John Ekey leaving Illinois State

[ilstu2013]

It's amazing how much credit ISU's talent gets since Osiris graduated...

11: 4-14
12: 9-9
13: 8-10

And 92. From all the Redbird fans you're embarrassing: Please stop.

I think you forgot that this is because we still had Jankovich's bum players. Just wait until Muller brings in more of his own and see what happens.

[pafan]

When did all this Jank hate happen in Normal?

[rlh04d]

When did all this Jank hate happen in Normal?

As soon as they started needing a scapegoat.

[45otseoj]

Just one more point, and I'll let you get back to the pissing match.

Next year isn't Illinois State's year. It just isn't. Ekey would have played plenty for ISU next year. We would have been lucky to go 500 in conference. It's not about whether a juco or freshman will be better than a SR Ekey. It's about whether a recruit taking that scholarship (Hawkins, McIntosh maybe) will be better for the Birds in years where the Birds have a chance at winning a championship. I wasn't thrilled or heartbroken when he decided to transfer. He said himself that Muller's coaching wasn't what he signed up for. Even more important than talent, a team has to buy in to a system and apparently Ekey didn't. I wish him well.

[shoxrox]

It's to nice to know they're still are good ISUr fans out there. I appreciate bmarq04 and 45 coming in here and trying to air out the dirty laundry.

Thanks guys.

[ilstu2013]

When did all this Jank hate happen in Normal?

Anyone who's been paying attention or is in our fan base knows that has been happening for a long time. He scheduled horribly and the year he leaves we finally get some decent games especially with @Louisville. And @Dayton and @Drexel are decent too, but they both just so happened to have down years both making the NIT the year before and entering the year with high expectations but in the end not meeting them. A short peruse on archives of the Redbird board and you can see the Jank hate. Look at this old thread for instance: http://redbirdfan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=807

Just one more point, and I'll let you get back to the pissing match.

Next year isn't Illinois State's year. It just isn't. Ekey would have played plenty for ISU next year. We would have been lucky to go 500 in conference. It's not about whether a juco or freshman will be better than a SR Ekey. It's about whether a recruit taking that scholarship (Hawkins, McIntosh maybe) will be better for the Birds in years where the Birds have a chance at winning a championship. I wasn't thrilled or heartbroken when he decided to transfer. He said himself that Muller's coaching wasn't what he signed up for. Even more important than talent, a team has to buy in to a system and apparently Ekey didn't. I wish him well.

It very well may be the year, actually. In some ways it's a carbon copy of 2011-12, in some ways it's not but we will only have one senior and a ton of good recruits some of which have high-major capabilities. And we know how close to an NCAA bid we were in 2011-12, only this time we have a coach that has made changes for the better like a better schedule, better culture, etc. I'm pretty confident that the recruits we have coming in are going to be better for Muller because Ekey and Muller just didn't seem to be working. His production was going down and Muller wants these guys and they want him, so surely these guys are better for the Birds in years where the Birds have a chance at winning a championship. I'm also more confident in Muller than Jankovich right now.

[IllinoisState]

When did all this Jank hate happen in Normal?

There really isn't any. It's more like any other coach leaving.

[rlh04d]

Just one more point, and I'll let you get back to the pissing match.

Next year isn't Illinois State's year. It just isn't. Ekey would have played plenty for ISU next year. We would have been lucky to go 500 in conference. It's not about whether a juco or freshman will be better than a SR Ekey. It's about whether a recruit taking that scholarship (Hawkins, McIntosh maybe) will be better for the Birds in years where the Birds have a chance at winning a championship. I wasn't thrilled or heartbroken when he decided to transfer. He said himself that Muller's coaching wasn't what he signed up for. Even more important than talent, a team has to buy in to a system and apparently Ekey didn't. I wish him well.

I don't doubt that Ekey leaving the program, if replacing him with someone who will be around for a number of years, is good for your program long-term. Like you said, next year isn't going to be your year, so you plan for the year after that, or the year after that.

I have no problem with you considering it good for the program long-term. I only had a problem with fans of yours claiming that he had his scholarship taken away to do so. It's one thing if you tell a player that his minutes are going to be reduced significantly the next year and allow them to transfer if they have a problem with that ... but there is no coach in D1 Basketball that I have ever heard simply taking a scholarship away from a senior contributor without them doing something very wrong, just to free up a scholarship.

Now I know you know that isn't true, because you seem far more logical than the people giving your fanbase a badname in here But it was that delusional claim that people had a problem with.

[45otseoj]

This wasn't a post-season reflection thing either. This transfer has been in the works for months.

[2livewu]

I hear this a lot, but what exactly is "Muller's type of player" and why does Ekey not fit into that description and why do random juco players fit into that description?

Thank you