Season in the Drink

To paraphrase the great John Feinstien in his critically acclaimed ode to Bob Knight and his 1985-86 Hoosiers ,Bruce weber will spend this summer, haunted by the year just past. The highs were so high and the lows were so low and he will be constantly reminded of what might have been as he prepares for his most crtical season as the head Coach of the University of Illinois basketball team. Our history as a program is haunted by the "what ifs" of our collective memory and the decade of the "aughts" is now seered in our psyche's forever more.

Added players such as Charlie V in 04-05 or Brandon Rush as a compliment to Augie and Dee would have begat at least one NCAA Championship and most assuredly changed our recruiting fortunes from 2006-2009. Perhaps the subtle quirks of fate that have been a part of our destiny since the dominant Whiz Kids gave up multiple championships to serve in World War II to the 1989 Fly'n Illini who failed to show up at their own coronation are our lot in a fatalistic existence that defines our reality and helps us prepare for a life filled with banality at best with brief moments of joy and respite.

"The Great Recession's" end, contrary to the economist's who contend it is over, will not ebb without job growth and our "basketball depression" will not abate for a hoops crazed Illini Nation until Weber and the boys banish the ghosts of the past several years by becoming relevant on the national stage and assume their rightful place in the college basketball world. I am tired of reading about great Illinois guards going elsewhere and the inevitable excuses and apologies offered by our coaches and fans. Illinois soil is fertile and rich with a bounty of talent that could stock multiple top 20 teams.

As I write this missive, we are a mere hours before selection hour and our fate is not yet sealed, but already written for all but the most ardent and optimistic among us. Call it the "Season in or on the Drink" and acknowledge with me that fatalism may be another word for realism. Our destiny as a basketball team, despite my protestations to the contrary, is not pre-determined and rests with the players, coaches and fans. The lessons learned in our moments of despair and failure teach us far more about our future than moments of triumph and euphoria. What have we learned and where will it take us is the question at hand. The answer remains to be seen as we struggle to regain our swager and we emerge from our desert wanderings in our search for the promised land.