Comments for A LION EYE http://alioneye.com Opinions on Illini sports. And lots of 'em. ____________ Illini (a-LION-eye) -proper noun 1. A group of 6 Native American tribes in the Upper Mississippi Valley, consisting of the Kaskaskia, Peoria, Cahokia, Tamaroa, Moingwena, and Michigamea tribes. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:51:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Trust by Hoppy http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5807 Hoppy Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:51:48 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5807 BW looks and sounds flustered. By what he says and does I see a man who is drowning. His post game and sometimes even his pre game comments make me think he has no idea what he is doing anymore. . He is drowning...and has been his entire career. The only difference is he had a stellar group of life preservers for his first few years...They're gone and he is going under. Truth be told I think he knows it. BW looks and sounds flustered. By what he says and does I see a man who is drowning. His post game and sometimes even his pre game comments make me think he has no idea what he is doing anymore.
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He is drowning…and has been his entire career. The only difference is he had a stellar group of life preservers for his first few years…They’re gone and he is going under. Truth be told I think he knows it.

]]> Comment on Trust by Bryce http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5806 Bryce Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:40:26 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5806 We need Brad Stevens or Shaka Smart. This is still a top 35 job in the country. They would love to go from a mid-major to powerhouse. So spend the money. Those two coaches got to the Final Four with half the talent our team recruits. So switch it up Mike Thomas We need Brad Stevens or Shaka Smart. This is still a top 35 job in the country. They would love to go from a mid-major to powerhouse. So spend the money. Those two coaches got to the Final Four with half the talent our team recruits. So switch it up Mike Thomas

]]> Comment on Trust by Steve http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5805 Steve Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:14:51 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5805 I didn't watch this game, so I was hoping to get through all of this post-loss remorse sticking to my personal promise to wait untl the end of the season. See the whole body of work and all of that. (Sidebar: Kind of, sort of, makes me wonder if you stuck to your "No wings" promise, by the way. No word on that so far and inquiring minds want to know . . . ) . Anyway, you're making this hard for me when you write sensibly, as above. I think you just might have it, defining Bruce as a worrier. A paralyzed worrier. That is the difference, after all. All head coaches are worriers. That is what makes them overplan, overpreprare, and takes their team to the next level. But not if the plans can't be used because they require a decision. Yes, very interesting article, Robert. . Back in August, I said here that I felt that Bruce needed to play 9-11 guys, run, and show the wonderful recruits of 2013 and 2014 that Illinois was where they wanted to play basketball. If he couldn't do that (make our image to future recruits a very exciting one), he needed to go this year, to give the new guy time to woo the fabulous players coming down the pike. . Guess I'll stick to my guns. I didn’t watch this game, so I was hoping to get through all of this post-loss remorse sticking to my personal promise to wait untl the end of the season. See the whole body of work and all of that. (Sidebar: Kind of, sort of, makes me wonder if you stuck to your “No wings” promise, by the way. No word on that so far and inquiring minds want to know . . . )
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Anyway, you’re making this hard for me when you write sensibly, as above. I think you just might have it, defining Bruce as a worrier. A paralyzed worrier. That is the difference, after all. All head coaches are worriers. That is what makes them overplan, overpreprare, and takes their team to the next level. But not if the plans can’t be used because they require a decision. Yes, very interesting article, Robert.
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Back in August, I said here that I felt that Bruce needed to play 9-11 guys, run, and show the wonderful recruits of 2013 and 2014 that Illinois was where they wanted to play basketball. If he couldn’t do that (make our image to future recruits a very exciting one), he needed to go this year, to give the new guy time to woo the fabulous players coming down the pike.
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Guess I’ll stick to my guns.

]]> Comment on Trust by mattcoldagelli http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5804 mattcoldagelli Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:50:11 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5804 95grad, you're right. The Gonzaga game feels like it doesn't even fit into this season. 95grad, you’re right. The Gonzaga game feels like it doesn’t even fit into this season.

]]> Comment on Trust by 95grad http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5803 95grad Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:02:41 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5803 Still so odd that our best win as a team still feels like the Gonzaga win (OSU was all BP3 going off and MSU win was them shooting horrible and losing Green). And in that Gonzaga win we showed great hustle and energy. And we played like 10, maybe 11 guys. Does Weber even remember when he DID coach a game correctly? Try to mimic that game, not the awful Wisconsin loss we just had where our guys were tired - you know, 7 days before the NU loss! Still so odd that our best win as a team still feels like the Gonzaga win (OSU was all BP3 going off and MSU win was them shooting horrible and losing Green). And in that Gonzaga win we showed great hustle and energy. And we played like 10, maybe 11 guys. Does Weber even remember when he DID coach a game correctly? Try to mimic that game, not the awful Wisconsin loss we just had where our guys were tired – you know, 7 days before the NU loss!

]]> Comment on Trust by BexleyIllini http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5802 BexleyIllini Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:52:41 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5802 Weber needs to go. I really thought this program was on an upswing in 2009 with all the talented recruits coming in, yet we are still suffering horrible losses like this one which should never happen, and hovering around .500 in conference play. Players come and go, but the coaching staff has been basically the same. I'm confident that Weber-coached teams will consistently under-perform relative to their talent level. If we keep us this pattern, the talent level is going to drop just like football under Zook. I'm truly disappointed that BW couldn't get it done, because I do think he is a good man (just like Zook). I'm ready for a change. Weber needs to go. I really thought this program was on an upswing in 2009 with all the talented recruits coming in, yet we are still suffering horrible losses like this one which should never happen, and hovering around .500 in conference play. Players come and go, but the coaching staff has been basically the same. I’m confident that Weber-coached teams will consistently under-perform relative to their talent level. If we keep us this pattern, the talent level is going to drop just like football under Zook. I’m truly disappointed that BW couldn’t get it done, because I do think he is a good man (just like Zook). I’m ready for a change.

]]> Comment on Trust by illinindasouth http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5801 illinindasouth Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:48:04 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5801 Another great article and good perspective. I think coach Webers worrying shows itself in another way. We lost to NW by four points. NW beat us 4 to 0 in fastbreak points. They did this with 6 players and none of them are faster than Meyer Leonard!!!! Really. What is the point of having a 4 guard lineup if we dont get any easy baskets and can't push tempo. I believe it comes back to trust. Coach Weber doesn't even trust his guys to push the ball. And that is how you lose to Penn State and Northwestern in 2 consecutive seasons. Another great article and good perspective. I think coach Webers worrying shows itself in another way. We lost to NW by four points. NW beat us 4 to 0 in fastbreak points. They did this with 6 players and none of them are faster than Meyer Leonard!!!! Really. What is the point of having a 4 guard lineup if we dont get any easy baskets and can’t push tempo. I believe it comes back to trust. Coach Weber doesn’t even trust his guys to push the ball. And that is how you lose to Penn State and Northwestern in 2 consecutive seasons.

]]> Comment on Trust by Techslacker http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5800 Techslacker Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:58:20 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5800 I think this is a very simplistic version of what's going on. Look through almost any of the Paul Klee comments he makes and you'll find comments about the severe drop off of production from the starting line up. This is a guy who sits through practices as well as the games that we only get to watch. Do I think Weber doesn't trust his bench? Yes...but who wouldn't if they're not producing. The bigger problem to me regarding Weber is that he seems to have issues with developing anyone on the bench beyond them being energy type guys. This is a pretty typical approach when recruiting is tough but with Illinois' recent upswing in recruiting there needs to be a better approach to this. I've been a Weber supporter over the years because I do believe he brings a lot of great things to the table. While the '05 team showed many of those positives, it's actually a good view of the same thing being mentioned here. There was little depth used at the guard position and even when Illinois would be up by 20 to teams he many times still didn't play much in the way of subs. As I said I've been a supporter...not by blind faith but because I know that the grass isn't always greener. I knew going into this season that Weber would have a tough time getting fans to still buy into him and his system but felt that he still needed one more year to prove he had righted the ship. Some of the things he's said this season, things that I'm hearing, and what I'm seeing in the games show me a coach and his staff that aren't proving to be able to run this program as it should right now. We've seen some of this for awhile. I don't think that makes him a bad coach at all and in some of these areas he might learn and adapt down the road but Illinois shouldn't have to wait for that. It is time to move on. I think this is a very simplistic version of what’s going on.

Look through almost any of the Paul Klee comments he makes and you’ll find comments about the severe drop off of production from the starting line up. This is a guy who sits through practices as well as the games that we only get to watch.

Do I think Weber doesn’t trust his bench? Yes…but who wouldn’t if they’re not producing.

The bigger problem to me regarding Weber is that he seems to have issues with developing anyone on the bench beyond them being energy type guys. This is a pretty typical approach when recruiting is tough but with Illinois’ recent upswing in recruiting there needs to be a better approach to this.

I’ve been a Weber supporter over the years because I do believe he brings a lot of great things to the table. While the ’05 team showed many of those positives, it’s actually a good view of the same thing being mentioned here. There was little depth used at the guard position and even when Illinois would be up by 20 to teams he many times still didn’t play much in the way of subs.

As I said I’ve been a supporter…not by blind faith but because I know that the grass isn’t always greener. I knew going into this season that Weber would have a tough time getting fans to still buy into him and his system but felt that he still needed one more year to prove he had righted the ship. Some of the things he’s said this season, things that I’m hearing, and what I’m seeing in the games show me a coach and his staff that aren’t proving to be able to run this program as it should right now. We’ve seen some of this for awhile. I don’t think that makes him a bad coach at all and in some of these areas he might learn and adapt down the road but Illinois shouldn’t have to wait for that.

It is time to move on.

]]> Comment on Trust by Salt Life http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5799 Salt Life Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:10:35 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5799 Must say this was one of the worst coaching examples I have ever seen at Illinois. Robert is right. Weber doesn't trust his players, micromanages them and knowing or unknowingly handicaps and limits them. The utter irony is he doesn't trust his bench because they don't grasp how to defend against the Princeton offense yet Illini lost because the experienced juniors, grad student and sophomore didn't defend against NW's offense either. If you listen to the bench players they are very disillusioned, frustrated and worse fed up with sitting on their bench while their team loses and Weber is saying he needs to use his bench, but won't. Must say this was one of the worst coaching examples I have ever seen at Illinois. Robert is right. Weber doesn’t trust his players, micromanages them and knowing or unknowingly handicaps and limits them. The utter irony is he doesn’t trust his bench because they don’t grasp how to defend against the Princeton offense yet Illini lost because the experienced juniors, grad student and sophomore didn’t defend against NW’s offense either. If you listen to the bench players they are very disillusioned, frustrated and worse fed up with sitting on their bench while their team loses and Weber is saying he needs to use his bench, but won’t.

]]> Comment on Trust by Groundhogday http://alioneye.com/2012/02/06/trust/comment-page-1/#comment-5798 Groundhogday Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:59:42 +0000 http://alioneye.com/?p=3893#comment-5798 I haven't agreed with all of your posts on Weber, but this one is spot on. He doesn't trust his players. Therefore they start to doubt themselves. He doesn't trust his players. Therefore he doesn't play most of them. Leadership 101: confidence. I'm starting to think he had so much success early in his stint at Illinois because Dee and Deron were so overflowing with confidence that they could give some to Bruce. I haven’t agreed with all of your posts on Weber, but this one is spot on. He doesn’t trust his players. Therefore they start to doubt themselves. He doesn’t trust his players. Therefore he doesn’t play most of them. Leadership 101: confidence. I’m starting to think he had so much success early in his stint at Illinois because Dee and Deron were so overflowing with confidence that they could give some to Bruce.

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