Dee Brown talks Illini & Bears won't get draft pick compensation (Hour 2)
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
For our next guest, he joins us on Twitch, twitch.tv slash thescorechicago and our hotline. It is the former Illini Guard Big Ten Player of the Year in 2005. First time, first team, all Big Ten in 2005 and 2006. Consensus, first team, All-American, two-time Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois in 2002. Dee Brown, thank you for joining us today.
All right, thanks for having me. So excited.
We're excited, too, to have the Illini back in the Final Four for the first time since you were there in 2005. 21 years. I know you've spoken a lot about this. Now the head coach over at Roosevelt University. But what has this been like for you, just absorbing this and the memories that have come back during this time?
It's been so exciting, you know, walking around and seeing all the orange and seeing people just happy. You know, I think Illinois basketball is a special place. You know, people love it here in the state of Illinois and around the country. But being here in Chicago, walking around, seeing the joy, seeing the gear, hearing the chants I-L-L, just... It's an unbelievable feeling. I'm just going to enjoy this moment because I know how hard it is to get here. We have a really good team, a championship roster, so I'm just enjoying it and having a really good time talking about it and everybody bringing up the memories and what Illinois basketball means to them. So it's a great time to be at Atlanta.
Dee, I love that you are a coach and that you have stayed in this game for as long as you have. And I'm just so curious. We have so many more technological advances than we did when you were recruited. Do you have any explanation as to how Keaton Wagler has gone from being so under-recruited to where he is now, given what we have as far as recruiting these days?
I mean, Brad and his staff have done an unbelievable job of identifying talent and guys that can come and play at Illinois and be very successful. I mean, he's an unbelievable talent. I mean, he's a Darren Williams-type point guard that has size and definitely was unrecruited. I mean, not unrecruited, but he wasn't recruited to the highest level that he's supposed to.
What does Dee Brown think about Illinois basketball's return to the Final Four?
So he plays with a chip on his shoulder, but... We're able to get really good players at University of Illinois because now we have the money to do it. And we have one of the best fan bases in the country. And when you come there and play there, there's expectation to make it to the Final Four, win Big Ten championships. So there's expectation. So to get really good players, you know, to come in and do what they do, it's been very exciting to watch.
Steve Brown, it's an absolute blast to have you here on 104.3 The Score. I had the absolute pleasure of covering your run to the Final Four and subsequently to the championship game against North Carolina. And one of the beautiful parts about that run, that postseason, that entire NCAA tournament, was the geography of it. I think the farthest place you guys went was St. Louis, maybe, because of Indianapolis and Allstate Arena. Right, right, D? I mean, the geography was beautiful, so you can speak on that. I'm already thinking about Indianapolis, though, and how the Orange is just going to take over as it did with you guys in those first couple of games. I remember being overwhelmed with all the Illini fans that were on those trips with you guys.
Yeah, no doubt. We was in Indy, then went to Chicago, then went to St. Louis. But that was my thing. You know, it was such a heartbreaker. And you got to relive that over and over when people say, you know, we're the best second place team ever because, you know, we lost to the Natty. But for them to be in Indy and, you know, our practice when I was when I was in school, our practice, you know, had 30,000 fans show up to watch us shoot. I watched their practice yesterday and it was the same. It was all orange. It was people love it. You know, I know it's from Leafs. A thousand of my buddies that's going to the game, they're just going to hang out and experience the moment and be around the love and enjoy the moment.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–2:05
2
What does Dee Brown think about Illinois basketball's return to the Final Four?
2:05–5:08
3
How has technology changed the recruiting process in basketball?
5:08–23:19
4
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current Illini team?
23:19–27:11
5
How does Dee Brown compare the current Illini team to his 2005 squad?
27:11–35:42
Speakers
5 identifiedMore from Rahimi & Grote Show
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