2016-17 illinois
john beilein hot seat possibility

Illinois 85, Michigan 69 Comment Count

Ace

Kipper Nichols entered tonight's game with season totals of two field goals and two offensive rebounds in 18 minutes played.

Against Michigan, the Illinois freshman scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and pulled down five offensive boards, one more than the Wolverines had as a team. Center Maverick Morgan, who averages 9.4 points per game, had 12 at halftime. At that point, the Illini were 20-for-32 from the field and had rebounded half of their missed shots; Michigan was shooting 64% and losing by 13. The second half played out in similar fashion, with Illinois stretching the lead out to 20 on four separate occasions before easing up late.

I've found the questioning of John Beilein's job security to be somewhere between reactionary and absurd for much of this season. With the defense looking unfixable even after the offseason hire of Billy Donlon, however, it's time to at least bring up the discussion, one that will only grow louder if the team continues to resemble the one that sleepwalked through tonight's game. It's a shocking development for a coach who resurrected the program, made a national title game, and won his second Big Ten title only three years ago. Beilein's offensive prowess is unquestionable; his recruiting and defensive coaching may lead to a change sooner than anyone could've reasonably expected not so long ago.

Comments

Goldmember2

January 12th, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^

Our main issue is recuriting.  The two year run to the title game and elite 8 bore zero fruit in recuriting.  The kids we get are all projects.  They don't come in with the physical stature that makes them ready to play in conference.  Look at the Freshman playing signifianct minutes on the teams in conference.  They have a physicality that we lack.  Our guys are all thin.  If they where explosive players that could get to the cup I could live with it.  They could drive and kick, play physical defense and rebound.  We don't have the physical cability to compete night in and night out.  Our guys are below the rim players (except DJ).  Even when they manage to box someone out they still get out muscled for the rebound.  I've defended JB for years, pointing to injury and unexpected attrition as reasons for our poor performance.  Those where just excuses.  I've seen enough to tell me it's time for a parting of ways.  The style and vision he has for the program isn't working.  The steps he's taken to improve on our weak points aren't working.  Change is required to move Michigan into a position to be a consistent B1G MBB team.

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funkywolve

January 12th, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^

At the beginning of the season if someone would have said that Wagner and Wilson's stats at the halfway point of the season were:

Wagner:  11.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 60% FG  and 45% from 3

Wilson, 10.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 57% FG  and 43% from 3

most of us would have figured this team would be a legitimate threat to win the Big Ten.

Joined: 10/08/2008

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JTownMaize

January 12th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^

This team seems to be the only team in the nation without a contributing freshman. With 4-player class and given the two postseason runs within just five years, that is absolutely awful.



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WeimyWoodson

January 12th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^

He is stuck in his ways.  Duke didn't always used to be what we think of Duke.  Coach K came in and built that program, recruited at a higher level, and then realized the game was changing.  He didn't want to do 1 and dones to start with but the past several years he has evolved.  JB is the old man yelling to stay off his lawn.  

 

Its an absolute joke what recruiting has been at Michigan since the NC title game and Elite 8 the year after.

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