Cancun: Weber joins wounded Illini
CANCUN, Mexico - The Illini have added another name to their injury list.
Bruce Weber.
The Illinois coach said he is experiencing an Achilles "flare up" in his right foot. He wore a walking boot as the team held its first practice in a ballroom at the spectacular Moon Palace Resort outside Cancun.
Weber said he won't wear the walking boot when Illinois (3-0) meets Richmond (2-1) in a semifinal of the Cancun Challenge on Tuesday (8:30 p.m., CBS College Sports).
"I've had an Achilles problem the last year and a half. The other day it was swelling, and Al (Martindale, the athletics trainer) told me to wear a boot on the plane," Weber said. "I'll take it off after practice."
The Illinois coach is shooting for a milestone this week - even if he didn't know it until he was informed by a reporter. The Illini's next win would be the 300th of Weber's head coaching career.
"Oh, really?" he said after practice today. "I didn't even know that. I guess it's good. I'll be more excited because it means we just got a win."
There is some good news on the injury front. Myke Henry, who has been slowed by an ankle injury, would be available for "a minute or two if we needed him," Weber said. Henry played sparingly in the team's practice today. Devin Langford (finger) won't play this week, Weber said.
The gymnasium at the Moon Palace is actually a converted ballroom, complete with chandeliers dangling from the roof and carpeting around the court. It seats roughly 1,2000 fans. Several players said the small space reminded them of some of their game venues on a tour of Italy.
"Size-wise, it's about the same size," junior Brandon Paul said. "It reminds me of a high school gym. It seats about the same amount. It's good."
Please, play Griffey at Forward, Paul at Forward, Iguwe at Center, Abrams and Richardson at guard, let them play 35 min. and win the games. Leonard has no moves, none, is not ready.
The rest of the team needs to realize they did not win their spots in practice and are not
going to be handed playing time if they cannot beat out their teammates. Painter is paid
more than a half million more than Weber for a reason. He is a better coach. We got the wrong Purdue guy.
Egwu would foul out about 25 minutes into his 35 mins, not to mention Leonard is a better overall player at this point.
Have you ever tried to play a full game of DI basketball without getting any rest? Do you understand match-ups?
Painter had one good recruiting class that was undervalued. That nucleus led Purdue to an Elite Eight. Purdue will struggle to make the dance this year, and will only be that good because Hummel is, luckily for Painter, still around. Their next best player is who? Barlow? Johnson?
Wow, that is some analysis there Daisy J. After reading that, and hearing you say we got the wrong Purdue guy, well that makes me realize we got the right Purdue guy because anyone with that poor of an understand of the lineup must be wrong. Jeesh, too bad they dont have a threshold for posting here, so people dont have to read nonsense like that.
Anyway, I hope coach Weber gets better, no fun being in Cancun in a boot! Hopefully all the Illini fans down there have a good time and see a couple W's. Richmond will be tough but with our depth I really like our chances in any 'next day' game. Have to control the turnovers and we should be OK. Hopefully Sam is ready to play a lot of minutes.
Sam Houston, sorry you forgot the recruiting success and wins that the other Purdue guy
has shown all of us. And, now you want to believe the Leonard Hype, You like coaches that
want to handicap themselves and proclaim NO Zone. Look, watch the last game, Paul is the best around the baseket of any of our players. Goes over the top of a guy if he has too, fakes
goes under a guy if he has too. Dunks on a guy if he has too. Yet he runs around with the other headless chickens most of the time playing guard. Leonard cannot shoot from 3 or more feet out. Iguwe outplays all the other big men. Griffey if he ever stayed in there for 35 min. would average 20 per game and 10 rebounds. Did you ever hear of staying in long enough to learn how to score on your man or defend him. Sometimes it takes 25 min. to get the advantage. Weborn thinks programed planned substitution is the end all to success. You would be surprised where I get my info. Very surprised as to how I came about it. What part of
ameture does the afore mentioned info do you not understand.
well for starters, how about not randomly inserting paragraph breaks in your sentences?
Second, we cant have it both ways. We cant complain about guys not getting enough minutes and at the same time complain we want a deep lineup (10 deep) that will wear down the other team. If you want guys to play most of the game than admit we wont be playing 9 or 10 deep because there arent enough minutes for everyone.
Third, since when do players need more time to 'staying in long enough to learn how to score on your man or defend him'. If we are switching players, doesnt that create the same problem for the OTHER team too? Why is it is that must learn to score and defend on them? If we switch players doesnt that mean that have to adjust and learn how to score and defend on us? jeesh.
Fourth, you greatly overstimate how fast true freshmen will learn to play defense in the B10. And you underestimate the turnover problems in your lineup. Our biggest problem this year might be turnovers and you want to start two of the guys with the biggest turnover problems so far. It is very rare for true freshman PGs and big men to go out and start in the B10. And that isnt a coincidence, there is a reason for it.
Anyway, Weber isnt going anywhere, and Sam and ML will be cornerstones of this team IMO. We will just have to wait and see what happens.
Sam...this is not a language test. Next, no one said the rules are to play ten. Who said we need to wear down a team. This is not a cross country meet. Regarding staying in an learning your man,,my god, have you never played. Give me 15 min guarding or being guarded by the same person and I will learn what I need to know. You learn to play him on your hip, you learn what fakes he goes for, you get the feel for him. How you do not understand this is beyond me.You learn what you can and cannot do. Finally, our best players will need more games to get better as they must share min. with those not as good.
I don't care for his tone, but the line up he lists has actually been the most successful line up we've had. Although three games is a little to early to jump to conclusions, and by the end of the year Leonard is going to be part of the best rotation we can put on the floor.
I'm ready for the rotation to be shortened up. God bless him, but Weber struggles with keeping a flow with his substitution patterns when he tries to go to a deep bench. He just boggs down any rythm the team has. It's what cost us the game against Utah in Vegas two years ago in my opinion. If Weber can figure out a 10 man rotation if not, shorten it up. One man's opinion.
for goodness sakes we have played 3 games so far, and many of the players have not played significant minutes before, and we have played cupcakes so far. Isnt that the perfect time to test lineups? Weber, like anyone else, has to see how these new players perform, and what works and what doesnt. If practice were the same as games, Alex Legion would have been a cornerstone, LOL. Everyone is learning. The young players are learning the offense and learning to play, the returning players are learning new lineups and new roles, and the coaches are learning who can and cant perform and in what lineup. You act like all this needs to be decided in game 3? How ridiculous. This will be a developing thing all season, as players improve and get more minutes or dont perform and get less minutes. Its not predictable from a few preseason practices or a few non-conf games.
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