Iowa 64, UI 61: Just the facts
What happened: For a team with a future NBA draft pick in the paint, the following numbers are almost a basketball sin. Illinois tied a season-high by launching 26 three-pointers — and zero free throws. It's always been an offense that relies heavily on the jump shot; seven long years ago the UI shot 40 threes in the NCAA title game. And considering this is likely Meyers Leonard's final run at Illinois, this season might be the most frustrating of all.
What it means: Thursday's game — and this season — was the Weber era in a nutshell: Start with a flurry but struggle to the finish. A clean break is for the best. Weber can have a fresh start at a new place. He already is receiving preliminary interest from programs that have — or expect to have — job openings. And Mike Thomas can continue his research for a replacement. The AD watched from a suite and has received interest from coast-to-coast.
What the Illini said: "If I'm the coach at Illinois, I'll coach every day just like I always do. I think we're a bubble team for the NIT. We just have to see how things unfold. For the kids' sake, I would like something positive." — Bruce Weber
What the Hawkeyes said: "I don't want to go home. I want to keep playing. I don't want to take this uniform off." —senior Matt Gatens
What's next: A coaching change is imminent; it's a matter of when. Weber was expected to meet with Thomas late Thursday or Friday, according to sources. After nine seasons, Weber's tenure is in its twilight hours. There were tears in the coach's eyes as the team prepared to leave the locker room at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. On the other side of the room, Leonard said he wished his teammates good luck, another indication of big changes coming.
26 3-pointers and no free throws. Why sure that's Bruce Weber's famous offense. Stop getting the ball inside to Meyers Leonard who was shooting 80% in 1st half and keep taking fade away shots from outside, some from 40 feet away as time expires. Nine months Weber had to work with this team and they still can't play any decent semblance of an offense. Terrible, terrible, absolutely terrible coaching! Plus as other teams freshmen that were developed and brought along smartly are delivering now, like Iowas's Oglesby and White, Bruce Weber's freshmen have mostly gathered cobwebs on the bench all year and have seemingly been ignored in his strategy. Like Weber stated at his news conference weeks ago, he has failed to toughen and develop a team and has just been coaching merely not to lose, which usually only guarantees you WILL lose - lose virtually every stinking time.
"I think we're a bubble team for the NIT. We just have to see how things unfold" - Weber
The thing I'll always remember about Bruce "The Sideline Screamer" and his teams is the perimeter passing. It was never really effective - never created opportunities to finally go inside or open up a driving lane but it was truly mesmerizing in its monotony. He might even hold some kind of record in his time here for it, but, just like the reaction to the overwhelming majority of his seasons - who cares?
It is now 2012, seven years later and 2005 hasn't happened since, well 2005. Trouble since 2006 is Bruce hasn't had the luxury of Bill Self putting together and developing early on in their college careers an extremely well balanced, uber talented and well motivated squad and then just handing it over to Weber on a silver platter, to just point in the right direction. On his own Weber obviously for all the world to see, has not been able to assemble another single team even remotely like that one. On his own, Weber has been proven absolutely an abject failure and if he has been trying to pass himself off as a great coach and deserving of his massive $1.75M per year payheck, then he is also a fraud. A fraud and incompetent coach that has been found out finally by our new AD, who unlike Ron Guenther actually has held Weber accountable, responsible and will fire him Friday for extremely poor performance and failure to meet expectations.
The worst part is how horrible they've been shooting threes all year. Kenpom shows that Illinois ranks #308 in the country in 3-pt FG percentage, yet they keep hoisting up one bad 3 after another. Rarely do they drive and dish or even drive at all, which also explains the zero free throw attempts. It's been the same old story for the past 3 months, yet the coaches don't change a thing. That's why Bruce will be leaving along with his $3.9 million parting gift, courtesy of Ron Guenther.
NO free throw attempts, period. Just plain inexcusable. That tells me the players had no passion, no heart today because they know the writing's on the wall and Weber will likely be out tomorrow. As I said before, Weber lost this team after the 2nd Purdue game and should've been removed right then and there. The players looked like they were just going through the motions. Whoever the next coach is needs to light a fire under these players, and next season if I were the coach I'm starting Abrams, Henry, Shaw, Ibby, and Egwu. We need to find out if they can play in the Big Ten; except for Abrams - who I believe is good enough - we never found out if any of the others are good enough because they didn't get any extended minutes.
was watching shaka smarts kids play the other night and saw a team hustling for every possession..the "havoc" defense is straight up heart and hustle. the offense is smooth and up tempo..watching illinois play 2day,and the last couple months, is like watching paint dry!..i love the illini, but im glad its over. if we do make the NIT, it will be 1 and done..please bring shaka and some hustle back to champaign AD!....and im still trying to figure out who BP3 was throwing the. ball to 2day. he was awful..and good luck meyers, you will get ate up by every center in the NBA..on every play u come out holding a part of ur body and huffing and puffing!..your soft!!
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