Illinois 94, USC 64 POSTGAME

IlliniFreak7 · Nov 20, 2012, 01:07 AM

This team looked great. The sloppy play at the beginning of the second half killed me tho as that is something we can't afford against better teams. We were 12/8 a/t the first half and 5/12 the second, that can't happen. However, that being said I'm the most excited I've been in a while, great to watch fun ball again!!

drumanimal · Nov 20, 2012, 01:07 AM

Wow!! What a fun first half to watch!! 2nd half different story. I can't believe these are the same players from last year.

BrooksTaylorFan · Nov 20, 2012, 01:08 AM

Definitely worth staying up late for. Huge win. Here's hoping we take care of Chaminade and then bring on North Carolina. Go Illini!

EddiesSweetJ · Nov 20, 2012, 01:09 AM

Pretty incredible the transformation of the 3 teams that hired new coaches.

2 are off and running and it looks like the fresh start will bring a huge turnaround.

The third one ... seems to have taken a nose dive

JimmyChitwood · Nov 20, 2012, 01:09 AM

A lot of chatter about who Kevin O'Neil looks like. I'll go with this one

RIP Jimmy

Awesome game boys!

Illini70math · Nov 20, 2012, 01:12 AM

9 Observations from the USC Game:

1. Let's be honest, USC is not a very good basketball team. They have lots of talented individuals, but they are a poor team at this point. Some called them the All-Airport team, and that's about right for now. Several of us suggested this was the case, only to be told by other posters that USC was quite good. Not really. If it's any consolation to those folks, Andy Katz was on your side!

2. Some criticized the scheduling of the Hawaii game, and surely it is a risk, but part of why we came out so locked in was probably the successful Hawaii game we had under our belts. Of course, it could have gone the other way, but that's college basketball.

3. A team looks awfully good when the shots are falling! We are not as good as we looked in the first half (think back to some of our awesome shooting displays early by the 2011 team), but this game did give a taste of the promise of what we can be. At times in the second half we definitely looked like mere mortals, but I think the West Chester game helped us to finish this one in good shape.

4. USC plays a rather physical game with a lot of pushing, which makes sense with their size, but we outrebounded them by a 2 to 1 margin. We have excellent athletes, and we were simply quicker to the ball in many cases. The best part is that our rebounds were really spread around among our players, so everyone is contributing in this area. We were a bit sloppy with the ball in the second half, but overall our ballhandling was pretty good. We had too many turnovers (20) for most games, but our rebounding evened that out.

5. We can shoot free throws! Who knew? It was good to see us do well from the stripe in this game as that has been a problem lately. One game doesn't mean the problem is solved, but it is a step in the right direction.

6. This was probably the most complete game we have played in the sense that all parts of the team showed well in this one. Our guards continued to dazzle (remember how worried we were about the point guard position), and our bigs did a nice job in this one as well. We are not a small team really, and our bigs did their job against USC. Was Sam an important "get" for us this summer, or not! (If you answered "not", go to the back of the class!)

7. As good as our offense was in the first half with shot after shot dropping, our defense looked good too. Ultimately we know that defense is what will keep us in games in the B1G, so that was good to see. We are not "there" yet, but we are starting to master this defensive system.

8. One summer "prediction" I feel pretty good about now is that the players on this roster are a very good match for our new offensive and defensive systems. Just to single out Brandon, it is obvious that he is much more comfortable in this offense as a lead guard than he was as a point guard in a ball-control offense. He has a chance to have a special season, and help himself a lot in his pro aspirations.

9. On to Chaminade! I like our chances in that one, but I think it could be a tough game. They have some guys who can play, and they play well as a team. Win that game, and we have a successful Maui trip no matter what.

Go Illini!

lstewart53x3 · Nov 20, 2012, 01:14 AM

Another thing: I'm not going to lie, after the Hawaii game, I was a little worried about our presence down low, but WOW - did they play well tonight or what? We definitely have the pieces of a VERY good team.

How will everything turn out? Well, that's why we watch the games : )

Magoo2 · Nov 20, 2012, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DG1985

yea really hope we get some replays on the great plays.

personally, BP's reverse rates higher than the JB flyer.

As an attendee I have to disagree...JB had to stay up there for that one. USC had terrible fan attendance. We,OTOH, were loud and into it. USC didnt look like they wanted to be there. Great game to see in person. We will be on the big island tomorrow, but I will be tracking with the phone.

ILL!!

IlliniRon · Nov 20, 2012, 01:16 AM

What a game, that was the best Illini basketball game I've seen in person since the Arizona game. We played so well in the first half, and while we made some mistakes in the second half, we rebounded hard and have enough depth we can even deal with some foul trouble. I love the pace Groce has them using, and I love the way Coach is using his bench. After USC made their run, we took our lead back to 30 with some nice overall play, and ran down that clock more.

Now watching ESPN hoping to see that Bertrand dunk again. Had some amazing courtside seats and same routine for Chaminade game. GO ILLINI!

blmillini · Nov 20, 2012, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Public

And I'll say something else. This team HAS SO MUCH MORE CONFIDENCE than last year's team, and that's a direct reflection from our leader. Did you see the interaction and communication between our players tonight, and the confidence in where they needed to be and what they needed to do? Incredible transformation.

Griffey is the one I notice the most. That guy is ready to take the shot everytime he touches the ball without hesitation. That is just confidence. Bertrand too.

Public · Nov 20, 2012, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyChitwood

A lot of chatter about who Kevin O'Neil looks like. I'll go with this one

RIP Jimmy

Awesome game boys!

Two points:
1). Be careful on our rebound dominance tonight. USC was too concerned about getting back on defense and not going after offensive rebounds. Still a concern.
2). Our play reflected an increased confidence in ourselves. Thank you coach.

IlliniFreak7 · Nov 20, 2012, 01:23 AM

One of the biggest differences between the first and second half was the shot selection. First half, almost no bad shots were taken whereas the second half we had at least 10. Good thing is that is definitely something that can be worked on

Public · Nov 20, 2012, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IlliniFreak7

One of the biggest differences between the first and second half was the shot selection. First half, almost no bad shots were taken whereas the second half we had at least 10. Good thing is that is definitely something that can be worked on

Yes

blmillini · Nov 20, 2012, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IlliniFreak7

One of the biggest differences between the first and second half was the shot selection. First half, almost no bad shots were taken whereas the second half we had at least 10. Good thing is that is definitely something that can be worked on

The shot selection was a direct result of increased pressure from USC.

IlliniFreak7 · Nov 20, 2012, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blmillini

The shot selection was a direct result of increased pressure from USC.

I'll give you some of it but there were some down right stupid shots that did not need to be taken. USC defense definitely improved in the second half tho

blmillini · Nov 20, 2012, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IlliniFreak7

I'll give you some of it but there were some down right stupid shots that did not need to be taken. USC defense definitely improved in the second half tho

Not disagreeing, just thought some of it was related to pressure.

zoggle101 · Nov 20, 2012, 01:48 AM

Wow, we played out of our mInds in the first half. Just insane. I came away thinking USC couldn't beat a juco team. I'm not saying I know more about the Trojans than Kevin O Neil because he made adjustments after that horrid start. The Biggest was no Oraby. He couldn't keep up and honestly Blasczyk looked better. He started a lot last year but was displaced by Oraby when he transferred. The kid brought some energy. Playing Fuller and Stewart more helped too. He needs to get both of those guys along with Woolridge who looked really solid in his minimal tic more minutes. Stewart even if the stats don't how it from his days as. Demon Deacon was a dynamic wing and in my opinion better than Terrel. I wonder what happened and if his confidence is down with the few minutes each Hal O'Neil throws him. The little walkon pg brought some energy to the game in the second half ultimately helping to wear us down so Fontan could be more effective. We looked like a top 15 team in the first half but if we don't shoot an insane percentage the game isn't close but more competitive.

I never toughted USC as a top 25 club but one who just fell off the bubble back on NIT status but hey run with it. They made us look plain bad at times in the second half. I said Hawaii was good too. They'll improve all year and fight for a top 5 PAC finish in a really improved conference and most likely no worse than sixth since OSU lost valuable big man Angus Brandt.

Look at Texas and USC who might have been a little jet lagged and remember how we played against a tough Hawaii team for much of he game. I agree that game helped out with tonight even if it was a dangerous matchup.

Bruce Bruceton · Nov 20, 2012, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blmillini

17 assists / 20 TOs not great but most of that was in the 2nd half.
39-18 in rebounds... WOW!!!
53% shooting, 45% from 3 and 88% FT... nicely done
11 steals pretty good

11 steals is just pretty good? Great game this team is exciting to watch and got good looks when they pushed the ball. Energy just seemed a lot higher, you could especially see it on the player defending the inbound pass. Also there where some wow dunks that were easily top 10 SC worthy.

This team may have weaknesses but I think tonight they showed that they have the potential to be a top 25 team that can score with any team in the country. We may live and die by the 3 this year, but when you're 1-4 can shoot the 3, it's going to be hard for teams to guard the perimeter for the entire shot clock.

combes · Nov 20, 2012, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blmillini

The shot selection was a direct result of increased pressure from USC.

It was also the direct result of being up 30 at the half. Human nature to lose some focus in that situation.

jonnymo · Nov 20, 2012, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbo007

Good teams almost always slip up at least once or twice in a season. Hopefully we'll get the opportunity to be one of their slip ups.

POD!!! But would this be POD for Monday or Tuesday??

KBLEE · Nov 20, 2012, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by illinois_hustle

That 1st half was the most fun I've had during a half of basketball in a LONG time!

Exactly what I was thinking.

Illini B-Ball Fan · Nov 20, 2012, 03:31 AM

Great win and impressive stats - on to the next one. Go Illini!

Illinell · Nov 20, 2012, 04:36 AM

Amazing! Went to bed after first half excited, partially due to great play and partially due to lingering fear of another meltdown from years past.

Woke up very happy. I know we will have some bad games this year but I absolutely love the energy of our team.

ctblaisdell83 · Nov 20, 2012, 05:10 AM

Couple quick observations...

We were definitely in their heads in the first half. They looked way out of control and playing faster than they should to keep up

Wanting it - one play in first half, loose ball in the UI end. Four Illini on the floor getting after it and one USC player standing there, leaning over looking for the ball to come to him

Everyone on this team looks way improved from last year, and something I've noticed is in-game adjustments (coaches and players). Over a couple of minutes I saw us go from horrible passing to the post/positioning in the post to Egwu and McL layups on nice quick post entries and shots.

JoeJ · Nov 20, 2012, 05:34 AM

Watched most of the game before heading off to work. Amazed I did not wake my wife up with the great 1st half. Went to work with ~8 minutes to go. Was the JoeB dunk near the end? 57 points in the 1st half. 57 points in the first half. Against a D-1 school with the point spread even. 57 points.....
GO ILLINI!

Nov 20, 2012, 01:16 AM	#84
IlliniRon Illini Basketball Fan Forever Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,271	What a game, that was the best Illini basketball game I've seen in person since the Arizona game. We played so well in the first half, and while we made some mistakes in the second half, we rebounded hard and have enough depth we can even deal with some foul trouble. I love the pace Groce has them using, and I love the way Coach is using his bench. After USC made their run, we took our lead back to 30 with some nice overall play, and ran down that clock more. Now watching ESPN hoping to see that Bertrand dunk again. Had some amazing courtside seats and same routine for Chaminade game. GO ILLINI! __________________ Maybe this is our Year

Nov 20, 2012, 01:48 AM	#92
zoggle101 Location: Spfld, IL Posts: 4,410	Wow, we played out of our mInds in the first half. Just insane. I came away thinking USC couldn't beat a juco team. I'm not saying I know more about the Trojans than Kevin O Neil because he made adjustments after that horrid start. The Biggest was no Oraby. He couldn't keep up and honestly Blasczyk looked better. He started a lot last year but was displaced by Oraby when he transferred. The kid brought some energy. Playing Fuller and Stewart more helped too. He needs to get both of those guys along with Woolridge who looked really solid in his minimal tic more minutes. Stewart even if the stats don't how it from his days as. Demon Deacon was a dynamic wing and in my opinion better than Terrel. I wonder what happened and if his confidence is down with the few minutes each Hal O'Neil throws him. The little walkon pg brought some energy to the game in the second half ultimately helping to wear us down so Fontan could be more effective. We looked like a top 15 team in the first half but if we don't shoot an insane percentage the game isn't close but more competitive. I never toughted USC as a top 25 club but one who just fell off the bubble back on NIT status but hey run with it. They made us look plain bad at times in the second half. I said Hawaii was good too. They'll improve all year and fight for a top 5 PAC finish in a really improved conference and most likely no worse than sixth since OSU lost valuable big man Angus Brandt. Look at Texas and USC who might have been a little jet lagged and remember how we played against a tough Hawaii team for much of he game. I agree that game helped out with tonight even if it was a dangerous matchup. Last edited by zoggle101; Nov 20, 2012 at 01:53 AM.

Nov 20, 2012, 01:07 AM	#76
IlliniFreak7 Banned Posts: 210	This team looked great. The sloppy play at the beginning of the second half killed me tho as that is something we can't afford against better teams. We were 12/8 a/t the first half and 5/12 the second, that can't happen. However, that being said I'm the most excited I've been in a while, great to watch fun ball again!!

Nov 20, 2012, 01:07 AM	#77
drumanimal Location: Urbana, IL Posts: 430	Wow!! What a fun first half to watch!! 2nd half different story. I can't believe these are the same players from last year.

Nov 20, 2012, 01:08 AM	#78
BrooksTaylorFan Location: Illinois Posts: 4,741	Definitely worth staying up late for. Huge win. Here's hoping we take care of Chaminade and then bring on North Carolina. Go Illini!

Nov 20, 2012, 01:09 AM	#79
EddiesSweetJ Posts: 210	Pretty incredible the transformation of the 3 teams that hired new coaches. 2 are off and running and it looks like the fresh start will bring a huge turnaround. The third one ... seems to have taken a nose dive

Nov 20, 2012, 01:09 AM	#80
JimmyChitwood Location: Central IL Posts: 384	A lot of chatter about who Kevin O'Neil looks like. I'll go with this one RIP Jimmy Awesome game boys!

Nov 20, 2012, 01:12 AM	#81
Illini70math Posts: 1,651	9 Observations from the USC Game: 1. Let's be honest, USC is not a very good basketball *team*. They have lots of talented individuals, but they are a poor team at this point. Some called them the All-Airport team, and that's about right for now. Several of us suggested this was the case, only to be told by other posters that USC was quite good. Not really. If it's any consolation to those folks, Andy Katz was on your side! 2. Some criticized the scheduling of the Hawaii game, and surely it is a risk, but part of why we came out so locked in was probably the successful Hawaii game we had under our belts. Of course, it could have gone the other way, but that's college basketball. 3. A team looks awfully good when the shots are falling! We are not as good as we looked in the first half (think back to some of our awesome shooting displays early by the 2011 team), but this game did give a taste of the promise of what we can be. At times in the second half we definitely looked like mere mortals, but I think the West Chester game helped us to finish this one in good shape. 4. USC plays a rather physical game with a lot of pushing, which makes sense with their size, but we outrebounded them by a 2 to 1 margin. We have excellent athletes, and we were simply quicker to the ball in many cases. The best part is that our rebounds were really spread around among our players, so everyone is contributing in this area. We were a bit sloppy with the ball in the second half, but overall our ballhandling was pretty good. We had too many turnovers (20) for most games, but our rebounding evened that out. 5. We can shoot free throws! Who knew? It was good to see us do well from the stripe in this game as that has been a problem lately. One game doesn't mean the problem is solved, but it is a step in the right direction. 6. This was probably the most complete game we have played in the sense that all parts of the team showed well in this one. Our guards continued to dazzle (remember how worried we were about the point guard position), and our bigs did a nice job in this one as well. We are not a small team really, and our bigs did their job against USC. Was Sam an important "get" for us this summer, or not! (If you answered "not", go to the back of the class!) 7. As good as our offense was in the first half with shot after shot dropping, our defense looked good too. Ultimately we know that defense is what will keep us in games in the B1G, so that was good to see. We are not "there" yet, but we are starting to master this defensive system. 8. One summer "prediction" I feel pretty good about now is that the players on this roster are a very good match for our new offensive and defensive systems. Just to single out Brandon, it is obvious that he is much more comfortable in this offense as a lead guard than he was as a point guard in a ball-control offense. He has a chance to have a special season, and help himself a lot in his pro aspirations. 9. On to Chaminade! I like our chances in that one, but I think it could be a tough game. They have some guys who can play, and they play well as a team. Win that game, and we have a successful Maui trip no matter what. Go Illini!

Nov 20, 2012, 01:14 AM	#82
lstewart53x3 Location: Chambana Posts: 1,329	Another thing: I'm not going to lie, after the Hawaii game, I was a little worried about our presence down low, but WOW - did they play well tonight or what? We definitely have the pieces of a VERY good team. How will everything turn out? Well, that's why we watch the games : )

Nov 20, 2012, 01:23 AM	#87
IlliniFreak7 Banned Posts: 210	One of the biggest differences between the first and second half was the shot selection. First half, almost no bad shots were taken whereas the second half we had at least 10. Good thing is that is definitely something that can be worked on

Nov 20, 2012, 03:31 AM	#97
Illini B-Ball Fan Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 170	Great win and impressive stats - on to the next one. Go Illini!

Nov 20, 2012, 04:36 AM	#98
Illinell '03 IMPE All Star Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 552	Amazing! Went to bed after first half excited, partially due to great play and partially due to lingering fear of another meltdown from years past. Woke up very happy. I know we will have some bad games this year but I absolutely love the energy of our team.

Nov 20, 2012, 05:10 AM	#99
ctblaisdell83 Posts: 481	Couple quick observations... We were definitely in their heads in the first half. They looked way out of control and playing faster than they should to keep up Wanting it - one play in first half, loose ball in the UI end. Four Illini on the floor getting after it and one USC player standing there, leaning over looking for the ball to come to him Everyone on this team looks way improved from last year, and something I've noticed is in-game adjustments (coaches and players). Over a couple of minutes I saw us go from horrible passing to the post/positioning in the post to Egwu and McL layups on nice quick post entries and shots.

Nov 20, 2012, 05:34 AM	#100
JoeJ Posts: 128	Watched most of the game before heading off to work. Amazed I did not wake my wife up with the great 1st half. Went to work with ~8 minutes to go. Was the JoeB dunk near the end? 57 points in the 1st half. 57 points in the first half. Against a D-1 school with the point spread even. 57 points..... GO ILLINI!