Came across an interesting article over at Yahoo News this morning about my alma mater’s basketball team (the University of Illinois Fighting Illini). Since Yahoo doesn’t keep news articles for very long, I’ll pull out a few of the better blurbs.
As the top-ranked Illini head to Northwestern today looking for a school-record 18th straight victory to start the season, it’s clear they’re receiving ample appreciation for their play.
(The “Sports Illustrated” article noted how Weber’s “undefeated Illini have been in March form since early December).
Yet Weber senses a burgeoning movement against his Illini – as if the college basketball world can’t wait for their first loss to occur.
“I just think it’s a little bit a lack of respect for the Big Ten,” Weber said. “Because they (ESPN) have all said the Big Ten’s no good, even though we are (No.) 2 or 3 in the RPI as a league. They want something to back up their statement, a ‘We told you so.’”
What’s his evidence?
Though he didn’t cite it specifically, Weber must have noticed four Associated Press voters defecting from the Illinois camp this week and spreading their first-place votes between Kansas and North Carolina.
And remember those seven ESPN.com “experts?” Only one of them picked Illinois to win it all. Two of them didn’t even include the Illini in their projected Final Four
Granted, predictions are a very inexact science as those who read Gregg Easterbrook’s Tuesday Morning Quarterback column over at nfl.com are well aware of, so I won’t fault ESPN too much for that. However, if Illinois were in the ACC, we’d be hearing more about their near-invincibility, and their prainses would be widely sung from the halls of SportsCenter.
I wrote Dick Vitale off as a lost cause a long time ago. If the team’s not in the ACC, and their coach’s name doesn’t rhyme with “so shiv me,” he’s useless. Aside from a comment he made after Illinois knocked off Wake Forest, the #1 team in the nation hasn’t merited headline mention by him, last time I checked espn.com.
And, someone on ESPN’s research team needs a good talking to:
Oh, one final indignity? During Tuesday’s Ohio State-Wisconsin game, ESPN threw up a graphic of the nation’s five best second-year coaches.
North Carolina’s Roy Williams made the list. So did Kansas’ Bill Self.
Weber? Not so fast.
After Bill Self dumped Illinois two years ago (just as we were on the verge of greatness), I’d love nothing more than to see him get squashed like a bug by Illinois. I don’t want the Illini to just win. I want to see Self have to walk off the floor in St. Louis, or whereever we end up meeting like a puppy with his tail between his legs because the guys he recruited stuck with Illinois, played their guts out, and showed why they’re #1.
