About Illinois' fighting Illini: another opponent on bubble (til lost to lowly Rutgers)

[UCFProf]

Fired their coach -- this was the year he had to fulfill on his promised rebuilding, and he didn't.
Let go March 12, 2 days after being knocked out of the Big Ten tournament by Michigan.
Hired the Oklahoma St. coach, $3 million/yr for 6 years -- that's what a rich P5 program can do!
The new guy took his teams to the NCAAs each of the last 4 years (OkSt and StephAAustin)
Lost OOC to ranked FSU and West Va and good Winthrop, then beat NCState, VCU, BYU, Missouri
Easy to finish OOC 10-3 when they never faced a hostile home crowd -- typical Big Ten schedule.

In conference, finished 8-10, but most losses close. They couldn't defeat a top 4 in Big Ten, but beat quality post-season schools Northwestern (twice), Iowa, Michigan, Michigan St., and Iowa (twice)!

Led by 6-6 sr. swing guy (17 ppg), 6-10 245 lb sr. center (55%, 26 blocks, 10 ppg), sr. 6-2 guard (8 ppg but 18 tonight), 6-7 soph forward (8 ppg, 6 reb, and double-double tonight), 6-3 soph (8 ppg). Also have a 6-11 280lb sr. and a 6-0 point guard who had 7 assists tonight. They are formidable and very deep (but tonight their starters got most of the minutes and 60 of their 71 points).

flight home:

 

[Central Floridave]

thanks for recap. LOL at "No Dunking".

I watched their game last night against Boise State. It was close at the half but Illinois slowly pulled away. They are pretty good. Sucks for them they have to turn around and travel to Orlando.

 

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

Fired their coach -- this was the year he had to fulfill on his promised rebuilding, and he didn't.
Let go March 12, 2 days after being knocked out of the Big Ten tournament by Michigan.
Hired the Oklahoma St. coach, $3 million/yr for 6 years -- that's what a rich P5 program can do!
The new guy took his teams to the NCAAs each of the last 4 years (OkSt and StephAAustin)
Lost OOC to ranked FSU and West Va and good Winthrop, then beat NCState, VCU, BYU, Missouri
Easy to finish OOC 10-3 when they never faced a hostile home crowd -- typical Big Ten schedule.

In conference, finished 8-10, but most losses close. They couldn't defeat a top 4 in Big Ten, but beat quality post-season schools Northwestern (twice), Iowa, Michigan, Michigan St., and Iowa (twice)!

Led by 6-6 sr. swing guy (17 ppg), 6-10 245 lb sr. center (55%, 26 blocks, 10 ppg), sr. 6-2 guard (8 ppg but 18 tonight), 6-7 soph forward (8 ppg, 6 reb, and double-double tonight), 6-3 soph (8 ppg). Also have a 6-11 280lb sr. and a 6-0 point guard who had 7 assists tonight. They are formidable and very deep (but tonight their starters got most of the minutes and 60 of their 71 points).

flight home:

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!