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After early exit, Illinois coach working on next season

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois' season of struggle taught Bruce Weber a lot. The head coach said that he learned the Illini's bad free-throw shooting is a tough habit to break. Weber also learned that he needs to find a consistent scoring threat.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois' season of struggle taught Bruce Weber a lot.

The head coach said that he learned the Illini's bad free-throw shooting is a tough habit to break. Weber also learned that he needs to find a consistent scoring threat.

And, he said during a season-wrapup news conference, he learned that fan expectations and the power of the Internet can be a poisonous combination.

"Your success in the conference doesn't mean anything anymore," Weber said, referring to criticism from fans who he said expect annual trips to the Final Four. "Only four teams can go a year, you know? So do they expect you to go every year?"

The Illini bowed out of the NCAA Tournament this year after one game, a 54-52 loss to Virginia Tech. Just two seasons ago Illinois played for the title, losing, 75-70, to North Carolina.

Fans writing on the Internet, as well as some newspaper and talk-radio commentators, took aim at Weber before and after Illinois' loss to the Hokies.

The Illini finished 23-12, but were battered by injuries, weak offense and off-court trouble that fed much of the criticism.

After leading the Big Ten in three-point shooting his freshman year, guard Jamar Smith struggled to score, then missed the end of the season after a traffic accident. He has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of drunken driving and leaving the scene of the Feb. 12 crash.

Teammate Brian Carlwell, Smith's passenger, was seriously injured in the wreck, and hasn't yet been cleared by doctors to play. Weber said he hoped the freshman center could starting working out soon.

Smith's future with the team depends, among other things, on what happens in criminal court, the coach said.

With or without Smith, Weber said, the team will have to find a scorer. Illinois averaged 64.1 points a game, ninth in the 11-team Big Ten.

"At one point he was a pretty good shooter," Weber said, adding that Smith is participating in postseason practice. "We've got to figure out somebody that can score for us so we can make some steps offensively."

Illinois' free-throw shooting was even worse - last in the conference at 62.4 percent.

Weber likened the effort needed to improve from the line to that of smokers trying to kick the habit. The coach said players have to admit that they are bad free-throw shooters, then be willing to work on the flawed mechanics that are often responsible.

"It's frustrating because we do work on it," Weber said. "There are some guys, major coaches in the country, they don't even shoot free throws in practice and they just think it's up to the kids."

What Weber said he could not do much about is the criticism, particularly the complaints from fans who vent on the Internet.

One fan, according to Weber, recently complained online that he had seen the coach at an airport when, in the fan's view, he should have been recruiting. Weber said he was taking his daughter to catch a plane.

"There is nothing you can [do]," Weber said. "The Internet's there. People love it, people live on it."