Right here:

There is a comp for this team and it is the 2011-2012 season. Started out great and notched a big win over Gonzaga and a 10-0 start. Then followed with a couple bad non-conference losses including a Mizzou loss. Season peaked with the Brandon Paul game against Ohio State (similar to Shannon against UCLA.) After that we went into the death spiral and finished 6-12 in conference. That team had 3 NBA players on the roster (Brandon Paul, Meyers Leonard, Myke Henry) but it did not have a real PG. Sam Maniscalco was dinged up for most of the 2nd half of the season and Tracy Abrams was a bit of a Jayden Epps combo guard who is really a SG. Team ended up 145th in offensive efficiency.

That team also had very low minutes continuity from the previous season (31.7%).

John Groce took the same roster (minus a lottery pick in Leonard) to the round of 32 next year so you know the talent was there.

There was a huge coaching meltdown from Bruce Weber who realized he was about to get fired no matter what. Meyers was spotted crying in a Nebraska loss so the team was clearly struggling with chemistry and confidence.

Unfortunately, that was one of the most miserable years in recent memory.

I don't think we're doomed to repeat that disaster but it's possible. I can understand why people are upset. I almost never miss a second of Illini basketball and I had stopped watching by the end of that year. It's the kind of thing that can suck the life out of a fanbase. There's almost nothing worse than seeing talented players underachieve and look miserable and lost on the court.

I will be at State Farm Center tonight covering Illinois vs. Northwestern.

Tipoff is 8 pm on BTN.

Then the women have a huge game on Sunday at No. 3 Ohio State.

Post game press conference vs. Northwestern.

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Illinois falls to 0-3 in the Big Ten

I've seen a few references to Underwood yelling as the stick part of the stick and carrot. I think the stick is PT. For the record PT is also the carrot.

Aaron Henry Named FootballScoop Defensive Backs Coach of the Year

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry, who served as defensive backs coach in 2022, has been named the FootballScoop Defensive Backs Coach of the Year. Henry was the defensive backs coach for the Illini during the 12-game regular season before being promoted to defensive coordinator for the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Henry's unit was the best in the nation against the pass in 2022, as Illinois leads the nation in scoring defense (12.8), interceptions (24), takeaways (32), and passing efficiency defense (92.64). The Illini also rank second in the nation in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (9), second in fewest yards per passing attempt (5.4), and eighth in fewest passing yards allowed per game (173.8).

Illinois' pass efficiency defense of 92.64 was more than 10 points better than the next-best defense (Penn State, 103.24), nearly 40 points better than the median pass defense, and trailed only 2013 Michigan State (92.28) for the best in a decade.

Henry was instrumental in the rise of CB Devon Witherspoon, as the potential first round NFL draft pick went from relative unknown to the best cornerback in the nation in a two-year span. Witherspoon had started 10 games in his first two seasons in Champaign prior to Henry's arrival, then jumped to an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2021 before becoming Illinois' first ever Consensus All-American defensive back in 2022. Witherspoon was named the Big Ten's Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year and one of three finalists for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.

In Henry's first game as defensive coordinator, the Illinois defense held Mississippi State to only 13 offensive points in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2, 2023. The Illini were the first team this season to intercept Mississippi State's Air Raid offense twice and gave Bulldogs' QB Will Rogers his fist red zone interception of the season.

Brown never really found a niche at Illinois.

Texass fires Chris Beard !

Johnny Newton is probably leaning towards declaring for the Draft. He was keen on an NIL deal offered a month or so ago, but it seems to have swung the other way.

I'm not sure on Keith Randolph. I think there will be $ there for him, so he has to weigh that. I think he should come back. He needs another year.

Isaiah Adams and Julian Pearl are two other names that have been out there in terms of possibly declaring. No buzz on them yet. I'll post it when I hear something.

I'm guessing 1 or 2 others will go to the Portal.

Btw...Malik Elzy announcing on Saturday at the All-American Bowl. Illinois, Notre Dame, Michigan, or Wisconsin.

I like Illinois by 8-12 points tonight.

Halftime score 44 to 22.

Moo U doubles Puke in Cigarette city ( Raleigh )

You can move out of the State, but you can still be a Tar Heel ! Especially when Princeton South is playing pre-Rat Face again !

For anyone interested Curbelo and St John’s are playing Nebraska on FS 1 now

Making the drive from C-U tomorrow and will be watching the game with a former work colleague and UI alum.

Who else will be going?

Also, does anyone recommend the Ten Mile House on Central Street near Welsh-Ryan? Their website looks like they have some good food options.

Looks like Bluestone is also close by. Any ideas on this place?

I would like to eat close to the arena and not near the main campus. Any other suggestions?

Nice timing... Always felt like he was ABI.

At least they looked better than their football team

Just saw ESPN’s field of 68 for women's bb. Have the Illini as a 7 seed. Not sure when we made the tourney last but it’s been a while. If they keep playing as well as currently I could see them as 4-5 seed come March.

Incredible and quick turnaround for Coach Green and her staff.

the ESPN networks for the B1G (after basketball season).

That was the most blatant SEC slanted broadcast I have ever seen and heard.

Was it me, or were most of the shots of the fans in the stadium focused on the Miss State fans and very few Illini fans?

Announcers seemed like big cheerleaders for Miss State.

Big time lobbying by them for the Miss State TD call to stand.

When Isiah Williams could not reel in Devito's pass, both Jaeln Green and Shawn Preston Jr clearly taunting Williams after the miss and both announcers thought calling the penalty for un-sportsman like was excessive.

On the basketball side, we have been forced to listen to clowns like Bill Walton and Dakich.

I will give that network credit, however, for having multiple options for spill over channels when the starts of later games run into earlier games still in progress. Something FOX is still inconsistent with.

However, today was the nail in the coffin for my tolerance for their networks.