George,
Your logic makes a lot of sense to me. You'd think we would see more of an uptempo style next season. Jolette has talked a lot about playing that way, but so far we haven't seen it. With Jenna gone, maybe now we will. But in order to play that way, you need some depth, and Illinois has very little, so ...
As far as who would benefit, I think Adrienne GodBold definitely would. Her athleticism in the open court would be tough to handle. Penn is athletic enough to run the floor well if she's inclined. And I think Josil has the potential to be an effective player on the break.

Brian,
It is capable, but there are reasons to think otherwise, too. First, Illinois has never won a road game in the WNIT (0-4), and this year's team wasn't particularly good away from home for much of the season. Plus, the next game would be against Marquette, probably on the road, and Marquette beat the Illini in December in Champaign. Beyond that, Illinois would likely face Purdue or Kansas, and either of those games almost certainly would be on the road. The UI's biggest hangup here probably is the fact that given its attendance history, it might have a difficult time getting home games, and those are key.

Ken,
Very good question. Here's how I look at it...
In 2008, Illinois had every starter back from a team that was fourth in the Big Ten in '07, and ended up finishing ninth. In '09, the Illini had three starters back, including Jenna and Lacey, and finished ninth. In '10, the Illini had four starters back, including Jenna and Lacey, and finished eighth. Now, there will be three starters back -- no Jenna, no Lacey -- and the bulk of the key contributors will be sophomores. I don't see how that adds up to improvement in 2010-11. Maybe in 2011-12, when the key players are juniors with some experience, you'll see some improvement. But Illinois, without much question, will be picked to finish 9th, 10th or 11th next season, and there's good reason for that.

Jake,
Your point about coddling is well-taken. Jolette doesn't coddle, and she is very demanding, and that's not a bad thing, certainly. But some players these days don't handle it well, and there will be conflicts. That's just a fact of life. If they can't handle it, it's best that they go elsewhere.
As far as Jolette's progression, she's learning on the job. When you hire someone who has never been a head coach before, as Ron Guenther did, you have to take some lumps. Can Jolette smooth out the rough edges in the next two years? I have no idea. But it seems to me that if the Illini don't show some tangible progress in those two years, Guenther will have to make a tough decision. I'm pretty sure he didn't hire a new coach in order to finish eighth or ninth and go to the WNIT every March.

Rick,
I thought Robin Pingeton would be a candidate in '07, but I've not heard that Illinois showed any significant interest. Since that time, she's had nothing but success, and I would be quite surprised if some power-conference school doesn't snap her up this spring or next. She was an assistant under Bill Fennelly at Iowa State and knows her way around a big-time program and the Midwest. She seems like an awfully good fit for a lot of schools.

Peter,
No TV. If Illinois gets a home game, I suppose there's a chance that the Big Ten Network would show it. I know BTN had the Northwestern WNIT home game last night. BTN doesn't have any rights for a Big Ten team's away games.

Beth,
Jolette is in the third year of a five-year contract at $300k per year, and my sense is that Guenther will give her every opportunity for her to fulfill it. That's always been his M.O. with his other coaching hires. As for her staff, keep in mind that there's an opening right now. When Tamika Louis was let go in September, that opening was not filled, so Jolette will have one hire to make this offseason, and it's an important one. That spot figures to go to someone who has good recruiting ties.

Peter,
Doesn't destroy it, per se. That freshman class remains pretty solid. Are there holes remaining? Yes. Still need a quality post to replace Jenna, still need a point guard, still need much more depth in order to play the uptempo, fullcourt pressing style that Jolette says she wants to employ. Let's put it this way: If Illinois is to become a national powerhouse, we're still several years -- and many more top-notch recruiting classes -- away from that happening.