89 and 05 were primarily Chicago area guys. 01 was more central Illinois

Thibideau, (I mean, isn't his mentality way more suited for college and a 7 person rotation).

Seriously though, Danny Manning.

Tom Crean

Chicago area is a little different. The 05 team started this starting 5:

Mokena
Joliet
Texas
Maywood
Chicago

Bench:
Florida
Texas
Springfield
Aurora
Texas

Now, I think the Chicago and Maywood ones are pretty easy to quantify as Chicago guys. I'm not sure if Joliet, Aurora and Mokena should be viewed the same way. Most of the time when people are talking about recruiting Chicago I don't think they are saying go get a guy from Mokena.

The 89 team is so far away from how college basketball is now it doesn't really matter.

Dee Brown was a top 20 five-star recruit. Even if you lock down the rest of the state, Illinois has to get talent from somewhere else to be relevant. Chicago seems to make the most sense, but Self and Calapari do seem to own it. I guess their money is better.

I think it will be a minority candidate. I think it was a mandate from the Trustees when he was hired after the firestorm caused by the Beckman/Groce hirings. However, it came with the caveat that Whitman could pretty much pay anything to get them.

With that said, he went after his #1 choice -- Monty Williams -- and lost. I think Cuonzo or Kevin Keatts are his back up plans. I think I would prefer to take my chances with Keatts over Cuonzo.

Brown was supposed to be good but not national player of the year good.

https://twitter.com/KendallG13/status/841036943681028097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Kendall Gill says Sam Mitchell

He was Mr. Basketball, and either the best or the second best recruit in the state that year. Illinois has to get some talent from Chicago and the Burbs to be relevant. Can't live on guys from Peoria, Bloomington and Champaign.

Would he want to stay in the conference if fired by Indiana?

He was Mr. Basketball, and either the best or the second best recruit in the state that year. Illinois has to get some talent from Chicago and the Burbs to be relevant. Can't live on guys from Peoria, Bloomington and Champaign.

He ended up being the second best college player in that class and arguably because Carmelo was one and done he was better than all of them.

You think he was a better college player than Deron?

Yes.

Yes.

I wouldn't really say that. Maybe for their entire careers, but Williams really developed. I would call him the most important guy on the '05 team.

Dee Brown had an impressive list of awards in 2005.

Deron may be viewed as better because of his NBA success but at the time Dee was considered better.

The voters of the numerous awards that Dee won over Deron disagreed.

Deron went on to a great NBA career that showed what type of a talent he was but in 2005 it was Dee Brown who was considered better.