The Illinois basketball season is approaching quickly and there are so many articles out there about where each team will finish.
Jeff Goodman of Watch Stadium, and formerly of ESPN, did a different type of article. He had a chance to interview Big Ten coaches to see what the best job in the conference is. His scale had the teams based on tradition, media exposure, game atmosphere, facilities, selling pros, admission requirements, budget/resources and geographical recruiting base.
It was really a fascinating article to see in the minds of some of the Big Ten coaches. Of course, Indiana finished as the No. 1 job in the conference. I can’t argue with that too much. They do have an amazing tradition, their game atmosphere is insane and they seem to always get solid recruits no matter who the coach is.
You have to travel down to No. 7 to find our beloved Illini. In the section about Illinois, Goodman has, essentially, the pluses and minuses for the program. One Big Ten coach said that the plus for the Illinois job is their location. The coach said Chicago has a ton of players. The knock on the Illini is what really made me pay attention to this article.
In one Goodman interview with a Big Ten assistant coach, the coach said that the Illinois fan base has no clue and that we have unrealistic expectations. The coach also goes on to say that we are nuts and that while Chicago has players, it might take more than a scholarship to get a lot of them.
Wow, that is a lot to take in as an Illinois fan. Let’s break this down piece by piece. This coach says we have no clue as fans. Um, that is false. I feel like the majority of the fan base knows exactly what we have gone through over the last five to seven years. It has been a struggle.
The coach said we have unrealistic expectations of the program. I don’t disagree here. I think when you want to set a goal, you set one that is high and hope to reach it. My expectations are to reach the NCAA tournament. I don’t think that is an insane thing to ask.
The final thing the coach said, about Chicago having talent and it taking more than a scholarship to get them, what does that mean? When I first read this, I thought does he mean Illinois isn’t paying players and they need to be? Or does it mean that Illinois needs to win more and then they can get those players?
Honestly, I am not sure what this coach has against the Illini. I assume he is probably from the Ohio State camp where their head coach, Chris Holtmann, ripped Illinois for letting go John Groce. This could be an assistant coach from the Buckeyes.
Nevertheless, the Illinois fan base is a little rabid at times. We love this program and there is nothing wrong with that. We want Illinois to win and there is nothing wrong with that. I think people will be surprised this year. The Illini will win the national title and send all five starters to the NBA.