The Winter of our Discontent

As I stare out my office window I am struck by the bleakness of a January day, devoid of sunlight and deprived of the usual warmth associated with the brilliant orange glow that has resided inside Assembly Hall. The State owes the University of Illinois over $400,000,000.00 dollars, we’re a running joke in the college football world, and now our bright orange security blanket otherwise known as Illinois basketball is starting to smell. Was the football season and its wretched results coupled with the amateurish attempts by Heir Guenther to fix the mess of his own making, not enough to punish us for some long forgotten sins that we committed in a past life?

Bruce Weber seems like a fine man and competent basketball coach at worst, but judging from the tortured look on his face and the seemingly uncontrollable outbursts on the sideline, I would say that something is not right in the State of Denmark. In the “chicken and the egg” world of college basketball, it was assumed that good and great players begat great coaching. I am not buying the argument that the recruiting misses that have morphed into sophomore and senior classes without production is an excuse for the inconsistencies we have witnessed of late. Balanced classes have little to do with winning as long as you have talent and a hint of experience. Bruce has had almost three years to reach and teach his five juniors and mold them into a cohesive complement to his highly ranked freshmen class.

Thus a year that started with great anticipation and promise, has devolved to a point where there are far more questions than answers. I have defended Bruce as we have all eagerly anticipated the current uptick in recruiting and the resulting return to a consistent top 20 form. Something is clearly amiss and altered under the “giant mushroom” that is the iconic symbol of Illinois basketball. Bill Carmody and Matt Painter each made second half adjustments that worked without a meaningful counter from the Illini and its leader. Northwestern in particular determined that only McCamey could beat them and in the end, Carmody was right.

We are floundering and adrift without passion or purpose and only leadership and mental toughness can salvage a season on the brink. Mike Davis may be the only player who is deserving of a lower grade than the coaching staff at this point in the season. Is the pressure getting to Bruce and is he comfortable in the glare of the spotlight that comes with the territory at this level of head coaching? We know he can coach at a high level under the right circumstances; now he must search for and find the right answers or face and increasingly frustrated Illini Nation which has come to expect excellence from its marquee winter sport.