The Return of the Illini...

      A long time ago in a town far far way, The Fighting Illini and Lou Henson blasted their way into the Final Four with the likes of Nick Anderson, Kendall Gil and Steven Barto. I was much to young to appreciate sports in general let alone college basketball then. Fast forward to Lon Kruger's Illinois Basketball teams. Led by Sergio McClain, Frank Williams, Marcus Griffen and the maniac Lucas Johnson. The buzz created by Kruger landing a couple of McDonald's All-Americans peaked my interest in Illinois Basketball and the NCAA. I've been hooked ever since. Illini Nation took a hit when Coach Kruger left for the NBA, but the upstart Bill Self soon captured everyone's attention. In 3 years he turned Illinois into a powerhouse in the Big 10. He returned an dynamite squad led by Derron Williams, Dee Brown, and James Augustine. He just signed top recruit Charlie Villanueva, and then...
     Bruce Weber came in and took Self's players on a legendary run. A regular season with only one loss, a No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance, that amazing comeback against Arizona, a Final Four, and shot at an NCAA Title. Weber emphatically proved his coaching prowess on the court. However in the seasons thereafter he showed one glaring weakness, recruiting. Losing out on top in-state recruits including Derrick Rose, and being jilted by Eric Gordon left the Illinois cubbard bare of top talent. Bruce Weber needed to realize that he had a chance to take the Illini somewhere they had never been before.  Desperately, Coach Weber developed a single recruiting strategy that has finally brought him the talent he can coach up to make another run at a NCAA Championship...RECRUITING IN-STATE.
   With Coach Weber shifting his focus on the talent in the state, Illinois has netted top prospects Brandon Paul, DJ Richardson, Jereme Richmond, Meyers Leonard, Crandall Head, Tracy Abrams, Nnanna Egwu, Mycheal Henry and in all likely hood Mike Shaw. In the last three years, Weber has created in-roads all over Illinois, from Chicago to Champaign. He has built a young, talented base who can grow into another powerhouse, and has finally matched his recruiting skills to his coaching. I look forward to the Return of the Illini...