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Memo to Big 10 commissioner Jim Delaney, all Big 10 coaches not named Tom Izzo, the cheerleaders on the Big 10 Network and flag-waving fans who still believe the conference ranks any better than fifth or sixth among the elite basketball leagues in the nation:
Michigan State is in a class by itself. All the rest of you need help, lots of it.
Let's be objective. That's a word you don't often hear when the subject of the Big 10 vs. Big East or ACC or Big 12 or Pac-10 or SEC comes up for discussion. But think for a minute.
After observing this weekend's NCAA tournament games, do you think there is a player, any player, on the Illinois roster who could break into the starting lineup at Connecticut, North Carolina, Villanova, Pittsburgh or Louisville?
For that matter, do you think there is a single player in the Big 10, with the possible exceptions of Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas and 6-10 Goran Suton, who could earn a starting spot on any of those teams?
And would you put Connecticut's Kemba Walker on the bench to make room for Lucas?
Look around the Big 10. Do you see any big, strong, physical, athletic, board-banging power forwards or centers who compare to the bruisers you saw on television this weekend?
Look around the state of Illinois. Most of the high school players named to the all-state teams are guards. There isn't a single 6-9, 250-pounder who reminds you of the head hunters you saw this weekend.
At Illinois, coach Bruce Weber has plenty of guards. But he still is looking for a true point guard. Current starters Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis and his tallest recruits of the future, Tyler Griffey of Ballwin, Mo., Waukegan's Jereme Richmond and Robinson's Meyers Leonard, hardly resemble Louisville's Terrence Williams, Pittsburgh's Dejuan Blair and Sam Young, Connecticut's Jeff Adrien and Villanova's Dante Cunningham.
Be honest. What you witnessed in Villanova/Pittsburgh and Connecticut/Missouri was unlike anything you saw during the Big 10 season in Champaign or Madison or West Lafayette. In fact, I had to check the roster to be sure those were the same Missouri players who lost to Illinois in December in St. Louis.
What transpired this season in the Big 10 and during the NCAA tournament could and should signal a wholesale change in the Big 10's recruiting philosophy, who they recruit and where they recruit.
This is the game the Big 10 used to play--physical, brutal, black-and-white. Now it desperately needs to improve its talent level and return to the way it was--with a big dose of athleticism for good measure--or it will continue to watch the Big East from a soft couch in late March and early April.
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Taylor,
In the 60's, 70's and 80's the state of Illinois produced between 15 to 20 major recruits every year. Only a few years ago Illinois was still producing between 8 to 10 elite players a season. Many of these kids found themselves playing in the Big Ten. Today, Illinois produces at best 2 to 3 elite players a year. All of this happening when the popularity of the game is at an all time high. Why is this? Are the numbers lower in Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa as well?
Illinois high school basketball is not what it use to be. The state tournament isn't special anymore. The crowds have disappeared from it and the talent pool is drying up. Sorry to say I don't see this trend changing any time soon. As a result Big Ten basketball will continue to slide south.
Your argument about size cannot be argued. This leads to expanded recruiting efforts, I agree.
The Big 10 may not have had a lot of the elite teams in the nation. That opinion can be agreed with. What cannot be agreed with is that the Big 10 wasn't very good. At least one, Sagarin, computer wizard ranks the conferences this way (through yesterday's results):
1. Big 10
2. Big 12
3. Big East
4. Pac 10
5. ACC
6. SEC
From top to bottom the Big 10 was very good. Good to excellent big men are not a dime a dozen. Suton - Bosnia, Thabeet - Tanzania, for example. Blair and Blake are America born and raised. My
Another negitive artical about Illinois. The Big Ten is down a little yet still is the third best conference behind the Big East and ACC. Also like Tom Lemming said the Big Ten admission standard are higher that most other schools. The next two or three Illini classes are good. Richmond is as good as anyone from the state in the last five years.
The Big Ten was strong this year, all you have to look at was pre-conference play. I don't think there's another conference that prepares for each other like the Big Ten does. As far as the Big East goes, you can keep it, to me it mirrors the NBA. Unfortunately Frazier got hurt, and Purdue didn't play well against UConn, or the conference would have looked a lot better this year. You know Wisconsin will be back, and the furture looks bright for the Illini. Last time I checked the Big East, and the Big Ten had 7 teams in the big dance. I believe there were more than two or three Illinois players in the Sweet 16; Mizzu, Gonzaga, UNC, Duke, KU (2). Let's not forget, and you eluded to it in a past article, players have to be academically eligible to get into the Big Ten schools. The only thing missing was the "ACC lovin'" Billy Pack on CBS, what would that poor guy have had to talk about this year with the poor showing by the ACC?
The Big Ten to me was pretty good this year. And Richmond could play point guard at Illinois easily. He is not an inside powerhouse so put him at the position he is best. Taylor I do agree the overall talent is not up to the other major conferences as a whole. Illinois needs to recruit guards in state and go out of state to get big men. Also Illinois made a recruiting mistake not trying to get on Chris Colvin earlier in the process. He was the point guard they could have used. Richardson,Paul,Head,and Bertrand are all two guards. What was Weber thinking?
THE OLD DAYS OF ONE GUY RUNNING A TEAM IS OVER, YEA YOU
MAY WANT A PURE POINT GUARD BUT IT ISN'T NECCESSARY, YOU
WANT FIVE GUYS WHO CAN HANDLE THE BALL, ESPECIALLY IN A
MOTION OFFENSE, THAT'S WHY BRUCE WEBER IS RECRUITING
BETTER ATHLETES, PAUL, RICHMOND, ABRAMS, HEAD, BERTRAND,
CAN ALL HANDLE THE BALL VERY WELL, AND WITH THE GUYS
ALREADY ON THE TEAM LIKE JORDAN, MCCAMEY, LEGION, ILLINOIS
WILL BE IN THE HUNT, TO COMMENT ON WHICH PLAYER'S FROM
ILLINOIS COULD PLAY IN THE FINAL FOUR, LEGION, MCCAMEY
JORDAN AND ALL THE GUYS COMING IN WILL PLAY IN THE FINAL
FOUR, JUST BE PATIENT AND WATCH IT HAPPEN!
MR. TISDALE IS IN THE WEIGHT ROOM AS WE SPEAK!
STAN SIMPSON IS IN THE ROOM WITH HIM, AND BILL COLE WILL
PLAY NEXT YEAR FOR THE FIGHTING ILLINI!
Taylor,
Thanks for another great article bashing Illinois basketball. You are absolutely correct when you say the Big10 must get tougher, like the old days. However, look around the country and you will see there are not that many tough kids out there. Yeah you named Blair, Adrien, and Williams but how many more of these kids are out there, not many. Even if a kid has the body, he don't have the mentality most of the time. They are definitely a commodity in this day and age. Oh yeah, and one kid you can add to that list with Blair and company may be the big boy from Perdue, JaJuan Johnson. I know his body is not there yet but give him a year or 2 in the weight room and he will be tough. I say all that to say this, the Big10 is on the rise with a lot of their talent being sophomores this year. This is coming from an ACC fan, so take it as you may.