Video

1:05:04 - disagree. that's no valid excuses for their disappointment seasons - both schools but especially MSU. Underperformed, Were bad, deserved to be bad, should've been bad...no valid excuses there.

Let's Goooooo! ILL

I think it's more likely Wisconsin will finish in the bottom four (Minnesota, Penn State, USC, Wisconsin) than the top four (Indiana, UCLA, Purdue & Michigan).

Hope you had a good Labor Day Stephen!!!

Brandon Paul is one of my favorite Illini. I remember when he dropped 40 some on Clemson as a freshman or sophomore. BP3 is a bucket! 🪣

Efront was an actor ob rhe show 77 Sumsrt strip private I nvestigator 1:01:49 Ì

One of my friends thought James was a dirty player. I never saw that, just a hard nosed guy.

Great interview, thank you, James is a great guy. The Notre Dame loss had more to do with Freshman having Freshman moments under the bright lights. Still have nightmares about all the missed layups. Last game with Self and probably the worst game he coached as an Illini Coach. It was very disappointing because Notre Dame wasn’t really the kind of team that should beat Illinois. Bruce Pearl was the fall guy in that entire thing. However, he didn’t have to bow to the guys behind that and do it. Pearl was not forgiven because he was the face of it and everyone knows what it did to the Illinois program and how close the program was to winning it all. Even though ‘89 didn’t work out in terms of winning it all, there was some killers that were being recruited that were Illini leans. ‘89 team was clearly the best team in CBB. Knight, Davis, and Phelps were the real bad guys in the shadows of that. Knight was extremely upset about the Lowell Hamilton recruitment privately accusing Illinois of cheating every year. Phelps was involved with the Ellis recruitment. Then, of course, there is Tom Davis. All three very jealous and were in an alliance together to get Illinois and Pearl allowed them to be successful, that’s why Pearl won’t be forgiven. Pearl actually later would’ve fit what Illinois needed more after Self than Weber, but of course would’ve never been considered. AD needed to swallow his pride and hire Sampson at the time but that’s a different sorry. Weber was a very good game coach and the best of them to coach the ‘05 team, but not a guy that’s going to recruit well enough to sustain. Pearl would’ve been a great choice when they hired Groce as well, a school like Illinois would’ve fit him. ‘05 was so much fun and it’s fun memories. For the record, ‘89 destroys them. I also believe in a matchup ‘01 is better than ‘05 as well. The bigs of ‘01 destroy ‘05 in a big way. ‘05 had nobody who could guard Brian Cook.

SB hot as fish grease 😂

I watched hi on Big 10 Game of Week.

Mr B! Thank you so much for tracking JA down & letting us see that big smile again! What a great man! He is loved like Chief Illiniwek! Forever!

That 2005 season was epic!!! In the National Title game we got robbed!!!!!! Not to even mention that NC had kids playing that they shouldn't have really pissed me off !!!! We should have been champions!!!!!

If they didn't screw James over with those trash fouls against NC we would have a banner.

James nice to see alums doing well! #ILL 💙🧡

really good stuff!! 6' 8" 160 lbs in high school. as stephen would say " a little light in the britches".

Always enjoy the content you put out, cheers!

Awesome interview with James!

Keep up the great work 35

Amazing guest interview! Thank you for this one... So good to hear his perspective and thoughts on that season and his career! Love hearing from former Illini!

89 FF was the best Illinois team ever, but 2005 was a magical ride. Thanks for the great memories. P.S. Satan will always be Satan.

Let's go big10

This was one of the best interview/guest shows you’ve had so far. Really enjoyed it!

Absolutely "easy but informative " interview. We would all love to be eavesdropping when you two have those beers and that conversation.

I L L

Always insightful

Bleacher report did a mock draft with KJ at #9. Like…we ain’t talking about a guy that’s end of first, fringe inside the first round…this a true first round pick, probably lotto pick, and alpha. Excited to see what he brings. And don’t forget about Riley…he’s at #20 and on most 1st round boards as well. Really have a chance to have two one and dones.

legendary men from the heartland right here. great show. go bulls, boiler up. I'm hoping Painter will experiment with the roster a lot since the schedule is not as front loaded as it was last year. The roster retains and Purdue will make another strong run in 25/26.

Makenzie is there biggest matchup problem and he has the stuff, but Woodson will play too many minutes with two bigs. Goode should play 25 minutes per game. IU will underachieve because of Mike Woodson.

I like Clark Kellogg a lot. He seems every bit of how you described him…a really great human being.

❤ "The hay is in the barn" that's how we coached back in my day.. the 80's and 90's

My KJ comp would be Luka Doncic

48:44 Laughing so hard...😂😂😂 Username of the century!

Lets get the likes up people! 🏀🏀🏀

don't know much about this jon guy, but definitely feel like some of these media people intentionally put out dumb takes in order to gain pop. if he needs to put out dumb takes in order to gain pop, he's probably not as qualified as u are saying. and if he isn't saying it for pop after all, and he truly believes that we are 8th, i guess he knows ABSOLUTELY POSITEVELY NOTHING about kasparas then. that don't make him all that principled either. 37 POINTS. u see that? WOW. kid gone be a stud!

Expecting an Illinois fan to not dislike Bruce Pearl is expecting an Illinois fan to not be an Illinois fan. I put it more on the NCAA than anything. The way it was handled by them is straight blasphemy. If some silly untrue allegation like this was ever put forth against a school like KY or KU, not a spark would've happened in a million years. Matter of fact, those schools get found guilty of recruiting violation all the fricken time and they either get away with it or get let off the hook like water. Absolutely Pathetic honestly.

Had to run. Finished watching the rest. Its no secret Bruce Pearl basically ruined the Lou Henson era. I watched an interview a few years back with you and Deon on the field of 68 and it made me so sad how Deon said it still bothers him to this day that Collins didn't get the job after Lou. 1:15:23 - thanks so much for this btw. Great Show!

Kedric Prince from IlliniGuys reported earlier today that Mikel Brown will be visiting. Hope we can land him. #8 ranked nationally.

We wore the Magic, purple and gold joints in college. The were heavy as hell, with no cushion in them! Awful!!!

Do you have a site to get a 8x10 signed pix of you Stephen?

Whats the main issue of the difference between the Illini of your time and these young guns besides lacking the "Kenny Battle" attitude?

Those Sleepers guys are just awful to listen to. Literally nothing outside of two dudes picked off the street out of nothing trying their best to act like basketball analysts (not great at it either). But yet, everyone talks about them. Do you know how they gained such popularity? Those guys proof that absolutely positively anyone can have podcasts in this day and age.

Let's Gooooo! He dropped 25 pts 9/14. Those weren't travels either. This is the league.

Prop 48 might have been the most racist thing the NCAA ever did!

Bardo, I love you Brother, but Cap never played a game in the Big Ten. He played ALL of his games in the Pac 8.

That my uncle Boo 💙💪🏾💙

I can't wait to see him play in summer league. ILL

Renn would be the 9th guy on illinois at best. Prolly ain't even dat. He be Purdue 2nd or 3rd best player. Purdue overrated asf

Your you tube pod cast came to my attention today (7//4) and I listened to your interview with Tim Anderson and subscribed. Felt like we were sitting in the back yard, discussion so natural. Loved TA's love for "our" Luke Goode and hopeful for his opportunity ai IU, except when they play us. Ive set your notifications....ILL...INI forever? .

Man I love all your episodes and I'm hoping you get 10k following in less than 6 months,but mostly I hope you keep enjoying this show because it shows..