Bruce Weber Can't Hide Anymore

I have bad news for Bruce Weber and the rest of the Illinois basketball program. Now that Illinois' football season has come to an end in a most disturbing fashion, they're no longer going to distract us all from what's going on with the basketball team.

More specifically that the Illini aren't very good this season.

The Illini will open their Big Ten schedule tonight when they take on the defending conference champion Ohio State Buckeyes at Assembly Hall. Their current record of 8-5 is Illinois' worst non-conference start since 1997-98 when they also started the season 8-5.

I've been watching this team as much as possible thus far in the season, but a lot of the games aren't being shown here in Chicago either because they aren't televised or the evil Big Ten Network is carrying them. I have to be honest though, the fact that I haven't been able to watch the Illini as much as I'd like to is a blessing in disguise.

It's hard to watch this team play. While they're still pretty tough on defense, the Illini are doing everything in their power to set offensive basketball back 30-40 years. They're horrible.

Just look at some of these numbers. They're dead last in the Big Ten from behind the three-point line, shooting a lovely 28.8%. As if that wasn't bad enough, they're also the worst team in the conference from the free throw line where they're shooting 59.1%.

So to recap, they can't shoot. At all.

It's something Bruce Weber is trying to deal with.

"We're not an offensive juggernaut," Weber said. "We all know that. You have to accept what you are, play within your limits and maximize your strengths—the intensity of your defense and your rebounding.

"We didn't play with the emotion, the intensity [against Tennessee State]. We let our lack of offense [against 2-3, 3-2 and match-up zones] affect our defense. They came out and scored six of the first seven times they had the ball in the second half. We tried to kick it in and play hard down the stretch—we had our chances and didn't take advantage of them."

That Tennessee State game? If you don't know what coach Weber is talking about he's referring to the Illini's last game. The one they lost to Tennessee State at home. Yes, that's right, I said the Illini lost to Tennessee State. At home.

It wasn't the first time the Illini lost at home this season either, something that for years seemed impossible, especially against a non-conference opponent. A few weeks ago they lost to Miami of Ohio in Champaign as well, and they also lost to Arizona earlier this season at the United Center.

It's not very often that the Big Ten conference schedule is just starting and the Illini have already knocked themselves out of the NCAA tournament. Hell, at the rate they're going, they may not even get an NIT berth. The way I figure, with the two losses to Tennessee State and Miami, the Illini are going to have to win at least 19 or 20 games to get any consideration from the tournament selection committee.

That would mean they would have to go at least 11-9 in the conference this season, and I just don't see that happening. The way I figure, the games against Michigan State, Indiana, Ohio State, and Wisconsin are all going to be losses. So there's 0-8 right there. That would mean they'd have to go 11-1 against everybody else in the conference, and it's just not going to happen.

So what is going to happen?

I see the Illini going about 8-12 in conference play to finish the season with a 16-15 record, which to me is just not acceptable. I don't think it's acceptable for the Illinois athletic department either, because after all, Illinois is a basketball school. When the football team performs like it did this season it's a wonderful bonus to fall semester, but life in Champaign revolves around the spring semester and it's men's basketball team.

Though his time as the head coach as been overwhelmingly successful, including a trip to the Final Four and championship game against North Carolina a few years ago, Bruce Weber still hasn't established a name for himself in Champaign. When Weber led the Illini to the Final Four, he did so with a team consisting mostly of players brought to the program by Bill Self.

In the last few years which the roster has been made up of players Weber brought in, this team has taken a step backwards. It's not fun to see players like Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, and Jon Scheyer routinely snub the Illini. I mean, Scheyer's high school coach is Bruce Weber's brother and the Illini still couldn't get him.

If the Illini season finishes the way I see it happening, and there isn't a dramatic improvement next season, it's going to be time for Bruce Weber to move on. I look around the rest of the conference and see Tom Izzo at Michigan State and Bo Ryan at Wisconsin maintaining the same strong program they always have. Then I see Thad Matta and Kelvin Sampson bringing Ohio State and Indiana back to the forefront of the conference as well. Meanwhile the Illini continue to regress, and the blame can't be placed anywhere other than the feet of Bruce Weber.

Foul Balls

Another Injury For The Blackhawks - I said last week that I wanted to start covering the Blackhawks more around here, but this isn't the type of thing I wanted to write about.

It looks like the Hawks are probably going to have to play without their young stud Jonathan Toews for a little while.

Toews, the Hawks' third-leading scorer with 15 goals and 17 assists, was to return Wednesday to Chicago to have an MRI on his left knee after the center injured his MCL during the first period Tuesday.

"I was chasing the puck around in a couple of different directions … and I just tried to change directions too quickly. My leg gave in a little bit," Toews said. "I just have to be optimistic about my situation and do what I can to get back as soon as I can."

Preliminary reports from doctors in Los Angeles say Toews will probably miss 2-4 weeks, but depending on the results of yesterday's MRI, and he may be out even longer. The Hawks have already placed him on the injured list, where he'll have plenty of company, as he joins seven of his teammates.

Matt Millen Is Still An Idiot - In case you didn't hear, the Detroit Lions fired Mike Martz as their offensive coordinator yesterday. Why? Because Matt Millen is an idiot, that's why.

Martz is basically just the fall guy for the Lions collapse down the stretch. After starting the season 6-2, the Lions finished the season up with a 7-9 record. In Millen's eyes, it's all Martz's fault.

Nevermind the fact this is the same Lions team that's been lucky to win 3 games a year the last few seasons. Don't worry about the fact that they only reason they even won 7 games this year was because of their offense. Pay no attention to the fact that the Lions were ranked 31st in the NFL in total defense this season. No, it's all Mike Martz's fault.

Not that I'm really upset, mind you. I have no problem with the Lions doing this because they're a division rival. I'm just continually perplexed by how Millen keeps his job.

Owen Schmitt Is A Beer Truck - I have to say, I was shocked that West Virginia beat Oklahoma last night in the Fiesta Bowl. I figured that with Rich Rodriguez leaving the program to go to Michigan that the Mountaineers would have no shot against a team I considered to be one of the best in the country.

My favorite play of the game, and also my favorite call of the game, came courtesy of this play.



Couches are burning in Morgantown this morning!