Maui Championship Pregame: Illinois vs Butler, Wednesday, November 21th, 9:00pm CT, ESPN

[ShaneoIllini]

Have been holding off on posting and just trying to enjoy the games, but I really want this win tonight. In the grand scheme of things this win might shed some light on where we stand with making the tourney.

Not saying, but just saying information here. Took the time to look all this up on wikipedia, but then actually found a website showing all the info.

-Of the 27 years this tournament has been held 25 of the 27 winners have made the tournament.

-No Maui Invitational winner since 1987 has missed the tournament

-Of the 25 winners none has been seeded lower then 10

Also from the website this little bit.

That comes out to four national champions, one national runner-up, two semifinalists, two elite eight appearances, four trips to the sweet 16, eight second round exits, four one-and-dones, and just two squads left out of the field.

Maui Invitational Winners

Not saying we are destined for a National Championship or anything, but man would it make me feel good to win this thing. Especially after seeing the guys lose in 00' to Arizona and knowing how bitter that left me feeling.

[Illini B-Ball Fan]

Now that we've all had 8 hours of regular sleep over each of the last few nights (yeah, right), it's time to tame the bulldogs into puppy dogs. That plane ride back to IL will be so much nicer having won the championship. Illini are looking good right now and wins this one!

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by ShaneoIllini

Have been holding off on posting and just trying to enjoy the games, but I really want this win tonight. In the grand scheme of things this win might shed some light on where we stand with making the tourney.

Not saying, but just saying information here. Took the time to look all this up on wikipedia, but then actually found a website showing all the info.

-Of the 27 years this tournament has been held 25 of the 27 winners have made the tournament.

-No Maui Invitational winner since 1987 has missed the tournament

-Of the 25 winners none has been seeded lower then 10

Also from the website this little bit.



Maui Invitational Winners

Not saying we are destined for a National Championship or anything, but man would it make me feel good to win this thing. Especially after seeing the guys lose in 00' to Arizona and knowing how bitter that left me feeling.

Wow, nice find. Interesting stuff. Thanks for posting

[IntenselyOrange]

I didn't watch our game but did watch a bit of Butler. They're a solid team. They're physical and well coached. Tough matchup for us. We'll find out tonight whether we really have a different mentality. And thankfully, I'll be able to watch given that I don't have to work tomorrow.

[Psycho 86]

This is going to be a tough game. Im looking forward to seeing how our team handles a team that is a mirror image of itself.

GO ILLINI !!

[freebird6]

Originally Posted by Psycho 86

This is going to be a tough game. Im looking forward to seeing how our team handles a team that is a mirror image of itself.

GO ILLINI !!

FOr those of you who do not know, JG is very very close with Brad. THey talk many times a week regarding philosophies and game plans. I am looking forward to this one. The Illini are looking very much like his Ohio teams in defensive philosophy, toughness and BBIQ. For anyone still lamenting the three ball....well you might as well get used to it because it is a big part of the method of playing inside out. Opens up the inside as the shooters loosen the defense. THat said, Butler is mentally tough and physically punishing. Will be interesting to see how much the culture in the locker room has changed in 6 months.

[breadman]

JG said in an earlier post game presser that they have not been hit right between the eyeballs yet. This game might be that game. Butler has had the tougher road to get here. So, I'm trending towards B until our boys prove me wrong.

[Blessd24]

This would be an exceedingly nice game to win for a number of obvious reasons.

But it would be really nice to go home for 3 (seemingly) easily winnable games against Gardner-Webb, Georgia Tech, and Norfolk St.

Winning this game has us 9-0 heading to Spokane on December 8th.

[illinichick]

Tonight will be a real test for our team, and I for one am excited to be proudly be watching and talking about IL bball with family and friends! Someone posted earlier this week about the Maui championship always being on at the bars the night before Thanksgiving. And we're in it!

Another high scoring one, but a little closer:
86
Butler 82

[job71188]

This will be the best coached team we've played yet this year and it will be interesting to see how Stevens game-plans against us. Don't know if Butler will be more wore out after the UNC game, but I expect Groce to try to increase the tempo and Stevens to try to slow it down. Whoever controls the tempo will control the game.

[HoopCity]

Originally Posted by HoopCity

Originally Posted by HoopCity
Can't wait to see whom our beat writer picks for this next game ?? Support your local team for those close games so your bread keeps getting buttered !!

I prefer a beat writer who understands basketball and tells our fans what we wan't to hear in what obvious was going to be maybe a close game, this is not ridiculous and just respect for our fans !!! Everything I read talked about SC on the net from California was they were not very good and rebuilding.

Originally Posted by mattcoldagelli

Originally Posted by mattcoldagelli

This is an absurd post. It is not the beat writer's job to tell fans what they want to hear, it is to tell them what he thinks based on his observations and conversations. Marcus Jackson was hardly the only one thinking this would be a close game between two relatively unknown commodities.

I have been reading so many posts on here but to say it is absurd for "our" local beat writer not to lean towards his local team in what was suppose to be a close game is absurd in itself !! I am sure the beat writer at OSU isn't picking the other team in a close match ??

He picked the other team from his observations although the observations that have been posted on here lean the other way. People on here do their homework for free, the beat writer gets paid and has been to practices, knows what we got and still picks the other team. Come on, there has to be some sort of loyalty here on close games !!! Obviously his observations and conversations were slanted and with the wrong people .......

Not giving our new coaches and new system the benefit of doubt early in the season is not going to ruin his career .....

Knowing coach Groce for the last 10 years I am getting just what I expected. Run and gun basketball with some great seniors and underclassmen.

Playing Butler, I am sure he is picking them .......................

[Blessd24]

Originally Posted by HoopCity

Knowing coach Groce for the last 10 years I am getting just what I expected.

You dropped something.

[HsvIllini]

Originally Posted by ShaneoIllini

Have been holding off on posting and just trying to enjoy the games, but I really want this win tonight. In the grand scheme of things this win might shed some light on where we stand with making the tourney.

Not saying, but just saying information here. Took the time to look all this up on wikipedia, but then actually found a website showing all the info.

-Of the 27 years this tournament has been held 25 of the 27 winners have made the tournament.

-No Maui Invitational winner since 1987 has missed the tournament

-Of the 25 winners none has been seeded lower then 10

Also from the website this little bit.



Maui Invitational Winners

Not saying we are destined for a National Championship or anything, but man would it make me feel good to win this thing. Especially after seeing the guys lose in 00' to Arizona and knowing how bitter that left me feeling.

One more little random fun fact I noticed - of the 4 teams that went on to win a National Championship, 3 of them were during a leap year. Hello 2012

[HoopCity]

Originally Posted by Blessd24

You dropped something.

what ?

[IlliniFandom]

I think that we'll be really testing our defense with their ability to shoot the three. What I saw of their play in the 2nd half, they are a live and die by the three. So our entire team needs to be on top of their game and defend that 3 pointer like nobody's business. If we do that, I think we win. But because they are a three point shooting team, no game is ever out of reach for them. Even with a fast start, we will have to show poise to ensure they don't make a run on us that will get the game back to even or worse.

I think we have it in us to win so I'm saying:

ILL - 65
Butler - 59

[IlliNYC]

12 point win. 75-63.

[ChiTownIllini22]

Originally Posted by IlliniFandom

I think that we'll be really testing our defense with their ability to shoot the three. What I saw of their play in the 2nd half, they are a live and die by the three. So our entire team needs to be on top of their game and defend that 3 pointer like nobody's business. If we do that, I think we win. But because they are a three point shooting team, no game is ever out of reach for them. Even with a fast start, we will have to show poise to ensure they don't make a run on us that will get the game back to even or worse.

I think we have it in us to win so I'm saying:

ILL - 65
Butler - 59

You can probably say the exact same thing from the Butler persepective about us as well.

[IlliniRyan13]

Well I think Groce will get his wish tonight as we're certainly going to get punched in the mouth. Let's see how we hold up. But this just looks like our tournament to win.

73

Bulldogs- 71

[ButlerWay]

Originally Posted by IlliniFandom

I think that we'll be really testing our defense with their ability to shoot the three. What I saw of their play in the 2nd half, they are a live and die by the three. So our entire team needs to be on top of their game and defend that 3 pointer like nobody's business. If we do that, I think we win. But because they are a three point shooting team, no game is ever out of reach for them. Even with a fast start, we will have to show poise to ensure they don't make a run on us that will get the game back to even or worse.

I think we have it in us to win so I'm saying:

ILL - 65
Butler - 59

Butler is certainly going to be at their best when they are shooting the 3 well, but they proved against Marquette that they are hardly live and die by it. They won that game, scoring 72 points in 65 possessions, despite shooting 4-21 from 3. Marquette basically left Butler's forwards in ISO all night long, desperate to prevent 3 point looks, and it hurt them. It's important to find a balance between the defense Marquette played and the defense UNC played.

For Illinois to succeed on offense they need to do two things IMO. First, they need to get good dribble penetration at the basket. Butler's guards aren't very quick, but they play very tough. While they have been allowing dribble penetration, they have been forcing guards to take poor angles and not drive directly to the rim.

Second, Illinois needs to be discipline in the half court set. Butler is one of the better defensive rebounding teams in the nation. Offenses usually only get one look, so its important to make it a quality one. Early on UNC was settling for the first halfway decent look they could find. Unless you are just on fire, that is usually a recipe for disaster against Butler's defense.

[WizardBill]

Originally Posted by IntenselyOrange

We'll find out tonight whether we really have a different mentality.

I have already seen a different mentality. While tonight's matchup might show some things that we have not yet seen, I have already seen a new approach for these guys.

1.). They are not playing scared.
2.). They ARE having fun.
3.). They DO believe in the system.

While they might NOT win tonight, this is a different team of the same guys.

[Redbirds33333]

IL - 68
Butler - 63

[Blessd24]

Originally Posted by HoopCity

what ?

I was kidding. You dropped a name.

[illynifan34]

A big question I have with this team is, what happens when we play a team that we can't dictate tempo to, and have to grind it out. We might find out tonight.

[Dan]

Illini to meet Butler in title game

"It's a great opportunity," Groce said of the chance to square off with a Butler program that reached the national championship game in 2010 and 2011. "They are really well coached, really tough. They are an older team, our guys are older and we're looking forward to the challenge.

"Brad and I are really good friends. I have a great respect for him not only as a coach but as a person. Usually we talk a lot of Xs and Os but we decided not to this season until we got through this. I'm awful proud of what he's been able to accomplish."

Tupper

Illinois 84, Chaminade 61: Butler on tap

"Our guys have earned that right with the way that they played, with their effort," Illinois coach John Groce said. "Our execution, I think, continues to get better to make us a more complete team."

Separated by 120 miles, Illinois and Butler haven't met since 1971. They'll pick up with two coaches linked to the Illinois opening last spring: one who took it (John Groce) and one who was rumored to show interest (Brad Stevens).

Marcus Jackson

[Botb9]

Do you think the players have an extra edge in this game, knowing that Stevens rejected coming here?