*Hoops assistant coach moving on…
-Reports last week were Chester Frazier leaving Brad Underwood's Illini staff to take an assistant coaching job at West Virginia....nothing against Frazier....don't see his exit as a loss....my opinion he was hired to get a former Illini player on the staff....Underwood needed some good PR when Chin Coleman and Orlando 'Big Taco' Antigua left Champaign for jobs at the University of Kentucky....hired Frazier...,....solid playing career at Illinois but not what I would call a fan favorite....recruiting was supposed to be his strength....majority of players he signed to Illinois like him tough/athletic couldn't shoot...wish him best of luck.
Know of two former Illini players in coaching that likely won't replace Frazier....Jerrance Howard....worked at Southern Illinois last season/wasn't retained after coaching change...have it on good authority as long as Josh Whitman is athletic director at Illinois....Howard won't work for the hoops program....behavior as a player/first stint as a Bruce Weber assistant.....didn't impress.
Dee Brown head coach Roosevelt (Ill.) University-Like Howard...Brown's working in the Illini athletic department didn't end well for either party...thought he was hired to develop as a coach/be a part of John Groce's staff...instead majority of his work was when then AD Mike Thomas trotted Brown out as a fund-raising show pony...little if any contact with Groce's staff on or off the court...doubt Brown is coming back to Champaign to replace Frazier.
*Illini hoops land four-star transfer...
-Four-star former University of Arizona guard Kylan Boswell committed to Illinois on Sunday....Boswell the grandson of former Illini defensive tackle Dave Aina (83-85)....He grew up in Champaign before moving to SoCal for high school....off and on starter for the Wildcats last two seasons....reportedly Boswell picked Arizona over Illinois out of high school family felt too many outside influences/distractions coming back home to Champaign....hopefully learned some lessons in Tucson about ‘concentration’….boom or bust player to me....can be an All-Big Ten type or fall back into the bad habits he developed at UofA not live up to his potential.
*Illini football spring game this Saturday....
-Thoughts of trusted observers after three weeks of spring ball for Bret Bielema's program.
-'When all is said and done (true freshman quarterback) Trey Petty is going to be (Luke) Altmyer's backup next fall...he can really spin it'....'Petty is a firecracker on the field once he figures out the offense, he will be something.'
-'Very impressed with (new wide receivers coach) Justin Stepp...guy gets it'....two most impressive wideouts this spring per observers? Malik Elzy and Pat Bryant.
-Consensus seems to be Illini offensive line work in progress....New Mexico transfer J.C. Davis excellent spring at left tackle....Joel Gesky next to him at guard....Josh Kreutz at center (tried and tried to replace him no one can seem to beat 2023 starter out).....right guard? several in the mix likely senior Zy Crisler comes out of as spring the starter....right tackle? biggest position of need....nope...sophomore Brandon Henderson has struggled....Grambling transfer Melvin Priestly can run block but pass pro is raw/can't trust him on the edge....Crisler tried at tackle but moved back inside to guard....guess Bielema's staff hoping for a spring/summer portal miracle at right tackle cause out of spring...doesn't have a starter at position.
-All impressed with the Illini linebackers....JC transfer cornerback Chase Canada has impressed on-lookers… Saboor Karriem 'is going to be the next great Illini' defensive back...leading the way.
-D-line....'they have enough bodies to get by'.....all observers very impressed with true freshman d-tackle Angelo McCullom...'he just makes plays'....they keep him (McCullom) on the straight and narrow going to be as good as anyone that has played the position last 30 years at Illinois'.....cause he was running with the 3rd string....Youngstown State transfer d-lineman Anthony Johnson has left the Illini program....liked him thought Johnson a solid red chip B1G type...able to get 10-15 snaps a game from him....obviously wrong on that one.
-Bielema doesn't seem to be in a hurry to replace defensive backs coach David Gibbs....all I have heard was an interview with a current midwest FCS head coach (not Curt Mallory of Indiana State) to fill the position...stay tuned.