By the end of the day on October 11, Bruce Weber, the nation’s winningest coach during his four years at Illinois, found his bandwagon had gone from roomy to full capacity. With the verbal commitments of class of 2008 Simeon (via Leo Catholic) forward Stan Simpson, and 2009 guards D.J. Richardson of Peoria Central, Sterling’s Joseph Bertrand, and Warren Township’s Brandon Paul, suddenly, in one twenty-four hour period, Weber was a good coach again, a coach worth supporting.
Illinois is a state that loves its basketball and as might be expected the fans of its state university’s program can be a passionate, hard to please group. But given the kind of illogic and unbalanced criticism they’ve been leveling at Weber the past year and a half, especially as it pertains to his stateside recruiting, there is also a significant strain of uninformed dilettantism in their ranks.
The Weber malcontents, the ones bemoaning everything from the defection of assistant coach Tracy Webster to Kentucky to 2008 Juco target Mario Little’s verbal to Kansas, have been too busy harping to develop an even distant relationship to the facts. Even before the haul of October 11th Weber’s recruiting of Illinois, far from a liability, has been one of the numerous strengths of his tenure. While it is true not every single elite player in the state of Illinois has signed with Weber, it is also true that no coach, even the bandwagon’s favorite son, Bill Self, was up to that task.
An instructive case in point is to look at the Illinois 2002 senior class, the one from which Self plucked Dee Brown, James Augustine, and Aaron Spears. Obviously, you can’t fault Self for Brown and Augustine. Spears, however, lasted only two inconsequential years at Illinois before he ran into behavioral problems, transferred to St. John’s and did little more to distinguish himself. Two for three ain’t too shabby some might argue.
But, there were some other big names from that Illinois schoolboy class that Self didn’t land. Sean Dockery, Andre Igoudala, Alando Tucker register at all? Duke, Arizona, and Wisconsin manage to steal those three across the stateline but Self’s reputation as an above reproach Illinois recruiter goes unchallenged? Self’s last class at Illinois let players like Shannon Brown and Dameon Mason get away.
Of course, to hang any coach at Illinois, be it Self, Weber, or anyone else, for failing to lock down every great player in a state that produces several dozen each year is ignorant justice indeed. The state of Illinois is a many fathomed feeding ground for more than a few top twenty programs and there is plenty of talent to go around. The challenge, indeed the best measure of Weber’s recruiting of the state is not his ability to scoop up every four and five star homeboy, but to identify and lure the kids who are the best fit for the kind of program and basketball he values.
And looking at his Illinois draws from the last few classes and the one incoming, Weber is doing commendable and discerning work stateside. From the 2005 pool he got an under-the-radar Jamar Smith who, before his problems last season as a sophomore, was one of the best shooters and promising freshman in the nation.
Julian Wright, Bobby Frasor, and Jerel McNeal were considered the jewels of the 2005 crop and went elsewhere. McNeal has flourished in Marquette’s system and might’ve done well in Champaign. But Weber recruited one 2-guard from that class. Smith was his choice and if he redeems himself, will be a more than significant player. Meanwhile Julian Wright jumped to the NBA after two inconsistent seasons at Kansas and Bobby Frasor is mired on the bench in Chapel Hill.
In 2006 Weber offered the top two ranked Illinois players, Sherron Collins and Jon Scheyer, and got neither. Both would’ve been nice gets for Weber, but based on their freshman campaigns are, belying their five star rankings, not program altering recruits. Another notable from that class has been Marshall public leaguer Patrick Beverley who benefited from a shallow roster at Arkansas and put up some gaudy numbers that fool many into thinking he would’ve been some kind of Big Ten wunderkind.
All three are nice ballplayers, but to pillory Weber for losing them or not targeting them (Beverley) exaggerates their influence. Brian Carlwell, Weber’s lone Illinoian from 2006, was the third ranked player in the state. He needs minutes and big developmental strides , but given Weber’s prowess with big men it isn’t hard to imagine him rounding into a Shaun Pruitt type, All Big Ten player by the time he leaves Champaign. Certainly the assertion that any two of Collins, Scheyer, or Beverley would’ve taken Illinois further last season than the 23-12, NCAA bid is dubious.
Weber’s 2007 Illinois contingent of Demetri McCamey (3rd ranked in state), Mike Tisdale (7), and Bill Cole (13) while not inclusive of Derrick Rose (1) is primed to be the kind of bedrock class that sets up the Illini for Big Ten title contention and deep NCAA runs in two to three years. All three will be steady risers who will give Weber production long past Rose and Eric Gordon’s one year college stints.
Adding his October 11th windfall Weber has four more of Illinois’ very best from 2008 and 2009 and an official pattern of strong instate recruiting. The early, but solid verbal of the state’s best prospect from 2010, Waukegan’s (via North Shore Country Day) Jereme Richmond is further proof. And for those rightfully critical of the rush for early verbals by certain programs, the Richmond commitment was not seedy or coercive. The kid has had Fighting Illini basketball on the brain long before the recruiting process even started.
So while the fools rush in to embrace Weber as back from irrelevance as a recruiter of Illinois, those who know better nod their heads wearily. Of course, the ultimate proof will come this year and beyond when we see what all the programs that benefited from Weber’s alleged incompetence as as instate recruiter - Kansas, Memphis, Arkansas, Duke, and Oregon - do with their Illinois talent. Something says Weber and the Illinois boys he’s convinced to join him will not suffer the comparison.
What about Joseph Bertrand?
I’m 100% behind Bruce and have never wavered on him, but this author sure does conveniently leave out a lot of the story - both hits (e.g., Alexander) and misses (the misses of 2007 and 2008 compiled a painfully long list).
In this age of information, failure is magnified to be sure, and what really needs to be said is that each young man has a different need, personality and ego type. Bruce is not for all of them - his personality, or his style of play/coaching. This is not to belittle a great coach, but this is to say that while Illinois has much to offer (e.g., we’re on national television as much or more than most), what it comes down to is the right fit - again, the kids’ ego and personality must fit the coach, team, system and atmosphere/location of the college. This might seem like an obvious observation, but somehow so many fans don’t wanna hear it. Just because we’re Illinois and had a great run in 2004-5 doesn’t mean we SHOULD immediately get all of Illinois’ great players.
We’ll get our share, and they’ll come in bunches, and then recruting success will again likely wane - that is the way it has been over the last 30 years I’ve been watching the Illini, and it will continue to be that way. We are not the only school who has their recruiting droughts - just ask Kentucky and Duke. They’ll be back, and so will our Illini….
Left by kohut on November 2nd, 2007