Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular

March 29, 2025

Just when we thought it was safe to go back into the water…Morez Johnson enters Portal Kombat! So much for the typical boring off season – wait, that never happens for the Illini.

Heat Check #1 – 2 Sides to Every Story

Morez Johnson wants to be able to develop his skills and then showcase these new skills in games. He also is under the perception that past centers, like Kofi and Dain Dainja didn’t improve appreciably from the 3-point shooting standpoint during their tenure at Illinois. With aspirations of being a future NBA player, Morez clearly understands that a 6’9” power player with a game that is largely limited to scoring 5 feet from the basket is destined to play in lower-level European leagues at best. He’s put in the work to get better and wants to prove himself to the world.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with this – especially from a player who has done what he has been told to do – rebound, defend, block shots and dunk. Morez has played within himself with better discipline than others who have had issues with shot selection and turnovers committed.

On the other hand, the Illini staff is tasked with winning basketball games and winning them right now – not providing players with a stage to show off their improving skill sets. It’s rare that someone goes from not very good at a skill set (like shooting 3’s) to being a reliable performer (at shooting 3’s) overnight. Trust must be earned; it’s rarely given.

Clearly the staff is looking at winning games now – and if they didn’t have that focus during the 2024-25 season, the Illini might have lost 2 more games. Without that focus this Illini team might be an NIT team (ick). Anyone want to take a time machine trip back to the Groce era? I don’t.

There is a friction here that is inevitable and in a best-case scenario would be handled between the coach and the player. Unfortunately, in the era of Portal Kombat, there are always teams finding ways to insert themselves into a situation, making promises and offering alternatives. The player has to sift through such offers to find which ones are accurate and which ones will end up being the classic case of the grass isn't always greener.

Heat Check #2 – Recruiting is Exhausting

It’s becoming easier and easier to see why NCAA coaches are looking at the professional ranks (NBA and NFL) as possible career paths:

• There are literally no rules in the Portal Kombat world. Tampering is done by everyone. Offers have no limits other than the creativity of an NIL collective.
• Coaches have to re-recruit their players 365 days a year.

The days of the imperious coach sitting in his office letting his assistants carry the water developing deep relationships with players are long gone. A head coach must be a coach, a mentor, a friend, a confident and even a counselor –to his players.  And, he must do it all year around. This is a requirement and should be viewed as putting money in the bank each day. The money is there to be withdrawn when another suitor comes hunting for the player during the Portal Kombat timeframe.

If the head coach-player relationship isn’t strong enough, opposing coaches can use that against the incumbent coach. There really is no “down time” anymore. Even the old model where the "my favorite assistant coach" being there to save the day isn't as reliable as it once was. The head coach has to roll up his sleeves and do the day-to-day work of relationship building. If not, a player may see a gap that is easily replaced by the attention one gets during a recruitment and dollars offered as a part of a shiny, new and more lucrative NIL deal.

This is only one aspect of recruiting. Don’t forget that coaches have to be out recruiting high school athletes and going after other players in Portal Kombat to replace those lost in Portal Kombat, graduation or to the NBA.

It never stops. It must be exhausting.

Heat Check #3 – It’s All About Who is On the Team – Not Who is Not

The bottom line for teams (along with their fans) is not which player(s) a team has lost. Losing players in Portal Kombat can be sad, frustrating, and anger inducing, but it’s not important. For example, no one remembers that Todd Bell was not on the 1985 Bears. The fact he was the most dominant player in his position in 1984 means nothing nowadays. The 85 Bears are remembered for the players on the team and what they accomplished. The achievement of dominating a league and winning a Super Bowl is paramount.

The Illini staff understands what type of team they want to be offensively. They need to define what they want to do defensively. They need to understand which players would be a good fit on the court and off the court for the coaching that is done. Once that is determined, the coaches must find those players who are good fit and move forward.

There’s not a lot of time for emotion or mourning. It’s time to move on to build that roster for the 2025-26 season. The guys on that team and their accomplishments will determine how they are remembered by fans – not who isn’t on the roster. Those ruminations are left for the fans who have the luxury of having the time to spend on such thoughts.

Coaches have to soldier forward. It must be exhausting.

Hail Mary #1 - What is Bielema Doing

There is one phenomenon to be evaluated. The coach resurrecting the Illini football program that has been in the doldrums for decades, Bret Bielema has figured out a way to retain players – even with limited NIL funds. He has created a culture that players feel committed to. Players feel as though they are joining something bigger than themselves. They call it famILLy.

The successful creation of this famILLy culture is an exponential force multiplier that allows the Illini football team to compete with programs that have a better recent tradition and deeper NIL coffers. Bret Bielema doesn’t act without intent; this culture is no accident. It has been successful and a key to the Illini returning to double digit win totals for the first time in 20 years.

Bielema’s actions to create, build and maintain this culture should be a template for all other Illini coaches to utilize. The Illini will never be the school with the deepest pockets in any sport. It would also take decades to be the program with an elite tradition that competes with the bluebloods of any collegiate sport (except for golf).

As I type this, the Illini coaches are already back to work trying to find the right players for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.

It must be exhausting.