Seth Davis: If you are making ** up about Brad Stevens to Illinois, I will find you

[PickWinnerAllDay]

It will not be pretty. Do not mush this too, Seth Davis. You already mushed Shaka to Illinois.

''Seth Davis says the Brad Stevens deal to Illinois is "Just about a done deal!"''

[PickWinnerAllDay]

This would be pretty sweet as an Illini fan... to get a guy who was supposedly only interested in Indiana or another top 2-3 program.

Shaka Smart saying no to Illinois might be the best thing to ever happen to them. Brad Stevens gets Illinois into the Indiana market which they have been whiffing on lately.

[19th Hole]

Illini Chin Drool..
Broken Record .....

You're better when begging for money.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Illini Chin Drool..
Broken Record .....

How dumb do all of the 'Illinois is an awful job' people look if Illinois gets the most sought after coach in America?

[baskets]

Brad Stevens to Duke after Coach K kills himself after losing to UNC 10 straight times in the next few years....


then Stevens will win 4 rings in a row with superior talent and superior coaching.


they will call him John Woodevens

[19th Hole]

How dumb do all of the 'Illinois is an awful job' people look if Illinois gets the most sought after coach in America?

You're at your best when begging for money

[PickWinnerAllDay]

You're at your best when begging for money

When have I ever begged for money? Shouldn't you be off castrating yourself for the good of society?

[19th Hole]

You know...For your one big payday. lmao

[Shaudius]

Shaka Smart saying no to Illinois might be the best thing to ever happen to them. Brad Stevens gets Illinois into the Indiana market which they have been whiffing on lately.

Illinois wouldn't need to poach Indiana if they could even get a fraction of the best Chicagoland talent to stay in the state. The fact is they cannot, and I don't see how Brad Stevens really changes that, why would you go to Illinois when you could go to a better program that's not that far from home at say, Indiana(now), UK(if you're that good), or go across the country to an elite program on the coast like UNC or Duke. Hell even my alma mater, Purdue, has recruited Chicagoland better than Illinois has.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Illinois wouldn't need to poach Indiana if they could even get a fraction of the best Chicagoland talent to stay in the state. The fact is they cannot, and I don't see how Brad Stevens really changes that, why would you go to Illinois when you could go to a better program that's not that far from home at say, Indiana(now), UK(if you're that good), or go across the country to an elite program on the coast like UNC or Duke. Hell even my alma mater, Purdue, has recruited Chicagoland better than Illinois has.

Brad Stevens obviously changes that.

Look at what Bill Self did at Illinois? He turned Illinois into an elite basketball team and I have no doubt a great head coach could do it again. Hell, it wasn't that long ago.

Weber failed us badly. That doesn't mean the Illinois basketball program is dead.

[Shaudius]

Brad Stevens obviously changes that.

What about Brad Stevens makes you think that will change? If he was so good at recruiting why hasn't he gotten a recruit over three stars on Rivals in the last 5 years(and only half of those guys are even from Indiana). Even when Calipari was at Memphis he was getting great raw talent. Do you think that Brad Steven's name + Illinois will get him guys who have grown up living IU basketball and/or super close to UK? Or for that matter who have an equally good school closer to them in Purdue with a comparable coach in Matt Painter.

Seriously why would a good Indiana kid pick Illinois over IU, Purdue, UK, or one of the other elite schools if they could. I think you are seriously overestimating the cachet of Brad Stevens, otherwise why wouldn't he have been getting the great Indiana talent when he was at Butler?

[PickWinnerAllDay]

What about Brad Stevens makes you think that will change? If he was so good at recruiting why hasn't he gotten a recruit over three stars on Rivals in the last 5 years(and only half of those guys are even from Indiana). Even when Calipari was at Memphis he was getting great raw talent. Do you think that Brad Steven's name + Illinois will get him guys who have grown up living IU basketball and/or super close to UK? Or for that matter who have an equally good school closer to them in Purdue with a comparable coach in Matt Painter.

I look at it a different way. If Brad Stevens can go to back to back final fours with 3 star talent, imagine what he can do at Illinois when 4 star talent is the worst case scenario?

[PickWinnerAllDay]

8 years 21 million = very close to being a done deal from the source I just heard. This better not be another rooster tease.

[Shaudius]

I look at it a different way. If Brad Stevens can go to back to back final fours with 3 star talent, imagine what he can do at Illinois when 4 star talent is the worst case scenario?

His name is Shelvin Mack, he's playing in the NBA right now, he's not from Indiana and he was a 4 star recruit(I was wrong about that one, he's his one four star recruit all the guys from Indiana were 3 or less).

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Shaudius,

I don't know what will happen with Stevens, but I can tell you that he is the most sought after coach in the nation and I think for very good reason.