Filed under: Illinois, Big Ten, Coaches
No. 18 Illinois (21-15, 10-8)In: Jereme Richmond (Fr.), Meyers Leonard (Fr.), Crandall Head (Fr.), Joseph Bertrand (RS Fr.), Kevin Berardini (RS Fr.)
Out: Dominique Keller, Alex Legion (transfer), Jeff Jordan (transfer)
In April of 2005, Bruce Weber was sitting pretty. After two seasons in Champaign, he had gone 63-9. He was coming off a national runner-up season in which he won national coach of the year from nearly every outlet that named one. After the following season, things weren't much worse. Sure, the Illini were bounced in the second round of the NCAA tournament, but the team still went 26-7 with an 11-5 Big Ten mark -- and after the losses they sustained, you couldn't expect much better.
Since then, however, Weber's stock has dropped about as far as a coach's can without losing his job. The Illini have missed the Big Dance twice in the past four seasons and not been out of the first round. Weber's yet to win as many games as he did in any of his first three seasons. And when this happens, we start to realize those magical first two years were achieved with talented, veteran teams that were recruited by Bill Self.
On the other hand, the 2009 first-round exit in the tourney could be blamed on Chester Frazier's injury. Weber has still won over 20 games in every season except the 2007-08 debacle -- where his prized recruit was basically stolen late in the process.
So which is it: did Weber simply ride Self's coattails to establish a resume as a big-time college coach, or has he been a victim of bad fortune the past few years?
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Source: http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/02/fanhouse-top-30-no-18-illinois/
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