Wisch List

Today’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino and John Calipari.

Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, and, yes, Bill Self.

You know their schools, of course. But more than that, you know their names. The old saying goes that in college you play for the name on the front of the jersey, while in the pros you play for the name on the back.

I agree with that adage. But I also believe that in college basketball, star players commit to a coach even more than they commit to a school.

As a result, when it comes to recruiting, having an elite coach is even more significant than being an elite school. And from the looks of things, it appears that Illinois has a truly elite coach in John Groce.

And if he keeps recruiting the way he has so far this month, he could soon return Illinois to the pantheon of elite basketball schools.

On Thursday, point guard Quentin Snider of Louisville, ranked as high as No. 28 nationally, announced that he had picked Illinois (and Groce) over UCLA (and Steve Alford). Just a week before, Top 40 power forward Leron Black of Memphis chose Illinois (and Groce) over three other schools, including Indiana (and Tom Crean).

In college basketball, I consider the only full-fledged blueblood programs to be Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA and Indiana. And the fact that Groce – who has been at Illinois a scant 17 months – was able to edge out two of them as finalists for two elite players in the span of two weeks speaks volumes about the Illini coach.

What could end up saying even more would be a pledge from consensus Top 5 recruit Cliff Alexander of Chicago Curie, who tweeted late Thursday night after Snider’s commitment that he will be taking an official visit to red-hot Illinois for Homecoming on Oct. 26.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

Today’s column from CBS Chicago … 

(CBS) If Tim Beckman’s coaching career at Illinois really does go from knocking on death’s door to cracking – or even kicking – it open for his return in 2014, he’ll probably be able to thank heavens for one person.

Namely, Bill Cubit.

Through two games (and wins) this season, Cubit, the former Western Michigan head coach, has helped Illinois pile up 97 points as the team’s new offensive coordinator. With the Illini preparing to face No, 19 Washington (1-0) at Soldier Field this Saturday, the offense looks like a completely different unit than the one that averaged only 16.7 points per game during Beckman’s sadsack 2-10 debut in 2012.

Also looking completely different is fifth-year quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, who under Cubit’s tutelage has torched opposing defenses for 364 yards per game and a 74 percent completion percentage – both best among Big Ten signal-callers. So far, Scheelhaase much more resembles the QB who as a redshirt freshman outplayed Robert Griffin III in the 2010 Texas Bowl than the guy who threw just four TDs (and eight INTs) last year.

Illinois, of course, is yet to get into its Big Ten schedule this season (in 2012 it averaged only 11.8 points while going winless in conference). But following last week’s shocking 45-17 rout of Cincinnati, hope is percolating across the prairie that the Illini might actually be able to contend for an unexpected bowl berth this season.

And perhaps the most powerful fact fueling such hopes?

It’s that Tim Beckman, as overwhelmed as he’s looked in Champaign, actually can win games with a great offensive coordinator. We know that, because it’s happened before.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com … 

Tuesday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) What a difference a week makes.

Seven days ago in this space I was lamenting the lackluster quality of the Fighting Illini’s 42-34 Week 1 football victory over Southern Illinois – and worrying about what it portended for rest of the season.

Today, however, I’m still somewhat in awe about the Illini’s lustrous 45-17 Week 2 football victory over Cincinnati – and wondering about what it portends for the rest of the season.

What a difference an offensive coordinator makes, too.

With the Illini an unexpected 2-0 and Tim Beckman, Bill Cubit & Co. actually feeling buoyed for once, rather than buried, here are a few thoughts on the team as they prepare to face Washington at Soldier Field this Saturday.

Shock to the system

To call Saturday’s rout of the Bearcats a stunner would be an understatement of, well, stunning proportions.

Illinois staggered into the game after pulling an escape-artist act against the Salukis. Cincinnati rolled in after romping over Big Ten member Purdue by five touchdowns. And then the Illini completely flipped the script.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

This weekend’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

The WISCH LIST

By Dave Wischnowsky

In one week, Illinois football is coming to Chicago.

But is winning football coming to Illinois any time soon?

That’s still TBD. Although, judging by last Saturday’s shaky 42-34 season-opening victory over Southern Illinois, it might also be TBQ.

You know, “To Be Questioned.”

What isn’t in doubt is that the Illini, who face Cincinnati at Memorial Stadium today, will take their show on the road to the Windy City next Saturday when they face No. 20 Washington at 5 p.m. at Soldier Field.

If you’re attending the game, the following is a primer to get you up to speed on everything you need for your trip to Chicago. Good tickets are still available at fightingillini.com.

Continue reading “Illinois at Soldier Field: What you need to know”

Saturday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) It’s Week 2 of the college football season.

And it’s weak, too.

On Thursday, Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette wrote, “Only three games nationally qualify as marquee status: Notre Dame-Michigan, South Carolina-Georgia and Florida-Miami. After that? Ick. The fourth-best game of the day might be Coe College at Monmouth.”

Locally, the Chicago Tribune’s Teddy Greenstein called this week’s slate of Big Ten games “generally hideous.” And outside of that Wolverines-Fighting Irish matchup, they really are.

Cincinnati vs. Illinois would be good – if Illinois was. The rest of the schedule is a wreck of games that includes: Navy at Indiana (the game is already taking on water), Syracuse at Northwestern (Jim Brown doesn’t play for the Orange) and Minnesota at New Mexico State (Aggies just lost 56-7 to Texas).

It doesn’t get any better with San Diego State at Ohio State (Aztecs were just drilled 40-19 by FCS Eastern Illinois), South Florida at Michigan State (Bulls lost 53-21 to FCS McNeese State), Southern Miss at Nebraska (Eagles have lost 13 straight, including last week to Texas State), Missouri State at Iowa (’nuff said), Eastern Michigan at Penn State (EMU is 0-31 vs. the Big Ten), Indiana State at Purdue (ISU lost 73-35 to IU), and, finally, Tennessee Tech at Wisconsin (Tech will start the game down by four TDs).

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

Thursday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) They say where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

If that’s true, then right now John Groce is the Human Torch.

This past weekend, Leron Black, a 6-foot-7 Top 50 forward out of Memphis, pledged his allegiance to Groce’s Illini program during an official visit in Champaign, canceling trips to Indiana, Tennessee and Baylor.

Then on Wednesday night, Quentin Snider, a 6-foot Top 40 point guard out of Louisville, stunned hoops observers when he moved his official visit to Illinois from late September to this weekend – a highly encouraging sign for the Illini.

All the while, rumors – legitimate ones, according to my sources – continue to swirl about the possibility of Chicago Curie’s 6-8 superstar Cliff Alexander, ranked among the Top 5 players in the country, ultimately picking Illinois.

If Groce somehow manages to reel in Black, Snider and Alexander along with previous commit 6-8 forward Michael Finke of Champaign Centennial, well, that would certainly be a Fantastic Four.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

Tuesday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) Thank goodness for that Labor Day holiday.

After all, it’s hard work watching the Illinois football team.

On Saturday under a sweltering sun in Champaign, Tim Beckman’s Fighting Illini managed to snap a nine-game losing streak. But they hardly shined while doing it against FCS foe Southern Illinois, escaping with a 42-34 victory only after a pass from Saluki quarterback Kory Faulkner sailed out of the back of the end zone on fourth-and-goal.

When the final horn sounded, dark clouds gathered via social media and blotted out the blue sky with many Illini fans venting their frustrations about game play – and game decisions – rather than celebrating the program’s first victory in 350 days.

Behold, Illinois football: Where even wins don’t feel like them.

And now three days removed from the season opener, here are three thoughts about Illinois football, looking both back and ahead.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

This weekend’s Wisch List newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

The WISCH LIST

By Dave Wischnowsky

Hot enough for ya?

Throughout the summer, I’ve been writing each month in this column about how the warm weather had to arrive in the Land of Lincoln at some point. And now, as we near the end of summer, it’s finally arrived.

Better late than never, I suppose. Although I would also surmise that fans of fall – a season that I think could end up being a particularly warm one – may disagree.

However, an Indian Summer provides you with bonus opportunities to enjoy what Chicago has to offer outdoors. And during September, there will be plenty of open-air fun taking place. Here’s a sampling of it.

Windy City Wine Festival
Sept. 6-7

Situated in the center of Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain is modeled after the Latona Fountain at Versailles, located in vineyard-laden France.

So, perhaps Buckingham (500 S. Columbus Dr.) is the ideal spot for the Windy City Wine Festival to call home. This year’s event – which allows visitors to sample more than 345 wines from around the globe – will be held from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Wine tasting tickets are $29 in advance of $35 at the door. For more information, visit windycitywinefestival.com.

Continue reading “In Chicago, summer sticks through September”

Friday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) Eleven months ago, I put the heat on Tim Beckman.

And, in turn, I drew some considerable fire.

On Sept. 25, 2012, three days after Illinois was humiliated 52-24 by Louisiana Tech at Memorial Stadium to fall to 2-2 on the young season, I published a column entitled “The Truth About Illinois Football.”

Among the many thoughts that I expressed in the piece, I wrote the following about the Fighting Illini’s first-year football coach: “While being outscored 97-38 by ASU and Louisiana Tech, Beckman has shown himself to be overmatched, outwitted and unprepared to coach big-time football.

“I wish I felt like I was being too harsh with those statements. And I wish that I felt brighter days were on the horizon for Beckman & Co. Maybe I am and maybe they are, but unfortunately I really just don’t think so.”

Upon reading those words, a sizable number of Illini fans rose up online and shouted that my comments were premature. They argued that it was unfair to criticize a coach so harshly after just four games. And they said I was reading too much into Beckman’s series of off-field missteps, which factored into my opinion nearly as much as the lopsided losses on it.

A funny thing happened after I wrote that column, though – or, rather, not-so-funny.

Illinois didn’t win again.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

My Thursday, Aug. 29, column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) The Illinois football season begins in just two days, but right now I have Illini basketball on my mind.

(That probably tells you everything you need to know about my excitement level for Tim Beckman’s latest pigskin product).

On Wednesday, Illinois officially released its basketball schedule for the 2013-14 season. It offers a wealth of interesting plotlines, and I thought I’d share my thoughts about five of them today.

Hey, anything to keep my mind off football, ya know?

UIC at the UC?

As part of a longstanding contractual agreement within the greater university of Illinois umbrella, the Illini are required to play UIC in Chicago once every three years.

But why is this a long-term contract? And exactly who agreed to it?

On Dec. 28, the Illini and Flames will face off again at the United Center. I really don’t have a problem with Illinois playing UIC once every three years, but I do have a problem with the game needing to be in Chicago – and gobbling up a United Center date.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …