD at another school being able to get donors etc. to pay his buyout to hire him away while he’s still under contract at NU.
then there is the NBA. Following in his dad's footsteps.
 
Ah money isn’t everything. With his background and family ties, I could see him following another Dukie’s example — Quinn Snyder. Nearly destroyed the Missouri program, then went overseas and to the D league and rehabilitated his career. One of the best coaches in the NBA now. If I were Collins, I would certainly be thinking about my exit strategy.
I would bet he already is.
 
The Big 10 would not allow NU to stay in the league without playing MBB. And membership in the B1G is a huge revenue stream. So it will never happen.

Adjust your expectations to the reality of NU MBB: consistently in the bottom third, with ocasional flashes of brilliance. Focus your attention on FB.
NU a football school, who knew!
 
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Well, two things I’ve noticed: first, the answer is that so far, the results are not good. There are three or four more years to play out, but the first two years involving recruits from those classes have truly sucked.

Second, that you have not confirmed the multiple requests that 20-21 is the agreed make it or break it season. I feel another archive dive approaching. But maybe you simply missed those posts...repeatedly.

I’ll echo what Turk said - piling on you is because of your over the top and often insulting Pollyanna posting coupled with your pompous and erroneous belief to be so right. This is another sucky day in Wildcat MBB and piling on your wrong predictions has no impact on it. It independently provides satisfaction and builds growing testimony that you predict about as well as wrassler.

And if we see a significant season ending injury or transfer announced this summer, I will be jumping on your bet. The depth of this team is non-existent.

The results:

Positive:

Fastest coach to 100 wins
First Dance ever
First win in the Dance ever
Most single-season wins in program history
Best overall winning percentage since the 1940s
Best BIG winning percentage since the 1960s
Only one season with less than 6 BIG wins. (his immediate predecessor had 5 of those, and we did not have a SINGLE season of 6 or more wins prior to that since 1983-84)

Negative:

Lousy last two seasons, but no worse than any of his predecessors since the 60s.

Given the above why would I care if 2020-21 is a "make or break" season as you put it, so long as we are on an upward trajectory? We will be winning signficantly more games at that point, and if we are not Dancing by then, we will be doing so in 2021-22 baring CC leaving or some other major unforeseen event or events.

As for Turk, you're really going to defend a guy who crapped all over the Football board with nonsense like "The Problem of Fitz" and the "Mistake by the Lake"? No one takes him seriously as a poster, and rightfully so. And I have an optimistic outlook in my fandom, as well as in life, so sue me. I typically back up that optimistic outlook with facts as well. As for being right, I'm 2-0 when it counted, so there's that.

And you won't be "jumping on my bet" if there is a significant season-ending injury or transfer, as you of all people should know that is not how bets work. If there is any such negative development, of course the wager is off, just how it was when CT got injured, allowing you to escape a second losing wager with me. The time to take the bet is clearly now, fresh off the Bam decommit and the negative momentum that creates, well, at least in the minds of our non-Polyanna board posters! The fact that I'm still allowing it even after the Bamisale commit, shows how sporting a guy I am--but to be clear, it will be void if there are future negative developments of significance, as i am not a sucker.

To recap:

You: 4 BIG wins or less this season
Me: 5 BIG wins or more

Stakes:

You win: I cannot post on the Basketball Board for a full calendar year, and may not make basketball-related posts on other Rivals boards during that timeframe-- enjoy!
I win: You cannot post on the Basketball Board for a full calendar year, and cannot make basketball-related posts on other Rivals boards during that timeframe.

Wager expires at the point there is another significant negative announcement about our team (if there is one), including the scenarios you cite.

You finally will have a legitimate chance to shut me up here-- what do you say? And Turk and anyone else who is tired of my apparently unbearable string of Polyanna comments about our program, the wager is open to you as well, same terms.

QTC,
 
I get what you’re saying, but do you really think he’s going anywhere unless he’s fired. I don’t think he’s necessarily a bad coach, but he’s got a bad record and it’s hard to imagine an AD at another school being able to get donors etc. to pay his buyout to hire him away while he’s still under contract at NU.

I think there's a very real open question about whether NU admissions precludes a stable, winning program. It's one thing to be sitting at Duke as an assistant and look at NU, up in Chicago, possibility of new facilities, etc., etc.

It's another to spend several years having admissions tell you to pound sand on recruits who, if admitted, would do just fine academically at NU. And then to have transfers become a major factor in roster building and to only be able to dabble when compared to the rest of the conference, and really all of D1 with the exclusion of the Ivy League. Which doesn't even factor in junior colleges which are off limits.

I think there are dozens and dozens of programs that would take Collins today. And I suspect that without the restrictions he'd do pretty well.
 
I think there's a very real open question about whether NU admissions precludes a stable, winning program. It's one thing to be sitting at Duke as an assistant and look at NU, up in Chicago, possibility of new facilities, etc., etc.

It's another to spend several years having admissions tell you to pound sand on recruits who, if admitted, would do just fine academically at NU. And then to have transfers become a major factor in roster building and to only be able to dabble when compared to the rest of the conference, and really all of D1 with the exclusion of the Ivy League. Which doesn't even factor in junior colleges which are off limits.

I think there are dozens and dozens of programs that would take Collins today. And I suspect that without the restrictions he'd do pretty well.
Yeah I agree that he could have success in a different set of circumstances. I guess my point was just that his record is pretty wretched at this point, and I’d expect a high major AD would struggle to sell the hire to his/her donors. As you know, getting money to pay buyouts, upgrade facilities, etc. is a political game. I think Collins might be a decent coach, but it would be hard to convince “dozens and dozens” of other fan bases of that.

Another poster suggested he may jump to an NBA staff. That’s something I hadn’t considered and I could definitely see that. It would be a pay cut, but way less aggravation and more opportunity for personal career success.
 
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The results:

And you won't be "jumping on my bet" if there is a significant season-ending injury or transfer, as you of all people should know that is not how bets work. If there is any such negative development, of course the wager is off, just how it was when CT got injured, allowing you to escape a second losing wager with me. The time to take the bet is clearly now, fresh off the Bam decommit and the negative momentum that creates, well, at least in the minds of our non-Polyanna board posters! The fact that I'm still allowing it even after the Bamisale commit, shows how sporting a guy I am--but to be clear, it will be void if there are future negative developments of significance, as i am not a sucker.

To recap:

You: 4 BIG wins or less this season
Me: 5 BIG wins or more

Stakes:

You win: I cannot post on the Basketball Board for a full calendar year, and may not make basketball-related posts on other Rivals boards during that timeframe-- enjoy!
I win: You cannot post on the Basketball Board for a full calendar year, and cannot make basketball-related posts on other Rivals boards during that timeframe.

Wager expires at the point there is another significant negative announcement about our team (if there is one), including the scenarios you cite.

You finally will have a legitimate chance to shut me up here-- what do you say? And Turk and anyone else who is tired of my apparently unbearable string of Polyanna comments about our program, the wager is open to you as well, same terms.

QTC,

And therein lies the problem - I don't feel there is any depth. I acknowledge that it is absolutely possible that the team could avoid the injury, illness or transfer bug. But if it hits, as it often has in the past, then this team has nothing in the cupboard.

So maybe we can agree - a healthy NU roster can compete within the bottom third of the league but if they get hit with a couple of things impacting availability, then they are toast.

btw, competitive within the bottom third sucks. And the depth problem falls on the coaches - they are expected to have their finger on the pulse of the roster, keep good players in the program, fill out the roster with competitive players, develop players. I give no pass for transfers, injuries that lead to problems due to lack of depth or players that don't work out. And the lack of prepared, legitimate options after transfers or decommits shows more poor planning.

They make millions of dollars to do their job. So they should not be afforded apologists when they fail. They should be struck w concern that the gravy train may end and they find themselves lower on the coaching poll with less compensation if they can't prove they can do the job.

And, in the future, no credible coaching candidate should give NU the time of day without either a written guaranteed better relationship with admissions that includes some concessions or a ten year guaranteed, 'ability to retire on the guaranteed money' contract - because NU is where coaches go to kill their careers.

I say blow up the program, spend the absolute Florida Marlins minimum and reinvest that money throughout the other non-revenue sports. Screw an administration that isn't serious about growing a competitive program. Fill the MBB team with 5 year seniors from all the other sports every year - make it a goofy, intramural level program and embarrass the B1G into kicking it out.

(I know this won't happen - but I am sooo frustrated with this program, the seemingly insufficient support of the admin by way of the admissions process and the coaching failures within the program. It's just so much money to waste on a crappy laughable product.)
 
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And therein lies the problem - I don't feel there is any depth. I acknowledge that it is absolutely possible that the team could avoid the injury, illness or transfer bug. But if it hits, as it often has in the past, then this team has nothing in the cupboard.

So maybe we can agree - a healthy NU roster can compete within the bottom third of the league but if they get hit with a couple of things impacting availability, then they are toast.

btw, competitive within the bottom third sucks. And the depth problem falls on the coaches - they are expected to have their finger on the pulse of the roster, keep good players in the program, fill out the roster with competitive players, develop players. I give no pass for transfers, injuries that lead to problems due to lack of depth or players that don't work out. And the lack of prepared, legitimate options after transfers or decommits shows more poor planning.

They make millions of dollars to do their job. So they should not be afforded apologists when they fail. They should be struck w concern that the gravy train may end and they find themselves lower on the coaching poll with less compensation if they can't prove they can do the job.

And, in the future, no credible coaching candidate should give NU the time of day without either a written guaranteed better relationship with admissions that includes some concessions or a ten year guaranteed, 'ability to retire on the guaranteed money' contract - because NU is where coaches go to kill their careers.

I say blow up the program, spend the absolute Florida Marlins minimum and reinvest that money throughout the other non-revenue sports. Screw an administration that isn't serious about growing a competitive program. Fill the MBB team with 5 year seniors from all the other sports every year - make it a goofy, intramural level program and embarrass the B1G into kicking it out.

(I know this won't happen - but I am sooo frustrated with this program, the seemingly insufficient support of the admin by way of the admissions process and the coaching failures within the program. It's just so much money to waste on a crappy laughable product.)

These are precisely where the expectations should be. Arguing that things are okay because a coach is doing marginally better in wins than the guys before him who failed is an asinine argument. Depth is the coach's responsibility. If losing a starter to injury devastates your season, you've failed in recruiting. The simple fact is that the current regime, like the previous ones, have continued to bring in a lot of players who aren't Big Ten material and one of the best pieces of evidence is where these players transfer once this is apparent. There aren't any NU players leaving to join North Carolina or Virginia or Villanova to contend for the NC. And the bottom line is that if recruiting really has taken a quantum leap, the program would not be where it is right now. Full stop.
 
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These are precisely where the expectations should be. Arguing that things are okay because a coach is doing marginally better in wins than the guys before him who failed is an asinine argument. Depth is the coach's responsibility. If losing a starter to injury devastates your season, you've failed in recruiting. The simple fact is that the current regime, like the previous ones, have continued to bring in a lot of players who aren't Big Ten material and one of the best pieces of evidence is where these players transfer once this is apparent. There aren't any NU players leaving to join North Carolina or Virginia or Villanova to contend for the NC. And the bottom line is that if recruiting really has taken a quantum leap, the program would not be where it is right now. Full stop.
Geezus, look who is back all puffy chested after another sub 500 Illini season telling us what we should think and do. How do we hire an expert like you to turn around our bBall fortunes?
 
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These are precisely where the expectations should be. Arguing that things are okay because a coach is doing marginally better in wins than the guys before him who failed is an asinine argument. Depth is the coach's responsibility. If losing a starter to injury devastates your season, you've failed in recruiting. The simple fact is that the current regime, like the previous ones, have continued to bring in a lot of players who aren't Big Ten material and one of the best pieces of evidence is where these players transfer once this is apparent. There aren't any NU players leaving to join North Carolina or Virginia or Villanova to contend for the NC. And the bottom line is that if recruiting really has taken a quantum leap, the program would not be where it is right now. Full stop.
How many Illinois guys have transferred to North Carolina Virginia, Villanova or Duke???
 
How many Illinois guys have transferred to North Carolina Virginia, Villanova or Duke???

From where in the world did you atom-splitters get the idea that I like Illinois, and, more importantly, what dwindling number of synapses fire in your brains in such a way that you believe these sort of moronic distractions will draw attention away from painful truths?
 
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Geezus, look who is back all puffy chested after another sub 500 Illini season telling us what we should think and do. How do we hire an expert like you to turn around our bBall fortunes?

I don't think I can name more than two players on the entire Illini team. Why are you kids so fixated upon them? Are you really this insecure about your favorite program? I mean, this is feeble.
 
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Guys, you're confusing comet with an Illini fan. He is actually a Carmody nut-hugger. I know it's hard to tell the trolls apart here sometimes, but please don't unfairly disparage him by calling him an Illini fan. That is FAR worse than being a Carmody nut-hugger...
 
Guys, you're confusing comet with an Illini fan. He is actually a Carmody nut-hugger. I know it's hard to tell the trolls apart here sometimes, but please don't unfairly disparage him by calling him an Illini fan. That is FAR worse than being a Carmody nut-hugger...

Called it! At 11:30 this morning, Tweedledum!

What's the average star rating of the 1995 NU basketball recruiting class?
 
If recruiting has never been better over the past five years, why aren't things going swimmingly on the court? If Big Ten caliber players are being recruited, why is every single transfer from the program ending up at low-level D-1 programs?
 
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