Illinois line up -

[ban basketball]

Ban ,
do you ever get depressed when you see EVERY other team improving save the one you really care about ? in my case IU has 3 kids returning who were above .500 last year .

No, I've always kept the faith, even when the stands would have only about 100 diehard fans during the end of the Penrith era.

For one, UNI hasn't been a dominant, top DI team for over 50 years, and too many people held onto those glory days and, I think, expected too much out of a team that competes for recruits with ISU and Iowa. Tough task, indeed! Considering all of that, UNI has finished, more or less, over the last 50 years in DI about what can be expected.

Second, I've always supported and gone with what we have. I've never felt that it's an option for me to suddenly not be a fan anymore, not be an alumni anymore, not support the team anymore, and not support the staff anymore. I, as the kids say, "roll with what we have," fair or foul weather.

Third, I'm too much of a fan of UNI to ever get depressed at how they do. I know that someday we'll have our day in the sun, even if it is only for one season.

Either way, I'll always be in the stands and fighting for the Panthers, even when and if the "new converts" (and believe me, there are A LOT of them) abandon ship in frustration.

[ban basketball]

I would also add that I'm also a pretty decent fan of Stanford and Northwestern too, but a FRACTION of the fan that I am of UNI. I like to see both teams do well, but I don't follow them as closely, nor defend them to my own peril!

[ban basketball]

Sorry, but I'm getting a bit long winded, and I like to take moments to toot my own horn!

I had been saying for years that UNI needed an upgraded wrestling facility to really help with their recruiting efforts, compared to Iowa and ISU. In short, I kept saying that we can't draw in top level recruits without a better facility. Well, when people were so blinded by their hatred of Penrith, these comments were met with the WORST possible scorn and "excuse making" that I may have ever sen directed toward me on panthernation (do a search for yourself and see what I went up against for saying this).

Well, Schwab gets hired, mentions to UNI's AD that we need to upgrade the facility to make us a viable DI program, and voila, suddenly everyone began calling for a new facility and that Schwab was bringing innovation to the team for being able to see this huge need. Now, of course, they're ALL on board!

The facility is in process, and I sit back innocently whistling into the air.

[r.payton@att.net]

I KNOW a lot of the kids who walk out of IU's room . they are good hard working talented kids yet would rather hang them up than stay at IU. We've spoken before about a few hoosiers on UNI's team -most recently jamal Lawrence . He was known to have an attitude problem and a lack of work ethic yet also a ton of natural talent . the guys walking out on IU are GREAT kids and this is what drives me crazy.

[TomWright25]

No, I've always kept the faith, even when the stands would have only about 100 diehard fans during the end of the Penrith era.

For one, UNI hasn't been a dominant, top DI team for over 50 years, and too many people held onto those glory days and, I think, expected too much out of a team that competes for recruits with ISU and Iowa. Tough task, indeed! Considering all of that, UNI has finished, more or less, over the last 50 years in DI about what can be expected.

Second, I've always supported and gone with what we have. I've never felt that it's an option for me to suddenly not be a fan anymore, not be an alumni anymore, not support the team anymore, and not support the staff anymore. I, as the kids say, "roll with what we have," fair or foul weather.

Third, I'm too much of a fan of UNI to ever get depressed at how they do. I know that someday we'll have our day in the sun, even if it is only for one season.

Either way, I'll always be in the stands and fighting for the Panthers, even when and if the "new converts" (and believe me, there are A LOT of them) abandon ship in frustration.

Good for you, Ban! May your tribe increase!!

[r.payton@att.net]

i just realized what is missing from illinois' line up-Cagnina at 133 . Anyone know the story ?

[TomWright25]

i just realized what is missing from illinois' line up-Cagnina at 133 . Anyone know the story ?

Cagnina went to Nebraska I believe.

[vaisforlovers]

Cagnina went to Nebraska I believe.

Yep. Never was going to Illinois.

[Gantry]

Illini practice, lots of scrapping in there.

Fighting Illini Early Season Scrap | Fighting Illini Early 2012-2013 | Flowrestling

Great interview with one of their top recruits, Zane Richards - he just seems very grounded and there's no doubt he's got the attitude to succeed:

Zane Richards adjusting to college | Fighting Illini Early 2012-2013 | Flowrestling

Flo comment said Jackson Morse will be redshirting at 157, which I think is a good idea. Think pulling his redshirt his freshman year put him out to the wolves a little too early. Who else does Illinois have at 157?