Despite my love for all things Coach K (Duke) and the amazing color scheme worn by the greatest player of all time (light baby blue and white of North Carolina), I have always identified the Illini as my favorite college basketball team. From the days of first starting to watch college basketball when the '89 team with Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, and Marcus Liberty made their march madness run, to the magnificently under-achieving Kiwane Garris era. TThen there was Lon Kruger and the Peoria boys, plus the arrival and departure of Bill Self. Bruce Weber was a favorite of mine, and you can't forget his teams' magical run through and over the Big Ten. Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Luther Head, james Augustine...I even loved the Brian Randle/Demetri McCamey teams. Bur since Webber was relieved of his duties, it's the John Croce tenure that has me and other fans completely disapointed. Underwelmed is a word most commonly used. This upcoming season won't change that. The team returns leading scorer Rayvonte Rice, but loses team captain senior Tracy Abrams to a knee injury. Also back are Kendrick Nunn and big man Nnanna Egwu. The rest of the roster is filled with a team wh needs to step up and provie itself, featuring only 3 talents over 6'9 and the rest right around the 6'3 height range. Croce was hoping to change all of that with heavily recruitment of the state of Illinois and Chicago. Cliff Alexander would have changed that. The Cliff Alexander decision to go to Kansas hurt...alot. Alexander would have changed the current culture of hoops for Croce. Some people have said the same about Jalen Brunson, the Stevenson guard who just committed to Villanova. Another big time Illinios kid Croce went after and lost. In turn, Croce has been able to load his roster with mid-level kids from the state, and even snag some of the area's elite (6'7 DJ Williams, 6'4 Aaron Jordan, and 6'4 point Jalen Coleman). The problem is his team is built more for battling smaller conference teams, and lacks the size and talent tit takes to compete in th Big Ten. In fact my alma mater Marian University features more of a height advantage than the Illini (minus the 3 guys they have over 6'10). So how do we fix things? How can we bring some excitement to this program? Well here's a few suggestions:
Let's start big, shall we? There are a few high school seniors still looking for schools that could really help this program. Check out Diamond Stone, a 6'10 center from Milwaukee ranked 4th in the HS 150. Caleb Swanigan is ranked 8th, a 6'8 big forward from Fort Wayne, Ind. Isiah Briscoe is a 6'3 point guard from Union, NJ currently ranked #13th would be an exciting signing, as would PJ Dozier, a 6'6 swingman from Philly (ranked #21). Melvin Frazier is an excited 6'7 game-changer from Louisiana (#87), as is Carlton Bragg, a 6'9 forward in Cleveland, a former stomping ground of Croce (ranked #18). Also close to home is the 6'5 Davon Dilliard from Gary, Indiana (ranked #94).
There's also a look into the future...the class of 2016. The potenial in kids like Ben Coupet (a 6'7 forward from Simeon) and Barrett Benson (6'9 Hinsdale) is hard to miss. Getting those two players to stay in state would be a good move, as would be pursuit of Whiteny Young's Skyler Nash, a 6'5 guard who's heavily on Wisconsin's wishlist.
Chicago has two huge unsigned talents that will generate lots of attention this season in Myles Carter and Marcus LoVett. Both seniors have tremendous upsides. Carter is a 6'8 power forward playing for Catholic league powerhouse St. Rita (let's go Mustangs!) and features a ton of athletic talent that needs a small does of pushing in the right direction. LoVett...he's been at the center of the Chicago basketball universe recently. There are some who think he's the best point guard in Illinois and even better than Brunson (definitely not better than Brunson). A solid 6'0 tough as nails point guard with handles and passing skills that get crowds excited often, LoVett will get to show off his talents at Morgan Park this year for Nick Irvin. LoVett is the classic over-skilled underdog and if he really is as god as he and Irvin think he is, well he could bring that excitement to Champaign that the Illini has been missing for years.
