Ch Ch Ch Changes...........

The news that surfaced last week about University of Illinois Athletic Director Ron Gunether's decision to retire on June 30 set about a flood of questions surrounding the athletic program and what this means for the future of Illini athletics going forward. It is no secret that this decision was imminent and would happen one day, but the timing of it was perhaps the most shocking revelation of the entire process. It has been well documented that many significant accomplishments have occurred under Guenther's watch, and the uncertainty that looms with him leaving mid-summer. The renovation of Memorial Stadium and construction of the Ubben basketball practice facility, Irwin indoor football complex, and the Atkins Tennis Center are just some of the feathers that Guenther can put in his cap. Amid all of the successes that he has accomplished over the years, there have been some things that have made people shake their heads in wonderment. First and foremost at the top of this list is the demise of the women's basketball program. Beginning with Theresa Grentz a few years ago and her running off players left and right, Guenther then hired Jolette Law, looking for a fresh start and a new direction for the program. What has since happened has been downright disastrous, as the program has for sure gone in a different direction, just not the one that Guenther had hoped.

So where does the next athletic director, whomever it may be, turn his attention to? There is the debate on whether or not to renovate the Assembly Hall, and the continued restoration of Memorial Stadium with the horseshoe revamping and possible lowering of the field. Among one of the first orders of business should be to look at the women's basketball program and make a change there. In order for the Illini to once again be respectable with the women's program, a clean slate needs to be done as soon as the new AD comes into power. Also, continued measures of fund raising must be achieved to keep up with the other elite schools in the nation. As has been previously mentioned, Guenther did a great job in making this happen, but the baton needs to be passed on and the new AD must take it and run the next leg of the race.

Back on April 6th, the Fighting Illini baseball team lost to Benedictine-Springfield 8-6 to drop to 9-14 overall. Certainly there was speculation that Coach Dan Hartleb was not getting the job done and might not see the end of the season. Fast forward a little over a month later, and the Illini have managed to get back to the .500 mark at 25-25, after sweeping the final series of the year at home against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Illini needed several things to take place in order for them to secure a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, which starts this coming week in Columbus, Ohio. After winning the first two games of the series, the Illini came into the finale on Saturday needing a win and a Michigan State loss to Northwestern to gain a share of the Big Ten title. The Wildcats held up their end of the deal by knocking off the Spartans, and all that was left for the Illini was to take care of the Hoosiers and get the top seed in the tourney by virtue of winning the series over Michigan State earlier in the year. Drama ensued at Illinois Field as the Illini got the winning run on base in a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Dittman stepped up to the plate, and delivered a game winning 2-run home run to send the Illini packing for Columbus as the eventual top seed. They will have a bye and will face the lowest remaining seed of Wednesday's opening round games. The Illini will play on Thursday (approx. 7:05 pm, Big Ten Network) and will go from there.

Who says the summer months are not filled with excitement? Before too long, the Fighting Illini football team will begin fall workouts at Camp Rantoul and the Big Ten will welcome its twelfth member, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. More to follow on the Illini in the Big Ten Tourney, as well as Big Ten football media days in late July in Chicago.

Questions......and answers?

What's wrong with Illinois? That's a fair question, and one that has been asked recently on a number of occasions. It all starts back with the basketball season that just ended, precisely around the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Illini had many question marks this season, with a senior class that underachieved by most standards, and a coach that has lost favor with the fan base and now seems on the proverbial "hot seat". Add to this mess a much heralded freshman who had been orally committed to the program for all of his high school career. When the season began, Coach Bruce Weber had high expectations, and to show his confidence, had shirts made up with a slogan geared toward the Final Four in Houston. Yes, it's nice to have goals and all that, but what transpired few people could have predicted. The team finished 20-14 for the year, including a trip to the NCAA Tourney, where they defeated UNLV before losing to former coach Bill Self and Kansas 73-59. It's no secret that this team had plenty of talent, but they didn't play up to the level that they were capable of and in some cases, looked dreadful. Bad losses to UIC at the United Center and Indiana in Bloomington created doubt for many people, and left fans wondering just what was next for this squad. The season was not without controversy either, as prized freshman Jereme Richmond was in and out of Weber's doghouse all year long. This should not come as a surprise to many, because his high school career followed a similar path. Richmond took a voluntary leave of absence the week of the Wisconsin game in Madison, and actually drove himself up to rejoin the team after dealing with some "family matters". Then, to make matters worse, the week of the Big Ten Tournament Richmond was involved in a locker room incident with another player after the loss to Michigan and was suspended for the NCAA Tournament as a result. It is clear that Weber and Richmond didn't see eye to eye on many issues, and the fact that Richmond felt that he should have been a starter all season could have played into the mix as well. So, when the news broke last week that Richmond had decided to leave Illinois to enter the NBA draft didn't surprise many, including me. It has always been Richmond's dream to play in the NBA, as it is most anyone's that plays the game of basketball at the collegiate level. The question here is, will Richmond be ready? According to some scouts, he is projected to be a late first round or early second round selection, which makes his decision one that makes sense. Apparently, Richmond was not going to class, and was in danger of becoming ineligible, but the rifts between he and the coaching staff still remain the major issue, in my opinion. Yes, this leaves a hole for next season, but also gives a glimmer of hope that nobody will transfer, instead vying for those minutes with the rest of the incoming freshman class.

Wednesday was the spring signing period, and Weber was able to add two players to the incoming class of recruits. Devin Langford of Huntsville, Alabama was one of the recruits that was showcased at the Shootout At The Hall back in December. He is a 6'7 guard/forward, that might take some of the minutes that was vacated by either Davis or Richmond. The other player that Weber added was a bit of a surprise, but a good one at that. Sam Maniscalco, who played at Bradley last season, has graduated, but under a new provision can transfer to a school that has his field of study for graduate school without having to sit out a year. When Jim Les was fired at Bradley, that gave Maniscalco the idea that he wanted to get a fresh start somewhere else, and given his ties with the Illinois Wolves AAU program, was a perfect fit for the Illini. The addition of these two players brings the total of incoming players to six, with Tracy Abrams, Nnanna Egwu, Michael Henry and Mike Shaw being the other four. Maniscalco's main role will be to play the point guard position, one that he did with good success over at Bradley. This will also give a temporary solution to the point issue that was facing Weber next season. With the departure of Demetri McCamey, it left the spot wide open, and was feared that Abrams would have to come in as a freshman and take the reins. Not so now, as Maniscalco will be more than qualified to ease Abrams into the quarterback of the offense for the 2012-13 season. Questions? Yeah, the Illini have plenty of them, and the one that remains the most intriguing will be what happens to Ron Guenther. Guenther's contract runs out in June, and if a new AD is named at that time, it might mean a possible coaching change down the road. Add to this the fact that some Illini assistants might be looking to further enhance their resumes as well, so a shakeup within the coaching staff is not a far-fetched idea either. At the annual season ending basketball banquet on Tuesday evening, Mike Davis was named team MVP, which was a good choice, since he was the most consistent of all the players this season. Yes, he had his moments just like all of the others, but towards the end of the season, it was evident that Davis cared and wanted to win more than anyone else. That showed some leadership in itself. Noticeably absent from the banquet was Guenther himself, and to nobody's surprise, Richmond was not there as well. So, in short, yes, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Illinois basketball program, and once again, what every one is asking these days is.... What's wrong with Illinois? We may find out, although it might not be known for a while.

Spring workouts have begun in earnest for the Fighting Illini football team, and coming off of a Texas Bowl victory in December, expectations are running unusually high as the annual spring game draws ever so closer. It's hard to think of a time where the football team has been more successful than the basketball team, but that time is now, and Coach Ron Zook has reason to be optimistic. With 8 home games slated for 2011, the first 5 of which will begin the season in Champaign, the possibility of starting 6-0 is a real possibility heading into a showdown with Ohio State in October. The main focus for this team during the spring workouts will be to build on what they accomplished in 2010, and back-to-back bowl trips will go a long way in achieving that. Watching offensive coordinator Paul Petrino in practice is priceless, and you had better not do something to draw his ire, because you will pay for it if you do. The man is intense, and I think the offense will do some big things this coming season. The spring game will be at 1:00 on Saturday, April 23rd, and it will be refreshing to see what these past couple weeks of practice has done for this squad.

The spring seasons are also underway for the Illini baseball and softball teams, and both teams are struggling. The baseball team is currently 11-16, and will welcome the Salukis of Southern Illinois to Illinois Field on Wednesday before heading to Michigan this weekend for a series with the Wolverines. The softball team is faring a little bit better at 18-14 overall, and are scheduled to play Purdue in West Lafayette on Wednesday in an afternoon doubleheader. Both teams have had their share of games cancelled on account of weather, something that is pretty common in Illinois during the early spring season. Once the temperatures heat up, here's hoping the bats for both teams will do the same.

Long awaited matchup

I feel it befitting on the eve of one of the most anticipated matchups in recent Illini basketball lore to submit yet another blog entry. This would not be possible had it not been for the Illini getting it together on Friday night and playing the way everyone thought they would play in routing UNLV 73-62 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Illini came out firing on all cylinders, as Mike Davis appeared to give his team some much needed energy in playing like he didn't want it to be his last game as an Illini. Davis had a stat line that was impressive, leading the Illini with 22 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. He also added to that line by dishing out 5 assists and getting 1 steal. This all coming in a spirited effort amid some controversy before the game involving a fellow teammate. What would this Illini season be without something going on involving promising freshman Jereme Richmond, who was once again held out of the game by Weber for "conduct detrimental to the team". Apparently Richmond got into a verbal altercation with another teammate after the Michigan loss in the Big Ten Tournament, and this caused Weber to bench him, which in turn started the rumor mill flying once again. Will he transfer? Is he suspended? Will he even play? Weber didn't call it a suspension, because after all, Richmond was dressed and on the bench. Judging by Richmond's actions during the game, it doesn't look like he is one that is considering a transfer. A couple of years ago, Weber had a similar altercation with Dominique Keller, and Keller was seen sulking on the bench. It is widely known that Richmond has an attitude, and can be thought of as a prima-dona, and that appears not to set well with the coaching staff. Richmond's status for Sunday's game against Kansas has not been decided as of yet. Which brings me to the matchup with the Jayhawks.

Illini fans, you are finally going to get your wish of going up against Kansas and former Illini coach Bill $elf, who bolted Champaign back in 2003 because Kansas was his "dream job" and he "dreamed of having an office on Naismith Drive in Lawrence". So much animosity has been derived at $elf over the years since his departure, and you cannot argue that he is a good coach and a good recruiter of talent. He left the cupboard at Illinois well-stocked when he departed, and so far, Weber hasn't been able to do much with the program since that time. Shortly after $elf was gone, Weber held a mock funeral for him, saying that $elf was gone and it was time to move on. Saturday in Tulsa, both coached addressed the issue, and it appears to now be water under the bridge. So now, the Illini get their long awaited matchup against the Jayhawks in the third round of the tourney, and the task is a mighty tough one at hand. First of all, Kansas is a very good team with a lot of weapons. They are a top seed in the tourney for a reason. Secondly, the Illini haven't exactly set the world on fire this year, playing good for 35 minutes of games, but having a hard time closing out teams. But, if the Illini are playing at the top of their game like they did on Friday against UNLV, the possibility of staying with Kansas is real. I'm not saying they can beat the Jayhawks, but we shall finally see how they stack up against them. This could be Weber's chance to get the last laugh against $elf, and possibly quiet some of his harshest critics. They get their chance in prime time on Sunday (7:40 pm, TNT- Direct TV Channel 245). In the NCAA Tournament, you never know what might happen. Stranger things have occurred, and it will be interesting to see how this one goes. Illini Nation will be watching with vigorous interest, as will I.

Poetic Justice?

So, it appears that the NCAA selection committee has a sense of humor after all. After a lackluster end to the regular season and a quarterfinal flop in the Big Ten Tournament, the Fighting Illini find themselves dancing in the NCAA tournament. It is the potential matchups that are most intriguing. First, to review a little bit. Bruce Weber had his team (so we thought) playing well the last few games of the season, winning games that they were expected to get at home against Iowa and Indiana, and losing road games at Ohio State and Purdue, which were not expected to be wins. The regular season ended with the Illini at 19-12 overall, and in a four-way tie at 9-9 in the Big Ten standings. By virtue of the tie-breaker system, the Fighting Illini earned the fifth seed, and faced off against #4 seed Michigan, who also finished 19-12 overall and in that tie with the Illini. Normally these 4-5 matchups are toss-ups, and the Illini had defeated the Wolverines in their only meeting of the season 54-52 back on February 16th in Champaign, a game that the Illini were lucky to win. The Illini started off on the short end against the Wolverines, but battled back and actually took control near the end of the half, leading 34-23 at the break. That is where things literally fell apart. As has been all too common this year for the Illini, they play well for 30 minutes, then falter down the stretch. Friday's game against Michigan was no exception, as the undersized Wolverines whittled away at the Illini lead, and eventually took control. Many of the people over at Conseco Fieldhouse were looking around at each other, wondering what was going on. But, in all actuality, we have seen this story before, all too many times. Before the Illini had knew what hit them, the 11 point lead evaporated and Michigan kept making their shots, while the Illini were not connecting on theirs. The result was yet another defeat that could have been avoided, something that this 2010-11 Illini team is no stranger to. Some blame the coach, and rightly so. After all, he was handed the keys to a luxury car when Bill $elf left and in the process, has managed to wreck that vehicle in the span of 5 short years. Yes, he finished runner-up in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, but that was with $elf's players. The players themselves have also been blamed, and you cannot disagree with that sentiment either. This senior laden bunch has underachieved, and at times, it looks as if they just don't care about being out on the floor. A nice group of guys doesn't necessarily mean that they can play well, and often they appear to lack toughness. So what can be done about this? It might be too late to be asking that question, but I'll give it my best guess.

After the loss to Michigan on Friday afternoon, I had this sick feeling to my stomach, a feeling that I hadn't had in quite a while since covering this team. Part of me wondered what was going on, and the other part of me realized that this is the way it has been all season, so why was the other half of me even worrying about it anyway? So, I continued to watch basketball on into the evening, seeing Michigan State upset Purdue, and Penn State bounce Wisconsin from the proceedings. That didn't make me feel any better, and I'm sure the team didn't feel the best either, since they were the ones that caused this dilemma in the first place. So, we waited for Selection Sunday, in hopes that the Illini would still be considered for an at-large berth in the "Big Dance". Most bracketologists had the Illini in no matter what, but I wasn't 100% sold on the idea. During the announcing of the brackets, Penn State popped up as a #10 seed, and my feeling got a little worse. After all, the Nittany Lions had made it all the way to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament, where they were schooled by Ohio State. Then Michigan came up, which was to be expected. Could the Big Ten get 7 teams in the dance? Would Illinois be left out again?

Then, the Southwest bracket was unveiled with Kansas as the top seed. The very next seeding line featured UNLV as an 8 seed, which was followed by the Illini in at #9. The Illini face the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV in the second round of the tournament on Friday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma (approx. 8:20 pm central time, TBS). Oh great, I said. Excited to see the Illini in the field of 68, this now became what a friend of mine labeled the Illinois Invitational. You see, Lon Kruger, who coaches UNLV, was the coach of the Illini from 1998-2001, so there was a story line for you. To make matters even more intriguing, Kansas looms next for the winner of this game, featuring, you guessed it, Bill $elf as head coach of the Jayhawks. There still is some ongoing animosity toward $elf on the way he left Illinois for the Jayhawks' job, but in the last couple of years, I have allowed myself to let it go and realize that there is nothing I can do about it anyway. I would, however, like to see Illinois get a shot at Kansas to see how long we could stay with them. Think of how much Bruce Weber could recoup if he found a way to beat both the Runnin' Rebels and the Jayhawks? Still, it is good to see the Illini back in the field and here's hoping that the seniors can try to give it one final shot to make something of this season. They owe it to the fans, at least.

Get your dancing shoes on folks, because the madness is about to begin!

It's March!

The calendar says it is March, and that can mean only one thing: It's time for March Madness! College basketball enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes come together at this time of the year for conference basketball tournaments, and ultimately, the NCAA Tournament. This is the time of the year when teams can either make or break their seasons with one or two wins or losses.

The Fighting Illini are down to their final regular season game of the season, and to say that it is not a big game would be a serious understatement. In the past month or better, the Illini have resembled a team on a roller coaster ride (up, down, up, down). They have not been able to string back to back victories together in that time frame, but have been playing better basketball for the most part. Tuesday's loss at Purdue was encouraging, mainly for the level of intensity that the Illini exhibited, leading at one point by as much as 13 points. At that point, Coach Bruce Weber decided to sit Demetri McCamey after the senior picked up his second foul. Well, it could have been construed as a bad move, because the Boilermakers went on a 12-0 run during that stretch and closed the gap and eventually took a lead that they would never relinquish. The Illini will welcome the Indiana Hoosiers to the Assembly Hall in Champaign on Saturday (11:00 am, Big Ten Network), and enter play at 18-12 overall and 8-9 in the Big Ten. With the top 3 seeds virtually set for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament next weekend in Indianapolis, the logjam for spots 4-7 are still undetermined at this time. A best case scenario would pit the Illini against Michigan State in the #4-#5 game on Friday afternoon, but there are still a few games to be played, and there are tiebreakers that could come into play.

Saturday is also Senior Day, and this group of seniors that will be playing their final game in front of the Illini faithful have had their ups and downs this season. This group has not been the most talented bunch to wear the orange and blue, but they have shown flashes of brilliance as well during that time. In talking with the seniors on Thursday at Weber's weekly media teleconference, they all seem to have one common goal in mind, and that is to beat Indiana on Saturday. They know the significance of what a win would do, but they don't want to look too far ahead either. Mike Davis said that it is human nature to look down the road, but first thing's first, and the task at hand right now are the Hoosiers. Mike Tisdale, who fulfilled a dream in playing at Illinois, has come a long way since his days at small school Riverton, but never really gained the necessary weight to fit his 7 foot frame. Tisdale has looked lost at times this year, and hasn't used his size to the best of his ability. McCamey, who played in the shadow of high school teammate Evan Turner, and earlier this season was playing like he was a candidate for a high round pick in the NBA draft. However, McCamey hit a wall mid-season, and as a result, his stock dropped faster than an elevator out of control. He still has potential, and will have to show what he is made of if he wants a chance to play at the next level. The final senior is Bill Cole, and he is a player that is hard to describe. Virtually unused his first couple of seasons, Cole was pressed into a starting role in 2oo9-10, and performed admirably. Cole used that as a springboard and has started quite a few games this season as well. Coming from Richwoods High School in Peoria, Cole may not have been the best knife in Weber's recruiting drawer, but he fits the mold of the perfect Weber recruit: a marginal player that Weber gets the most out of. I think that this senior class had too much hype coming into the season, and when this year didn't go as the Illini expected it would, of course fingers were pointed and assumptions were made. Here's hoping that they can go out with a bang and not a whimper on Saturday.

To say that the Illini women's season has been a disappointment would not be far from the truth. Jolette Law's team finished dead last in the Big Ten, the first time that an Illini team had done so, even through the dreadful Kathy Lindsey era. The Illini finished the regular season at a horrendous 7-22 overall and just 2-14 in the league, including losing their last 12 regular season conference games. This didn't bode well for Law's team heading into the opening round of the Big Ten Tourney at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis against #6 seed Wisconsin. But, as has been the case for Law's tenure at Illinois, they once again pulled the upset, bouncing the Badgers 63-56 and living to see another day. Granted, some of the losses down the stretch were downright heartbreaking, but losses are still losses, and they piled up this season. The Illini will face the Michigan Wolverines in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon (approx. 1:00 pm central time, Big Ten Network), and the only way that the Illini can see postseason play is to win out and capture the tourney title. A nice thought, but very unlikely to happen.

Enjoy the games, and rejoice basketball fans, March is here!

Bubble Talk

Stop me if you have heard this story before. Top 25 team with a lot of potential doesn't play up to that potential, instead playing to the level of their opponent. The result: not a top 25 team anymore. Sound familiar? Welcome to Illinois basketball, mediocrity at it's finest! In the span of just over 2 months, Bruce Weber's Fighting Illini have begun a freefall of epic proportions, losing games that they have no business dropping, while at the same time, playing their way out of the rankings and squarely onto the proverbial NCAA Tournnament bubble. Folks, this conversation should not even be taking place with the talent that this team has on it. Led by a veteran group of seniors, the Illini were expected to rebound from an NIT appearance one year ago and return to the big tournament, the one that means more than any of the other ones combined. Well, that just hasn't happened, and if things don't change in a hurry, it won't be occurring this season either. Weber has taken a lot of heat recently, and with good reason. This team is capable of playing much better than their 15-8 record would indicate, and that senior leadership is just not there. Veterans Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale are playing like they are freshmen, and Demetri McCamey's NBA stock has dropped sharply in the past couple of weeks. A friend of mine recently posted on his Facebook profile that McCamey should begin to learn Turkish, because that is probably where he will end up. Yes, it is a sad state of affairs, and despite all that has transpired with this team over the past month, the end may not be in sight. Since Jereme Richmond took a brief leave of absence from the team for reasons that still have not been disclosed, it seems as if Weber is losing this team day by day. He continues to stay with his seniors, and young guns like Tyler Griffey, Joseph Bertrand, and Crandall Head have not sniffed the floor in several games. Illini Nation is in a state of emergency, and the talk shows and internet message boards have been less than cordial as of late. Not to say that I blame these people, but unless the Illini have a catastrophic collapse of epic proportions, Weber isn't going anywhere. He has another recruiting class that is highly ranked coming in next season, and his seat is beginning to get warm in terms of getting the job done. Now, the current group of seniors weren't that highly ranked in regards of recruiting standards, so it is not shocking that they are not excelling like most thought they would. Davis was headed to prep school before Weber scooped him up, Tisdale came out of Riverton, a small school near Springfield, and Bill Cole was a marginal player from the Peoria area. McCamey wasn't even the best player on his high school team, that honor being given to Evan Turner, who went to Ohio State and is now in the NBA. So, where does that leave the Illini, as February is upon us? Illinois has had trouble winning close games on the road, and in order for them to feel safe come Selection Sunday, that trend needs to reverse itself soon. They will get a chance to steal a game away from home this Thursday, when they travel to Minneapolis to battle the Golden Gophers (8:00 pm, ESPN). With Ohio State appearing to run away and hide in the Big Ten race, every game down the stretch is important. Here's hoping the players figure that out as well.

Who would have thought that at this point of the season, football would be more of a positive story than basketball at Illinois. Coming off a Texas Bowl victory, Ron Zook and the coaching staff completed signing day by inking 27 players, some of them potential diamonds in the rough. Zook felt that they addressed some needs, getting 15 linemen, 11 skill players, and a punter. A couple players that stand out in the class are lineman Willie Beavers (Southfield, Michigan) and running back Donovonn Young (Katy, Texas), as well as quarterback Reilly O'Toole (Wheaton, Illinois). With Nathan Scheelhaase firmly entrenched as the starter heading into spring practice, it is a positive to have a guy like O'Toole come on board. Whether or not he takes a redshirt will be anybody's guess at this point, but with 8 home games on the schedule for 2011, the potential for another winning season is very much a possibility.

Which brings us to women's basketball, and some serious controversy that arose last week when the Iowa Hawkeyes visited the Assembly Hall. Jolette Law, the coach of the Illini, played her collegiate ball at Iowa, and showed up wearing black and gold, which happen to be the colors of the Hawkeyes. Whether or not it was a coincidence, or a shout-out to her former team remains to be seen, but it was still tacky nonetheless. The play on the court has also been disappointing, as the Illini have lost their last 7 games and enter the week with a dismal 7-17 record. The Illini will host Indiana on Thursday, February 10th (7:00 pm) with a chance to break a rather long losing streak in the process. Let's just hope Law doesn't decide to break out the cream and crimson for this one.

Illini Basketball: Up and Down

So it goes for Bruce Weber and his Fighting Illini basketball team. They are a team of ups and downs, and night in and night out, they are like a box of chocolates: you never know what you are going to get. This team has shown flashes of brilliance (see Gonzaga, Michigan State), as well as moments of total destruction (re-live UIC, Penn State) during this season, and some drama has been added as of late just for good measure. Over the last 4 games, the Illini are just 1-3, but some will say that a moral victory was achieved in the last defeat, a 73-68 setback to top-ranked Ohio State. What disturbs me more about this loss is the fact that the Illini had an 8 point lead in the second half, and frankly let it slip away during the last 10 minutes of the game. Freshman Jereme Richmond (more about him in a moment) had his best game yet as an Illini, notching his first double-double of his young collegiate career with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and ended the week with his two best games yet. This is coming off a tumultuous week for Richmond, who left the team briefly to take care of a personal matter at home. Or so we were led to believe. More pieces of this saga are beginning to surface, and it appears now that Richmond was considering transferring because of not playing as much as he thought he deserved. We may never know the real reason why he did not travel to Wisconsin when the Illini played the Badgers, but he did drive up to Madison with his parents and since that little ordeal, has played much better. Given the recent improvement in Richmond's game, I believe he has deserved to crack the starting rotation, which still hasn't happened. Weber has his detractors, and I have been known to defend him in this blog, as well as in casual conversation. However, I must shake my head at some of the decisions that he has orchestrated lately. For instance, continuing to start Bill Cole, as well as some of the other seniors, when in fact they haven't warranted being in that role lately. Another one just happened on Sunday against the Buckeyes, when Weber mentioned in the postgame interview room that he asked the team in the huddle who wanted to take the last shot to try to beat the Buckeyes. Isn't that the coach's job to make that decision? After all, this isn't the movie Hoosiers, and we don't have someone like Jimmy Chitwood who said he wanted the ball. Instead, Cole said he would take the shot, and when he couldn't get open to take said shot, they went inside to Tisdale, and a turnover resulted, which basically ended the game. Weber has been taking a lot of heat lately, and I think it might actually be starting to get to him. Since the Final Four year, the Illini have won just one NCAA Tournament game, and have missed the big dance twice in that span. Plus, those were Bill Self recruits, and even though the recruiting has been on the upswing in the past couple of years, they are still unproven and attitudes probably won't change until the Illini are back in the tourney and can win a game or two. The Illini can take the next step toward that on Thursday night when they travel across the border to Bloomington to battle the Indiana Hoosiers (8:00 pm central time, Big Ten Network). The Illini have been suspect of playing to the level of their opponent, and with the Hoosiers still down, this is a very important game for Weber and his team to make a statement. The Hoosiers have already lost Maurice Creek for the season, and may be without former Champaign Central standout Verdell Jones III when they battle the Illini. The Illini enter play with Indiana at 14-6 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten action. Yes, folks, there is still time, but it must start with a big win over Indiana. No doubt about it.

The Illini football team enjoyed some success at the end of their 2010 season, as they defeated Baylor in the Texas Bowl, but it apparently has come with a price. Three of the top underclassmen have decided to forego their senior seasons and instead test the NFL waters. The first to announce was running back Mikel Leshoure, who set numerous records for the Illini, including the school record for rushing yards in a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Also going pro are linebacker Martez Wilson and defensive lineman Corey Liuget, both of whom enjoyed success with the Illini last season. In a way, you cannot blame them for making the jump, because with a possible lockout looming in the league, now might be the best time to go. Coach Ron Zook will undoubtedly miss these guys next season, and the list of incoming recruits is not as impressive as it has been in the past, but it could be worse. I believe that the bowl victory will carry some weight in that area, but it may be a couple of years until the benefits are seen. The coaching staff overhaul that was done before the season began looks even larger now, and hopefully they will be able to build on what they have started. With signing day less than 2 weeks away, the class of 2011 will be announced and the pieces will more than likely fall into place. What remains to be seen is if those pieces are large enough to fill the void left by the trio that could have returned. We shall see.