This is a post for folks to make a list ranking who you want Illinois to hire the LEAST from the Hot List of Coaches posted by Brad. (Exclude Monty Williams as he is out).
Everyone says whom they want. However, I read who some people want and I want scream NO!!!!!!
Seems stupid because it is just reverse of ranking who you want the most. However, by thinking about the negatives, it actually changed my ranking of who I wanted the most.
1) Greg McDermott. I will be pi$$ed if they hire this guy! In the 20 plus years the most he has done is make it to the 3rd round of the tourney three times. Does he have the fire in his belly to work like a dog at recruiting?
2) Mick Cronin. I will be pi$$ed if they hire this guy! Anyone that Thompson hired is OUT. He is a good coach but not a great one. True he did well after NCAA violations by Huggins. However, this is a basketball school. They were in the Big East, and won 2 national championships and were in 13 Sweet Sixteens. He has one sweet sixteen in 10 years. Not good enough. He would be good enough not to get fired but would not do much more than what he did with the Bearcats. He has long record of being good and not great.
3) Kevin Keats. I will be not as pi$$ed, but pi$$ed. I will be disappointed and try to convince myself this is ok. Where is this guy’s head coaching resume? He could be the best coach on this list. He was at Louisville. He had great success at tiny schools. He is young. Then again, he could be terrible. He could be awful at recruiting when he is running the ship. Too much of a question mark. When can we start expecting more of our program is what I will think with this hire!
4) Bryce Drew. I will have mixed feelings. He young, and resume too short! He comes from a great coaching family. His recruits at Vandy for 2017 are decent. But again, he is an unknown. You did well at Valpo, big deal. He could be another Groce, or Rodger Clinton (Bill’s brother).
5) Cuonzo Martin. More mixed feelings. You have to love this guy as a recruiter. He recruited two 5 stars to Cal! He is an Illinois area native who will be wired in big time. He recruited for Mizzou State. He would likely recruit well for a period of time. But is he a flash in the pan? He did not do all that great this year at Cali. Was he riding Bruce Pearl’s coat tails at Tennessee? He could be good Xs and Os guy, or he could just be ok. I don’t want a coach that will be good enough not to get fired for 10 years, but not good enough to make a win a national title. Also resume is too short.
6) Tony Bennett. I think I would feel excited that he came to Illinois, but in a way I would be worried he might be a photo negative of Cuonzo Martin. A guy who is fantastic Xs and Os (mom and dad both basketball coaches), but he is not a fantastic recruiter. He has never signed a five star or a guy in the top 30 recruit. He runs a boring offense. He could be a coach good enough to win some Big Ten titles (like at UVA), but never compete with the Caliparis, Selfs, Roy Williams, and Coach Ks of the world when it came to winning the Big Dance. I originally thought he might be my #1.
7) Archie Miller. I would be excited, but nervous because of his age. He is a young guy who coaches at a mid major. Sound familiar? He is a good Xs and Os guy or he would not have taken Dayton to the Elite 8. He is a pretty good recruiter. Gets 3 stars ranked in the 100s. He is aggressive. He is young. I originally had Bennett here, but I think this guy has more potential to be the next big name in coaching, just like his brother. He can recruit and coach. However, after Groce, I would like to see more of a resume.
8) Marshall. I would be Jacked. However, I would still worry. He does not have a recruiting resume that you can say, wow. He recruits juco kids. Apples and oranges, compared to Chicago. However, if you watch the video of him trying to attack a ref during an exhibition game because he was defending his players, you know he is a guy who can be driven. He is an amazing Xs and Os coach. There is a confidence he has that is pungent, like coach K. This was my number one guy, at one point. However, the thing I hate about him is he turned down NC State. An ACC school that has won a national title twice and has been in the sweet 16 11 times. Why? Maybe he does not want to recruit. I think this guy is probably a better coach than Drew. I just think Drew would sell his soul to win.
9) Scott Drew. I would be Jacked. This guy has recruited 5 stars to flipping Baylor. He wants the job (expressed he wanted it in the past). He has coached teams deep in the Big Dance multiple times (even when he did not have 5 stars on his team). Sent a flyer to high school players anonymously that had 3 pictures of coaches faces and it read “who do you want to be your next coach?” and had giant Xs through the photos that were not him. That takes b@lls. He is not afraid to push the envelope. He comes across as the type of A type that would need to win a national title to feel good at night. That is the type of hunger Illini fans deserve. It seems like Archie Miller is in same boat as far as tenacity. Sounds stupid but only thing I don’t like about this guy is that he kind of looks dorky on the sidelines. Something about the way he looks reminds me of Gomer Pile (Jim Neighbors, not the guy in Full Metal Jacket).
ok...need to catch my airplane.
Everyone says whom they want. However, I read who some people want and I want scream NO!!!!!!
Seems stupid because it is just reverse of ranking who you want the most. However, by thinking about the negatives, it actually changed my ranking of who I wanted the most.
1) Greg McDermott. I will be pi$$ed if they hire this guy! In the 20 plus years the most he has done is make it to the 3rd round of the tourney three times. Does he have the fire in his belly to work like a dog at recruiting?
2) Mick Cronin. I will be pi$$ed if they hire this guy! Anyone that Thompson hired is OUT. He is a good coach but not a great one. True he did well after NCAA violations by Huggins. However, this is a basketball school. They were in the Big East, and won 2 national championships and were in 13 Sweet Sixteens. He has one sweet sixteen in 10 years. Not good enough. He would be good enough not to get fired but would not do much more than what he did with the Bearcats. He has long record of being good and not great.
3) Kevin Keats. I will be not as pi$$ed, but pi$$ed. I will be disappointed and try to convince myself this is ok. Where is this guy’s head coaching resume? He could be the best coach on this list. He was at Louisville. He had great success at tiny schools. He is young. Then again, he could be terrible. He could be awful at recruiting when he is running the ship. Too much of a question mark. When can we start expecting more of our program is what I will think with this hire!
4) Bryce Drew. I will have mixed feelings. He young, and resume too short! He comes from a great coaching family. His recruits at Vandy for 2017 are decent. But again, he is an unknown. You did well at Valpo, big deal. He could be another Groce, or Rodger Clinton (Bill’s brother).
5) Cuonzo Martin. More mixed feelings. You have to love this guy as a recruiter. He recruited two 5 stars to Cal! He is an Illinois area native who will be wired in big time. He recruited for Mizzou State. He would likely recruit well for a period of time. But is he a flash in the pan? He did not do all that great this year at Cali. Was he riding Bruce Pearl’s coat tails at Tennessee? He could be good Xs and Os guy, or he could just be ok. I don’t want a coach that will be good enough not to get fired for 10 years, but not good enough to make a win a national title. Also resume is too short.
6) Tony Bennett. I think I would feel excited that he came to Illinois, but in a way I would be worried he might be a photo negative of Cuonzo Martin. A guy who is fantastic Xs and Os (mom and dad both basketball coaches), but he is not a fantastic recruiter. He has never signed a five star or a guy in the top 30 recruit. He runs a boring offense. He could be a coach good enough to win some Big Ten titles (like at UVA), but never compete with the Caliparis, Selfs, Roy Williams, and Coach Ks of the world when it came to winning the Big Dance. I originally thought he might be my #1.
7) Archie Miller. I would be excited, but nervous because of his age. He is a young guy who coaches at a mid major. Sound familiar? He is a good Xs and Os guy or he would not have taken Dayton to the Elite 8. He is a pretty good recruiter. Gets 3 stars ranked in the 100s. He is aggressive. He is young. I originally had Bennett here, but I think this guy has more potential to be the next big name in coaching, just like his brother. He can recruit and coach. However, after Groce, I would like to see more of a resume.
8) Marshall. I would be Jacked. However, I would still worry. He does not have a recruiting resume that you can say, wow. He recruits juco kids. Apples and oranges, compared to Chicago. However, if you watch the video of him trying to attack a ref during an exhibition game because he was defending his players, you know he is a guy who can be driven. He is an amazing Xs and Os coach. There is a confidence he has that is pungent, like coach K. This was my number one guy, at one point. However, the thing I hate about him is he turned down NC State. An ACC school that has won a national title twice and has been in the sweet 16 11 times. Why? Maybe he does not want to recruit. I think this guy is probably a better coach than Drew. I just think Drew would sell his soul to win.
9) Scott Drew. I would be Jacked. This guy has recruited 5 stars to flipping Baylor. He wants the job (expressed he wanted it in the past). He has coached teams deep in the Big Dance multiple times (even when he did not have 5 stars on his team). Sent a flyer to high school players anonymously that had 3 pictures of coaches faces and it read “who do you want to be your next coach?” and had giant Xs through the photos that were not him. That takes b@lls. He is not afraid to push the envelope. He comes across as the type of A type that would need to win a national title to feel good at night. That is the type of hunger Illini fans deserve. It seems like Archie Miller is in same boat as far as tenacity. Sounds stupid but only thing I don’t like about this guy is that he kind of looks dorky on the sidelines. Something about the way he looks reminds me of Gomer Pile (Jim Neighbors, not the guy in Full Metal Jacket).
ok...need to catch my airplane.
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