A Mike Krzyzewski, a John Calipari or a Tom Izzo walks in the gym, and everyone’s head turns. Including that of the Chicago-area high school basketball star they’re trying to steal away. They’re the coaches we tend to see longest every year in this three-week stretch with all eyes on college basketball. And it’s like the runway model entering the room.
“They want me?! Why wouldn’t I want to be a part of that program?”
[MORE: The 'Sad State' of College Hoops in Illinois]
DePaul and Illinois — and to a lesser extent Northwestern, UIC and Loyola — have fallen so far behind the blue bloods in power and appeal that the job’s tougher than ever for those schools to keep the Jabari Parkers, Jahlil Okafors, Jalen Brunsons and Tyler Ulises in their own backyard.
In Part 3 of our series on the “Sad State of College Basketball” on Comcast SportsNet, we take a closer look at the impact local players have had when our state’s programs have been most successful through the years and what kind of kid it would take to stay home, turn their back on the star national coaches and help turn one of these programs around.
Check out Part 3 in the video above.