Ron Zook was none too happy Saturday with a local TV station that aired an internet report suggesting that former Illini cornerback Vontae Davis (and some other players) had failed a drug test at the NFL Combine and tested positive for marijuana.
Zook said he’s been dealing with this report since Thursday and has spoken to Vontae, who said it’s not true, and that neither he nor his agent have received any kind of notice from the National
Football League suggesting he failed a drug test.
“I asked our players around here and they all said, ‘No way. No way Vontae did that.’”
Davis’ agent has since refuted the story, but it’s still out there and will be until the league either confirms or denies the report.
I don’t know what Vontae did or did not do. But I do know this:
Of all the football players I have ever met, Vontae Davis and Arrelious Benn are the two players who seem almost obsessive about what they put into their bodies. Their finicky eating habits are legendary. They almost never will eat red meat. They carefully monitor fruits and vegetables and juices. Occasionally, Vontae said he’ll eat a slice of cheese pizza. He prefers chicken or fish. His body fat was so low the team trainers and doctors had to talk to him about eating more protein and taking steps to avoid cramping.
So count me as someone who would be surprised that he’d smoke pot before going to the Combine. Anything is possible, but it just doesn’t make sense with him and it would be a shame to have that report out there if it’s untrue.
Zook said he is convinced it is untrue and WCIA (the local CBS outlet) was probably lucky they didn’t come to practice on Saturday because the Zooker sounded like he would have had a few choice words to send back to the station.
“How would you like to have someone say something that’s not true if it was your child?” Zook asked.
One player who was absent Saturday was tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. “He has a personal situation,” Zook said. No elaboration. Hopefully he’ll be back with the team this next week.
April 4th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
What internet report? Who was it from? How can a tv station report this without some kind of confirmation? In journalism don’t you have to confirm something before you report it?
April 4th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
The funny thing about this is how so many people fail to see the kind of kids Zook recruits. The team truly has gone down a slippery slope. Average incoming (2008) freshman ACT of 17.9, least academic athletes in the B10, 10+ arrests in the last year. Count this Illini fan as upset and angry about the lack of discipline Zook has over his team of thugs.
April 5th, 2009 at 12:04 am
The last thing IL football needs these days is a drug investigation…has this kid left IL for pro already or what? Zook shouldn’t mkae any Sherman-like statements either because who knows what these kids do behind close door, particularly given Zook’s lack of discipline with his players and coaches.
April 5th, 2009 at 7:20 am
All they have to do is use some form of the word “Alledged”. TV journalism is in the tank and has been for the last 20 years.
April 5th, 2009 at 9:34 am
DIF- I hate to say this, but I do agree with you in a way. Lack of discipline is a major problem with this team, but I will give Zook credit for getting rid of the players who got in major trouble right away. This isn’t the University of Miami though. Like it or not, alot of kids smoke pot and you will find it in the cleanest of institutions. I agree with Edward. I’m another Illini fan who is not happy with the direction the football team is going. Just because the program was so awful in the past doesn’t mean we should settle for being mediocore.
April 5th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
So a player was alledged to of smoked Pot. Lets tar and feather Zook. Brooks, Didnt the basketball coach just have to dismiss a kid for a drinking problem? Mediocore in Football and change the coach. The last 3 basketball seasons have been very mediocore to say the very least. Havent heard you say lets fire the basketball coach. Do you guys think coach Zook is the only Div 1 coach to have off field problems with his players? I’ll just bet all those USC and Oklahoma and Lsu and Florida players are all model students. Hasent the great coach Paterno had some off the field problems with some of his players? Some of you guys are the same ones complaining about not winning the rose bowl, are complaining about the type of kids and talent it takes to just get to the rose bowl. Some of you need to grow up. This football program, was not in a position to turn away good recruits because they were not at the top of there class with there grades.
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I still cant believe you said that your not happy with being mediocore in football, and yet you’ve been elated with the basketball team being mediocore Brooks. The last three years, 2 one and dones in the tourny and a season where they set a new school record in losses. Guess you can call that mediocore, or just not very good.
April 5th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Bball- Is winning 5 games and still not going to a bowl game really that much better than winning 2 games per season? Yet you crucify Weber for going 23-10 and losing in the first round without our starting senior guard? All in what you considered would be a poor season this year? Weber has won the Big Ten, BTT, and taken us to the NC game. Remind me again what Zook has done? Mediocore is being .500 and going to a small bowl game. Zook can’t even get us to that point.
April 5th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Illini Mike of KC - Yeah you are right, if they said alledged. But Tupper didn’t say that in the above comments, he did say they said “suggesting”. Is that the same as alledged? Probably so. Anyway, I went on NFL.com last night and the league is refuting the story too. So I wouldn’t worry too much about it. At least I’m not.
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Well, I hope MSU continues to make a statement. Not only have they beaten last years champs in Kansas, but two number one seeds. Hopefully UNC is the next number one seed to succumb to the big Sparty machine.
April 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Not making a bowl game is not mediocre. It is well below mediocre. This season was not MEDIOCRE!!!! How do you figure? BBJ I define Mediocre by .500 or middle of the pack. I would say most people do. The Illini 2nd out of 11 teams in the BT.(top 91%)Ranked in 25th out of 343 D-1 school.(top 93%)and lets say since the lost the first round we could say they finished 65th in the country. Knowing we could have beaten some of the teams in the tourney thats generous. We are still top 81% in the country. REAL MEDIOCRE isnt??? now for the top coaches. IZZO the best, Webber top 80%ish and BBJ .01% LOL The Lizard is out.
April 5th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Illin Mike in KC - Amen brother. I couldn’t agree more about the decline of the press. The whole draft process is seedy with “rumors”, inuendo, and talking heads promoting this player or that. Has anyone bothered to investigate Mel “The Hair” Kiper? How much is this guy getting in kickbacks from agents to promote one of their clients? The whole process is a recipe for fraud and abuse as recruiting has become in Div. 1 football and basketball.
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Go MSU. I can’t think of another coach I would say this about in the Big 10, but Izzo is a class act, does things the right way, and wins. He’s a stark contrast to the Calhouns, Caliparis, and Harricks of college basketabll. Even Roy “Aw shucks” Williams left Kansas with some issues.
April 5th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Brooks, Remind us all what Weber has accomplished, without that great group of freshmen, that was allready here? He’s been here 6 years. The first 3 he had a great group of sophmores that was left from the previous coach. The 4th year, the best player on the team was another hold over from the previous coach. In FOUR YEARS, AND STILL THE BEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM WAS FROM THE PREVIOUS COACH. In his first year with his recruits, we lose 19 games. Now you want to tell me about the great job Weber has done since being here? Now this years team had a decent record and wound up somewhere between 32 and 65 in the country. Is that not mediocore? What has been so great? Remind me how many Big Ten titles Weber has won with out Selfs left over talent? How many championships we have played for in the last couple years? Big Ten titles we have won? How many big games we won down the stretch this year? How many top ten teams we have beaten in the last 3 years? Some of you guys tell us how you like the way Weber can win without having good talent. What exactley has he won without talent? How many NCAA tourny games? how many top ten teams has he beaten without talent? Remember you guys are the ones bragging about all the things he can do without alot of talent. All i ask is show me? I havent seen any thing that great yet.
April 5th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Saw the Findlay games yesterday and today. I thought DJ Richardson looked much better today although I don’t know if the stats will back me up on that. I also liked Corey Joseph (a junior considering IL among others). Have to agree with the comments yesterday regarding Avery Bradley. Lot of talent but the kid must think “pass” is a four letter word… Well, I guess it is a four letter word. Richardson looks very much like a team player. I don’t think we’ll see a lot wow, but he should be a nice addition to the team.
April 5th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
You the man Lizard. Lets see, Weber now so far with his own guys. This year 0ne and done in the tourny. Lets say team rank 50. The year before 19 losses a bad team, ranked maybe 290. So avg Ranking for 2 years of kids that you recruited and coached up is around 177 out of 349 teams. What would you call that Lizard man? I call it very MEDIOCRE. Again the Lizard man is not only way out he’s also way “OFF” in more ways then one. Now someone said playing in the rose bowl makes you one of the top 8 teams. Last year Zook was one game from a bowl game. Lets say they were the 120th best team in the country. So in 2 years Zook’s average was around the 63rd best team in the country, On the other hand Weber around the 177th ranked team for the 2 years. You might of been right with my ranking “who really cares” but an 80% for Weber is way “off” much like the so called lizard himself.
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I couldnt agree more with you about Izzo Shooter. He is by far the best coach in the big ten and the easiest to like in the country. That was a very smart move on his part to push the ball and fast break on offense. I hope after watching that game, that some in here can understand now that you dont have to play a slow down offensive game to be able to play good defense. You can play good defense and push the ball on offense and score 80 points.
April 6th, 2009 at 6:56 am
I saw DJs games Sat. & Sun. & liked what I saw. He has quick hands on D, is a great passer, & showed some versatility on O Sun. Avery Bradley didn’t give up the ball very often once it was in his hands, so it was hard to get a feel for what the rest of the team could do. He’s very talented, but not a team player at this point. I think DJ is a team player & will help the Illini a lot as a freshman. Whether he starts or not remains to be seen, but I still think it could happen at some point next year.
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Good luck to the Spartans tonight. Hope they can beat a 3rd #1 team. Has that ever happened before?
April 6th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Chasson Randle got invited to tryout for the USA Basketball U-16 squad this summer. Article said about 20 players get invited, anyone hear if any other ILL players got an invite?
April 6th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Bball- The bball team was ranked in the Top 25 for nearly half the season. Losing in the first round w/o their senior guard doesn’t take away what they accomplished all season long. Being in the Top 25 is hardly mediocore. And now you are proud that Zook was one win away from going to a bowl game? Talk about lowering expectations. Over half the teams in football make the post season and Zook can’t even accomplish that. Only 65 teams out of 380 some teams make the dance. What’s more difficult? 17% or 50%? I’ll let you do the math. Try using numbers that actually make sense.
April 6th, 2009 at 9:08 am
I too saw DJ play both games. He is the real deal. He can handle,pass and shoot. Avery Bradley reminded me of a shorter version of Alex Legion, if Legion’s shots were falling.
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I can see why Klee thinks he will start next year in a 3 guard offense. He is a perfect team-first player that Weber likes.
April 6th, 2009 at 9:10 am
For those UI basketball fans who keep thinking this is 2005, next season will be five years since the NC runner-up campaign. Time to wake up! Most programs feed off a great run like UI had and remain contenders year after year. Illinois had a great run and since then it’s been a second-round exit, two one-and-outs and a school record for losses in a season. Weber deserves credit for the success he had (albeit with Bill Self and even Lon Krueger recruits) and the criticism for the struggles of recent years once the program has became full of his recruits. The program did take a step forward this season although after a record-setting season for losses that isn’t much to brag about. The point to all this is can’t keep living in the past like football broadcasters who can’t go a game without pointing out UI is where Red Grange and Dick Butkus played. Grange has been gone for more than 80 years and 45 for Butkus.
April 6th, 2009 at 11:19 am
How many believe our FB & BB program will be better off without Zook & BW? I agree that Zook is not the best and BW is not Izzo. Brooks: You do not believe we are much better at fb since Zook ? BBJones; Do you bdelieve not being in the top 10 is mediocore ?
I must give Brooks and BBJone credit for knowing their sports. Both know the game and follow the team closely.
My two cents worth: I believe that the 2 programs are going in the right direction. I believe that are programs would be set back more than two plus years if we would replace the coaches. I also believe a lot of schools would like to have the talent we now have and have coming. I also believe that we have a way to go to have elite programs.
PEACE BROTHER
April 6th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Brucehixon, good post. Guys like Brooks just dont get it. Bragging about the experts ranking us a top 25 team at times during the season, But yet the same experts picked us to lose the first game in the tourny, and of course we did. So we want to be so proud to be between the 33rd to the 65th best team in the country last year. Now put that with the great job his team did the year before. How do you rank those 2 seasons together with his own recruits. Remember were talking about what has happened and not what might of happened. Losing Chester wouldnt of made a big difference in that western kentucky game. With chester playing, brock wouldnt of played. The big question you guys keep dancing around. Tell me what Weber has won with out talent? Remember, He had some very talented players his first three years here. Last year, The football team was in a BCS bowl, the basketball team, not only didnt make the NCAA tourny, they didnt make the NIT, and they didnt make the tourny they had for the teams that didnt make one of the first 2 tournys. This year the football team was 1 and done in the NCAA tourny. The football team needed 1 more win to qualify for a tourny. Now Lizard and Brooks are ready to put Weber in the hall of fame and build him a statue. On the flip side, its time to get rid of Zook for poor performance. Lets see what type of percentages they can make up now.
April 6th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Bball- One poll is voted by national sports writers and the other is voted by coaches. Wouldn’t they be considered experts in the field? WKU’s guards were killing us. You don’t think having our best defender would have helped? It’s not like we lost by 20 points. We were a #5 seed and given an at large bid. There are what, 25-30 at large bids? So that doesn’t mean anything either? How you can rip Weber for this season is unbelieveable. If you were a man, you would admit that you were wrong, eat some crow, and give Weber some credit.
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In regards to Zook. So one more win and going to a crappy bowl game would make you happy? So why are your expectations with Weber so high and so low with Zook? He’s the great recruiter. He has his players and coaches in place. Why can’t we finish with even a .500 record and go to a bowl game?
April 6th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
As far as DJ,I think he’s going to be great, he has a very high basketball IQ, great court awareness, he hustles, and just has a knack/nose for the ball, he’s very good at going after loose balls, and drives to the basket. If I were another guard coming to Illinois, I’d be looking forward to playing with this kid, he’s the kind of player that will make every one around him better.
April 6th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Yukon, Your 11:19 post was right on. The football and basketball teams are so different. 1 or 2 good players from the state can make a big difference in the basketball team. 1-2 good players from the state doesnt have a huge impact on the football team. This state is a very good basketball state. This state is not known to be as overall good in football. Zook isnt the best x-o’s guy. Your not gonna convince me right now, from what i’ve seen, that Weber is either. I get worked up when i hear some of these guys rip on Zook, when he has brought us more talent and improved are Football team. What i try to look at, has the Football team improved since he’s been here. Brooks will argue it had no where to go but up. I disagree. It could of stayed the same. Has the basketball team improved in the first three years of mostly Weber recruits or the last three years? Now after 6 years Weber has greatly improved the recruiting, and i for one couldnt be happier. But that hasent improved the actual team results yet as none of the new guys have played a minute of ball yet in an Illini uniform. I cant wait to see it, But to say the job Weber has done till now, is alot better then what Zook has done till now, just doesnt make sense.
April 6th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Brooooksy will never get it… When u are in the title hame only 4 yrs ago and cant land one big time recruit something is WRONG!! Your program should have went up instead it has went down like the titanic. A good coach would have kept the program at the top or maintained somehwere near there.. Give me a break. We will never win with weber at the helm. Believe me im not a big Zook fan but he can at least recruit. I see the football team going to a bowl game this year. I am not sure if the illini can win 23 games next year. It will be very hard to!! There will be 2 Freshmans starting on the basketball team next year. U can bansk on that… Oh that is if Weber isnt bullheaded and decides not to start them??
April 6th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Bball- Are you sure that Zook has improved the football team? The numbers don’t lie. Turner’s last four years, he went 19-28. Zook’s first four years, he went 18-30. How is that improvement? Both coaches had one great year, one below .500 year, and 2 horrible years. Open your eyes, nothing has changed.
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Marcus Jordan is going to Central Florida for college. Had offers from Iowa, Stanford, and a bunch of mid-majors. Not much of a basketball school, but atleast the weather is nicer than Chicago.
April 6th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
When Zook was at Florida the biggest complaints about him was his teams didn’t have discipline, he couldn’t make halftime adjustments and his coaching of special teams was a joke. The praise was he could recruit. But, a lot of his recruits had problems with bar fights, drugs and problems off the field. He was reprimanded for going to a fraternity house and causing a disturbance there over a fight between the frat house and some of his players. I was really surprised when Illinois hired him, because of all the nasty things that were said about his coaching skills. The gator nation was so happy when he was let go. Some people thought he got a raw deal when he didn’t get to coach the bowl game, but they weren’t sad that he was fired. Since he has left the gators have won 2 national championships and possibly a third next year. While Zook was at Florida they were just an average football team. Before he was hired they were an elite program under Spurrier. I can’t see how any coach could coach a Florida team to being just average, but Zook did it.
I can’t remember when Illinois has had a decent football coach who could coach and not cheat(White). BBJ you brag on a coach who has 1 winning season in 4and you question people who like Weber more. I liked Zook as a person and worked his football camps, but what a difference it was working Meyers camps and Zooks. The coaching clinics and camps were so much more organized under Meyer. You talk about Weber being a midmajor coach and you support Zook, I don’t get it. I would love to see Zook do good, being an Illini fan. The only way he is going to suceed is to have some great assistant coaches working with him.
April 6th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Anyone else see the quote on illinhq from Jereme on only way he’d reconsider is if Jerrance were to leave. Said Calipari staff was an option as was Marquette, but he turned them both down.
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Howard is absolutely vital to all the future recruits coming - someone maybe KYM mentioned him as a possible target for DePaul. I would offer him in a minute if I were the DePaul AD.
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Also interesting to hear about his close ties to a name that has been mentioned on here (and national media rumors) several times related to cheating - William Wesley.
April 6th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
BB Jones — What is your hang-up about a coach winning with someone else’s recruits. If someone is a poor coach, they would not have success with their own or another coaches recruits. In college, coaches recruit players who fit their philosophy. This makes winning with someone else’s recruits not the easiest task. I’m sure that if Weber had known that Smith was not going to be available and that IU was going to steal a key recruit, he would have recruited differently. I think even you would admit that U of I WOULD NOT have lost 19 games last season with one or both players. Neither you or Brooks are experts.
April 6th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Brooks, I didnt rip Weber for this season, i did last season. I’m not all giddy about it like you are. We won enough games to get in the tourny. It was a pretty weak schedule. We didnt really beat anybody we shouldnt have or couldnt have. The Purdue win at there place was a good win, although they didnt have there best player. After 6 years and i’m supposed to be all giddy about a 1 and done in the tourny. Yet if i remember right, you blast Self for going 1 and done in the tourny at kanas 3 years ago. What are you, Bruce Webers brother? Still no answer to the question, What big game has Weber won with kids that arent that talented? We beat a good mizzou team early in the year when they werent near the team they were at the end of the year. We beat Purdue twice when they didnt have hummel. We lost to Clemson at home and we lost both games to MSU. What other top 20 team did we play? Did we improve as the season went along? Hey I’m all for Weber doing good, I just dont see anything to brag about up till know.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
bbj, You don’t have clue about coaching or sports. You praise a coach who was run out of Florida for being a terrible bench coach. He has had one winning season at Illinois and his players this year underachieved the whole season, but, you don’t blame him. Then you turn around and bad mouth a coach who has had one losing season in is coaching career. Who has coached 1 team to the sweet 16 and another to the NC game. He has taken teams to the NCAA tournament every year but 1 in his career and he has never been fired in his career. You bad mouth kids who overachieved this year and praise players on a team who underachieved this year. If you knew only half of what you think you know, you still wouldn’t have a clue.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Hey Maybe you also can join BBJ on the I don’t know crap about sports team. I would say you talk a good game, but I would be lying. I doubt if you saw more than 4 games this year, if you saw more, then you even less knowledgeable than I gave you credit for. I have been in coaching field for over 25 years and in those 20 years, I never met a fan, parent or alumi, that was so unknowledgable as you and BBJ.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
OH yes BBJ, I forgot they beat Wisconsin also.
April 6th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
No hang ups at all DLM. I give Ron Gunther alot of credit for hiring a coach, for are team, that fit great with the talent that was here. Lets not forget about that. You sound like Brooks. Wouldve shouldve couldve, I am trying to get brooks to prove to me, how much better a job Weber has done then Zook.
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Gator, Can you tell me the difference of the Florida Program, that Zook Left for Meyer, compared to the program he took over at illinois? Meyer won that first title with recruits that Zook put in place. Can you look into the future and tell us that, you know for certain Zook wouldnt of won a championship that same year? Do you think Zook has had that same kind of talent at illinois, that he was able to put together down at Florida? I have been arguing with Brooks and Lizard over them telling me that up to this point, Weber has done a better job then Zook. The Football program is better today, then when Zook took it over. Is the basketball team better, has it been even close to the same team that was in place for him when he got here? As for Zook needing good assistants, Doesnt Joe Pa have some good assistants? How about the USC program, or the oklahoma program, or even the Florida Program? Why is it different if Zook has a good assistant coach. Doesnt all the best programs have top notch assistants?