College basketball coaching carousel

I can't imagine putting Illinois into the top 20. Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana and Purdue are usually always going to be better than you, unless you cheat. Perhaps Michigan, too. You're usually fighting to be the best of the second tier with Iowa and Minnesota. It's not like you have kids in the biggest market in the state dreaming of coming to your old gym in the cornfields. With the exception of the Bill Self years (and a few afterburners provided by his recruits), Illinois is generally second-division.

Given the money some of the mid-majors are putting up, and the job security, it makes much more sense to be king of the hill at Gonzaga, Butler or VCU than it does to leave for a second-tier program in a first-tier conference.

I'm sure Barry Collier, who floundered at Nebraska after success at Butler, and Todd Lickliter, toiling as a mid-major assistant after floundering at Iowa after his success at Butler, tell Brad Stevens that every day.

 

Top-Tier: Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Indiana
Next level down: Syracuse, Georgetown, Maryland, Louisville, Michigan State, Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, Purdue.

I think some of the others just don't have the track record of multiple coaches having success or they are mostly football schools (Ohio State). Nothing wrong with the program, but they aren't what I'd call "basketball schools" where the team IS the identity of the school.

And FWIW Illinois is tied for 15th with Georgetown and Houston for Final Four appearances.

 

You're forgetting Connecticut. I'd say Washington and Ohio State belong on that list above Maryland, at least.

 

In no particular order...

Temple, UNC, Duke, Maryland, Kansas, Mizzou, Syracuse, Marquette, Gtown, Louisville, UConn, Pitt, Villanova, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue, Arizona, UCLA, Kentucky, and Florida. And that's leaving out a couple mid majors that I would find more attractive than Illinois.

I wouldn't be surprised if a coach turned down Illinois for any of the programs listed above, 22 of them.

 

I've found it odd that Donovan couldn't sustain Florida's dominance after the back-to-back titles. Yeah, a bunch of guys left, but he recruited (seemingly) well and let's remember- the SEC was absolutely rancid for a couple years between Florida's back-to-back titles and Calipari's entrance. Do "regular season champ LSU" and "tournament champ Georgia" ring bells?

He's at least got them back to where they were between 2000 and 06-07: A highly talented outfit that's still second banana and can't stop derping up every now and then. That's who they are for the foreseeable future. There won't be any more titles.

That said, he's a great guy and one of the best coaches in college basketball. I'd maybe put him over Izzo, even.

 

The only ones on that list I think are really debatable are Marquette, Maryland and Wisconsin. I'm not saying I disagree, just that I think those are really open for discussion. I might add Washington to that list, though.

 

Did you see where I said, "It's hard to argue with the results." He's an amazing recruiter. He just doesn't come across as outgoing, at least not in the way a guy like Billy D does.

 

I misinterpreted your post. And you're right.

 

Washington? Temple?

 

It's tough to recruit when you have 4-5 sophomore starters who just won a title and all are talking about coming back. Top recruits don't want to wait two years to start.

 

Add Texas, Oregon (Nike money), Gonzaga, maaaaaybe Cincy

 

I think the closer you are to Illinois, the less you think they're a consistent top 20 team. I'm in the Bob Cook camp, I don't consider the Illini to be a consistent top 20 team at all.

That said, other than Northwestern, Penn State and Nebraska, all of the Big Ten teams have the capability to be top 20 programs at any one moment. Even any of those teams -- including Illinois -- have the capability to be an elite team at any one moment, as the Illini were in 2005.