Illinois 51, Michigan 44 POSTGAME

illini4everjp · Feb 23, 2010, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IlliniSteve

Yep. It wasn't the best game of basketball we've played, but we got the win on the road. That's all that matters.

Yep, it was a win and it was on the road. In late Feb, thats all that happens.

Three simple words.
One.
More.
Win.

moe.fan · Feb 23, 2010, 10:26 PM

I thought Davis played really well tonight. He closed out on boards and ran the floor.

When was the last time anyone has seen him make a move from the 3-line and drive to the basket? He got fouled on the play, but that really stood out to me. I'd bet Coach brings that up in the film session. Btw, he missed both free-throws, but it's the principle of it all

I agree it was an ugly game, but I'll take that win any day.

To whomever mentioned the post-interview handshake by DMac, I agree. It was a nice touch and Musburger and Lavin seemed suprised by it. Nice game DMac! He really comes through when we need a tough bucket.... or two, and lets me breathe a little easier.

Serious Late · Feb 23, 2010, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moe.fan

I thought Davis played really well tonight. He closed out on boards and ran the floor.

When was the last time anyone has seen him make a move from the 3-line and drive to the basket? He got fouled on the play, but that really stood out to me. I'd bet Coach brings that up in the film session. Btw, he missed both free-throws, but it's the principle of it all

I agree it was an ugly game, but I'll take that win any day.

To whomever mentioned the post-interview handshake by DMac, I agree. It was a nice touch and Musburger and Lavin seemed suprised by it. Nice game DMac! He really comes through when we need a tough bucket.... or two, and lets me breathe a little easier.

DMac is making me prouder each and every day. Both through his actions on the court and off it. His transformation preparing for this season, and continual adjustments during the season has been far and away the highlight of this year.

illinois_hustle · Feb 23, 2010, 10:36 PM

An Illini-ku:

Low-scoring affair
But an ugly game counts too
Must win and we did

SomedaySon · Feb 23, 2010, 10:50 PM

Just got back from the game...sat ten rows behind the basket.

I think it was the ugliest game I've ever witnessed. I didn't know that Michigan shot so poorly until after the game. Their supposed NBA guard missed four layups in the second half alone.

We got three huge breaks from the refs as three calls went our way in the last third of the second half. I can't recall them all now, but it brought a few "ref you xxxx" from the weak student section.

To say the arena was half full would be generous. I took some photos late in the first half. Place was empty. Crush, great place to go to in 2011. The section just to the left of the band as you stood at center court was almost completely open. Great place for a bunch of orange seats.

It was pretty weak that the student fans were grabbing their coats and leaving before the game was over. What kind of student section is that?

Got a chance to high five each of the players as they ran off the court and Bruce as well.

I can't think of an uglier game in quite a few years. It was great to get a win. I said after about five minutes of the first half that 48 points would be enough to win this game. Unfortunately I was right.

Well, this ends a run of three games in a row for me. After the worst home loss since 1976 and a great game that got away at Purdue, I was glad to see a win on the road. I'm pretty frustrated that the Wisky game is on Sunday at noon as it's the only time that weekend I can't make it, but so it goes. Perhaps I'll catch a BTT game.

Peace,
Matt

IlliniRon · Feb 23, 2010, 11:22 PM

Starting to watch this on ESPN360, but hard to believe Michigan has regressed so much, or said differently, such a disappointment from expectations this year. Did this set any records for cold shooting, by the way?

Illest · Feb 23, 2010, 11:26 PM

I don't know why this game made everyone so unhappy. Sure, it was ugly, and we won largely because Michigan had a flukishly awful evening shooting the ball. But this game was a toss-up on paper, yet we won somewhat comfortably. I'll take that any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.

I've been saying that I thought Mike Davis and Brandon Paul were potentially determinative to our season. Though Paul's stat line shows too many turnovers, I suspect the scorekeeper gave one or two to him that should have gone to DJ. While he has lapses, I've felt that he's been doing a better job playing within himself. It's good to see him developing after the really bad stretch of play he had in January. The kid just oozes potential.

Mike Davis sure takes a lot of heat from posters for a guy who gets you ten double-doubles a year. I was pleased to see him running the floor well tonight; I've always thought he's at his best offensively when he uses his speed to get open around the hoop.

Anyone notice what a shallow bench Weber used tonight? Paul played 15, Griffey 3, Jordan 4, and Keller 1. Cole was the only started who logged under 37 minutes.

At this stage, I think one more win ices a tourney bid. I hope the team comes out with focus on Saturday so we can celebrate and start focusing on seeding. I'm pleased to get the W, and hopeful that we can close out the regular season with some great basketball.

ilphotog · Feb 23, 2010, 11:37 PM

This team reminds me of carnival rides. The 2004-05 team was like going to Six-Flags, thrilling at times but you always seemed fairly secure during the ride.
This team is like rides at the county fair, sometimes thrilling and sometimes terrifying even on the most innocent ride.

360Illinoisfan · Feb 24, 2010, 12:16 AM

What an ugly game, at least we got the win.

IlliniRon · Feb 24, 2010, 12:30 AM

That was a really physical game. Lots of fouls that were not called on both sides. I'm sure that's why it seemed like such a sloppy game. It gets that way when the refs let them play. Really solid games by DMac, Tisdale and Davis. DJ looked solid as well. I was impressed with how quickly Tisdale was patched up and put back on the floor by Dr. Kyrouac. Tisdale, Cole and Davis seemed to really help keep Michigan off balance with their height on the defensive end. Any win on the road in Ann Arbor is great in my opinion.

I'm thinking we could win 2 of the next 3 games and look pretty strong heading into the conference tourney. Not sure why we should lose either home game. OSU will be tough on the road.

IlliniRunIn07 · Feb 24, 2010, 12:42 AM

Demetri's interview after the game. I was interested when I heard about the hand shake. And he definitely DOES do that shoulder shrug thing that people have joked about.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip%3Fid%3D4940111

Can't figure out how to embed the video, but check the link out.

theOriginalBluesBrother · Feb 24, 2010, 04:39 AM

DMac has really shown maturity this year. Very talented young man who (imo) is finally making a name for himself... not "the next DWil". He's not perfect, but sure has made some huge strides. I'm proud of him and still see the sky as his limit if he keeps it up.

Majinga · Feb 24, 2010, 05:32 AM

Hi, everybody. First post here. Illinois graduate and long time supporter of the Illini. Thought I would finally join and root for our team on this site. Today's win wasn't pretty but I believe we are one win away from the dance. It would be nice to get that 20th win as well. Hoping they take care of businees against Minnesota first. Anyway, hope to have some great chats about Illini basketball and other sports. Go Illini!

IntenselyOrange · Feb 24, 2010, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilphotog

This team reminds me of carnival rides. The 2004-05 team was like going to Six-Flags, thrilling at times but you always seemed fairly secure during the ride.
This team is like rides at the county fair, sometimes thrilling and sometimes terrifying even on the most innocent ride.

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

But so true

.

HOOPDOG · Feb 24, 2010, 05:51 AM

Well I said after we beat Iowa @ Iowa that we wouldn't win another game.

We beat Michigan State @ home....so I was wrong
We beat Wisconsin @ Wisconsin....so I was wrong
We beat Michigan @ Michigan.....so I was wrong

I also said there was 0% chance that we make the NCAA tournament...now it looks more like a 70% chance that we get in and with one more win probably closer to 95%. So I must admit that I have never been so happy to be wrong so many times in a season. So lets go ahead and kick the crap out of Minnesota on Saturday, have a nice showing in the BTT and see if we can't get ourselves a W in the first round of the NCAA tournament. GO ILLINI!!!!!

carmelillini · Feb 24, 2010, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by illinijan

I try not to be negative about our players, but I felt Cole got a lot of court time for such little production. I am glad that coach had Cole throwing the ball in at the end of the game so Michigan couldn't foul him. Let's beat Minny.

BP should be getting more minutes. Cole, after playing well early in the year, is becoming a real liability on offense. BP can penetrate so much better. He just needs the court time. He'll be an amazing player for us in the years ahead.

illiniphil85 · Feb 24, 2010, 06:32 AM

Give scUM credit for gift wrapping this game and repeated handing it to us. Unfortunately, we kept dropping it. Beilein has got his work cut out for him and both he and Dick Rod probably got to be feeling some heat.

I'm finally less worried about our D than our offense. We may be giving up wide open 3s, but have done better to limit the easy baskets inside the paint. I have trouble believing that we can't put 5 players on the floor at a time that looks like they've run the motion before. Every time it looks like we get one problem fixed, the power goes out in another area. If the offense was an automobile, we'd be covered by the "Lemon Law".

I'd rather watch a "Facts of Life" marathon than that game again. It does feel a lot better after a good night's sleep. There may be a few things positive about this game, but the win is the only one that comes to mind.

Take this gift and move on. I shudder to think what a loss would have done.

DRS · Feb 24, 2010, 06:43 AM

Take it, that is all I can say about the win.

I thought Illinois had a solid game plan. Don't adjust to the Michigan's 4 guard line-up, maintain the size advantage and allow them the 3pt line. Michigan is the worst 3pt shooting team in the league, that has to be killing Beilien considering his offense is based on making threes. Davis on the offensive side had a smaller man on him and is skilled enough not to let the guards quickness be a factor. I thought Weber did a nice job of recognizing that and playing the advantage.

On a side note, Paul had his best game since very early on in terms of not operating outside the offense. Also, this kid is beginning to use his athleticism in more ways than driving to the hole. Rebounding strong lately, great to see that. Keep finding ways to contribute when the offense isn't there and he'll find more time.

DaytonIllini · Feb 24, 2010, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Majinga

Hi, everybody. First post here. Illinois graduate and long time supporter of the Illini. Thought I would finally join and root for our team on this site. Today's win wasn't pretty but I believe we are one win away from the dance. It would be nice to get that 20th win as well. Hoping they take care of businees against Minnesota first. Anyway, hope to have some great chats about Illini basketball and other sports. Go Illini!

Welcome. I think we are two wins away. Only because a win against Minnesota (not a given) followed by losses to OSU, Wisconsin and Wisconsin in the tournament has us on a losing streak that might sour some. Give me another win over Wisconsin as well as the Gophers and I think we are in.

DaytonIllini · Feb 24, 2010, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illest

I've been saying that I thought Mike Davis and Brandon Paul were potentially determinative to our season. Though Paul's stat line shows too many turnovers, I suspect the scorekeeper gave one or two to him that should have gone to DJ. While he has lapses, I've felt that he's been doing a better job playing within himself. It's good to see him developing after the really bad stretch of play he had in January. The kid just oozes potential.

Potential yes. He also gets a rebound with 30 seconds left and a 6 point lead and just hurls the ball away. uggh.

Quote:

Anyone notice what a shallow bench Weber used tonight? Paul played 15, Griffey 3, Jordan 4, and Keller 1. Cole was the only started who logged under 37 minutes.

Combination of high sphincter tone on Weber and poor play in the first half when he took McCamey out and had the second team in there. They looked really bad for a 2 minute stretch or so.

mmccallum · Feb 24, 2010, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by illinijan

I try not to be negative about our players, but I felt Cole got a lot of court time for such little production. I am glad that coach had Cole throwing the ball in at the end of the game so Michigan couldn't foul him. Let's beat Minny.

I don't understand the rotation Weber uses. Whenever we have a slow game the minutes get severely limited for bench players. I have to believe he knows what he is doing, but some of the starters were NOTICEABLY huffing and puffing in the second half. We have too many good players on the bench to have three starters at 37 min. Check this out and are you surprised the shooting percentage was low in the second half? Talk about playing to MI's strengths. Normally each of those starts play about 10 min less, and with MI having a short bench, why not rotate fresh bodies? (unless some folks were sick or something). Players need bench time when playing a grind out boring game like this. IF I were Semarau I'ld transfer. THere is no way he is going to see any time the rest of this season or next. PLAYING LONG MINUTES LIKE THIS CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT THE FOLLOWING GAME>>>

Richardson 37 min, avg 30 min/game for season, shot 2-12,

Tisdale 37 min, avg 28 min/game for season shot 3-7

McCamey 37 min, avg 33.4 min, give a 5 min break about 2/3 through each half, shot 5-9

Cole 28 min, avg 20 min/game (when shooting 0/5 you gotta give keller and griffey some time), its not like MI is a great team.

Davis 38 min, avg 31 min/game, shot 6/12, and why do you suppose that Davis loses men occassionally or looks out of it? If he played 8-10 fewer minutes, he would have much more spring in his step and probably keep up with those 6'4 guards better.

Paul 15 min (needs at least 5 more min in the game) 2/5, Mr basketball, Weber referred to him as their best defender early in the year, and he spends most of the b10 season on the bench....I know he makes mistakes, but he looked a lot better against Clemson and Vandy when playing more minutes. This is textbook when talking about a starter. Some folks just don't play well coming off the bench and playing 1/3-1/4 of a game. He is avging 18 min/game despite starting almost half the season.

Jordan 4 min (should be around 15 min per game), clearly and offensive liability, but he could have played three times this long, gave some folks a breather and not hurt the team, and his defense tends to be good.

Griffey 3 min (should be closer to 20 min per game or more) 1/1 shooting 1 reb. This is rediculous.

Keller 1 min (should be closer to 20 min per game, but avg's 12/game) I thought this guy was supposed to provide a offensive burst of energy from the bench??? 1 min??? The coach should personally apologize to Keller for 1 min, unless he had some punishment in line that we are not aware of.

MI rotation
Morris 31 min
Douglass 36 min
Novak 33 min
Harris 38 min
Sims 27 min
Gibson 20 min
Lucas-Perry 13 min
Vogrich 2 min

AK Illini · Feb 24, 2010, 06:52 AM

disagree with most of this^

mmccallum · Feb 24, 2010, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilphotog

This team reminds me of carnival rides. The 2004-05 team was like going to Six-Flags, thrilling at times but you always seemed fairly secure during the ride.
This team is like rides at the county fair, sometimes thrilling and sometimes terrifying even on the most innocent ride.

And sometimes the chain breaks on the swing, and the ride throws you across the fairgrounds.....very painfully!

DaytonIllini · Feb 24, 2010, 06:53 AM

What happened to Michigan's zone? Weren't they playing man the whole game? I was expecting a lot more 1-3-1.

Philly Boy · Feb 24, 2010, 06:54 AM

Guess I agree with some of these late posts. Shouldn't be so upset with a win. We were actually underdogs at their place, and we came away with the W. Yes, it was neither pretty nor entertaining, but the object is to win. Last year vs PSU twice and MN away, the games were even uglier and we lost them.

As some have alluded to, one of the reasons MI missed lay-ups was the length -- and good positioning -- of our bigs. They didn't block many, but especially on Harris, he couldn't get the angle he wanted to make the lay-up. Pretty good D. Also, I noted that our bigs have controlled two pretty good opposing centers in the last two games -- PU's Johnson and Sims. Our guys are not "bangers," but height has its advantages, too. Probably helps that Sims and Johnson are more finesse than physical, but they do get up well. I think Tis is showing a lot of improvement the last month on D.

Speaking of Tis, one of our recent new wrinkles that have bedviled recent opponents -- our pick and pop with him -- wasn't there last nite. I think DMac in his interview said something to the effect that MI took it away. I noted that in response BW ADJUSTED and put Tis down lower where he was more open, and he hit a few hooks.

Also, wouldn't you say MI played pretty good D on us? Took away the new wrinkle, forced some turnovers, we didn't have lots of open looks. One thing they did very well was converge when DJ tried to drive, and his only points last nite were a pair of threes and a pair of FT's. DJ actually took more wild shots than did BP.

I fear the next game may be equally ugly, since MN is a defensive team without great shooting, except for Hoffarber (sp?). We beat 'em last year at our place, they don't have Nolen, so I'm hopeful of a W rather than a thing of beauty.

Feb 24, 2010, 04:39 AM	#112
theOriginalBluesBrother Location: living it large in the ATL Posts: 1,220	DMac has really shown maturity this year. Very talented young man who (imo) is finally making a name for himself... not "the next DWil". He's not perfect, but sure has made some huge strides. I'm proud of him and still see the sky as his limit if he keeps it up. __________________ Just like the spelling, with I-l-l-i-n-o-i-s (Football) there is no "D" and a very little "o".

Feb 24, 2010, 05:51 AM	#115
HOOPDOG Location: Rock Island Posts: 898	Well I said after we beat Iowa @ Iowa that we wouldn't win another game. We beat Michigan State @ home....so I was wrong We beat Wisconsin @ Wisconsin....so I was wrong We beat Michigan @ Michigan.....so I was wrong I also said there was 0% chance that we make the NCAA tournament...now it looks more like a 70% chance that we get in and with one more win probably closer to 95%. So I must admit that I have never been so happy to be wrong so many times in a season. So lets go ahead and kick the crap out of Minnesota on Saturday, have a nice showing in the BTT and see if we can't get ourselves a W in the first round of the NCAA tournament. GO ILLINI!!!!! __________________ Illinois Loyalty Floor General

Feb 24, 2010, 06:53 AM	#124
DaytonIllini Posts: 14,912	What happened to Michigan's zone? Weren't they playing man the whole game? I was expecting a lot more 1-3-1. __________________ "To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind for it." Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

Feb 23, 2010, 10:26 PM	#102
moe.fan Posts: 546	I thought Davis played really well tonight. He closed out on boards and ran the floor. When was the last time anyone has seen him make a move from the 3-line and drive to the basket? He got fouled on the play, but that really stood out to me. I'd bet Coach brings that up in the film session. Btw, he missed both free-throws, but it's the principle of it all I agree it was an ugly game, but I'll take that win any day. To whomever mentioned the post-interview handshake by DMac, I agree. It was a nice touch and Musburger and Lavin seemed suprised by it. Nice game DMac! He really comes through when we need a tough bucket.... or two, and lets me breathe a little easier.

Feb 23, 2010, 10:36 PM	#104
illinois_hustle My Kool-Aid needs vodka Location: San Diego Posts: 3,001	An Illini-ku: Low-scoring affair But an ugly game counts too Must win and we did

Feb 23, 2010, 10:50 PM	#105
SomedaySon Location: Bay Area Posts: 231	Just got back from the game...sat ten rows behind the basket. I think it was the ugliest game I've ever witnessed. I didn't know that Michigan shot so poorly until after the game. Their supposed NBA guard missed four layups in the second half alone. We got three huge breaks from the refs as three calls went our way in the last third of the second half. I can't recall them all now, but it brought a few "ref you xxxx" from the weak student section. To say the arena was half full would be generous. I took some photos late in the first half. Place was empty. Crush, great place to go to in 2011. The section just to the left of the band as you stood at center court was almost completely open. Great place for a bunch of orange seats. It was pretty weak that the student fans were grabbing their coats and leaving before the game was over. What kind of student section is that? Got a chance to high five each of the players as they ran off the court and Bruce as well. I can't think of an uglier game in quite a few years. It was great to get a win. I said after about five minutes of the first half that 48 points would be enough to win this game. Unfortunately I was right. Well, this ends a run of three games in a row for me. After the worst home loss since 1976 and a great game that got away at Purdue, I was glad to see a win on the road. I'm pretty frustrated that the Wisky game is on Sunday at noon as it's the only time that weekend I can't make it, but so it goes. Perhaps I'll catch a BTT game. Peace, Matt

Feb 23, 2010, 11:22 PM	#106
IlliniRon Illini Basketball Fan Forever Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,271	Starting to watch this on ESPN360, but hard to believe Michigan has regressed so much, or said differently, such a disappointment from expectations this year. Did this set any records for cold shooting, by the way?

Feb 23, 2010, 11:26 PM	#107
Illest Posts: 6,517	I don't know why this game made everyone so unhappy. Sure, it was ugly, and we won largely because Michigan had a flukishly awful evening shooting the ball. But this game was a toss-up on paper, yet we won somewhat comfortably. I'll take that any day of the week, and twice on Sundays. I've been saying that I thought Mike Davis and Brandon Paul were potentially determinative to our season. Though Paul's stat line shows too many turnovers, I suspect the scorekeeper gave one or two to him that should have gone to DJ. While he has lapses, I've felt that he's been doing a better job playing within himself. It's good to see him developing after the really bad stretch of play he had in January. The kid just oozes potential. Mike Davis sure takes a lot of heat from posters for a guy who gets you ten double-doubles a year. I was pleased to see him running the floor well tonight; I've always thought he's at his best offensively when he uses his speed to get open around the hoop. Anyone notice what a shallow bench Weber used tonight? Paul played 15, Griffey 3, Jordan 4, and Keller 1. Cole was the only started who logged under 37 minutes. At this stage, I think one more win ices a tourney bid. I hope the team comes out with focus on Saturday so we can celebrate and start focusing on seeding. I'm pleased to get the W, and hopeful that we can close out the regular season with some great basketball.

Feb 23, 2010, 11:37 PM	#108
ilphotog The camera never lies Location: Champaign Posts: 6,201	This team reminds me of carnival rides. The 2004-05 team was like going to Six-Flags, thrilling at times but you always seemed fairly secure during the ride. This team is like rides at the county fair, sometimes thrilling and sometimes terrifying even on the most innocent ride.

Feb 24, 2010, 12:16 AM	#109
360Illinoisfan Location: Washington Posts: 57	What an ugly game, at least we got the win.

Feb 24, 2010, 12:30 AM	#110
IlliniRon Illini Basketball Fan Forever Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,271	That was a really physical game. Lots of fouls that were not called on both sides. I'm sure that's why it seemed like such a sloppy game. It gets that way when the refs let them play. Really solid games by DMac, Tisdale and Davis. DJ looked solid as well. I was impressed with how quickly Tisdale was patched up and put back on the floor by Dr. Kyrouac. Tisdale, Cole and Davis seemed to really help keep Michigan off balance with their height on the defensive end. Any win on the road in Ann Arbor is great in my opinion. I'm thinking we could win 2 of the next 3 games and look pretty strong heading into the conference tourney. Not sure why we should lose either home game. OSU will be tough on the road.

Feb 24, 2010, 12:42 AM	#111
IlliniRunIn07 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,792	Demetri's interview after the game. I was interested when I heard about the hand shake. And he definitely DOES do that shoulder shrug thing that people have joked about. http://espn.go.com/video/clip%3Fid%3D4940111 Can't figure out how to embed the video, but check the link out.

Feb 24, 2010, 05:32 AM	#113
Majinga Banned Posts: 795	Hi, everybody. First post here. Illinois graduate and long time supporter of the Illini. Thought I would finally join and root for our team on this site. Today's win wasn't pretty but I believe we are one win away from the dance. It would be nice to get that 20th win as well. Hoping they take care of businees against Minnesota first. Anyway, hope to have some great chats about Illini basketball and other sports. Go Illini!

Feb 24, 2010, 06:32 AM	#117
illiniphil85 Location: Arcola, IL Posts: 1,140	Give scUM credit for gift wrapping this game and repeated handing it to us. Unfortunately, we kept dropping it. Beilein has got his work cut out for him and both he and Dick Rod probably got to be feeling some heat. I'm finally less worried about our D than our offense. We may be giving up wide open 3s, but have done better to limit the easy baskets inside the paint. I have trouble believing that we can't put 5 players on the floor at a time that looks like they've run the motion before. Every time it looks like we get one problem fixed, the power goes out in another area. If the offense was an automobile, we'd be covered by the "Lemon Law". I'd rather watch a "Facts of Life" marathon than that game again. It does feel a lot better after a good night's sleep. There may be a few things positive about this game, but the win is the only one that comes to mind. Take this gift and move on. I shudder to think what a loss would have done.

Feb 24, 2010, 06:43 AM	#118
DRS Posts: 538	Take it, that is all I can say about the win. I thought Illinois had a solid game plan. Don't adjust to the Michigan's 4 guard line-up, maintain the size advantage and allow them the 3pt line. Michigan is the worst 3pt shooting team in the league, that has to be killing Beilien considering his offense is based on making threes. Davis on the offensive side had a smaller man on him and is skilled enough not to let the guards quickness be a factor. I thought Weber did a nice job of recognizing that and playing the advantage. On a side note, Paul had his best game since very early on in terms of not operating outside the offense. Also, this kid is beginning to use his athleticism in more ways than driving to the hole. Rebounding strong lately, great to see that. Keep finding ways to contribute when the offense isn't there and he'll find more time.

Feb 24, 2010, 06:52 AM	#122
AK Illini UofI Basketball..off the chain Location: Chicago Posts: 7,257	disagree with most of this^

Feb 24, 2010, 06:54 AM	#125
Philly Boy Location: Deerfield IL Posts: 1,099	Guess I agree with some of these late posts. Shouldn't be so upset with a win. We were actually underdogs at their place, and we came away with the W. Yes, it was neither pretty nor entertaining, but the object is to win. Last year vs PSU twice and MN away, the games were even uglier and we lost them. As some have alluded to, one of the reasons MI missed lay-ups was the length -- and good positioning -- of our bigs. They didn't block many, but especially on Harris, he couldn't get the angle he wanted to make the lay-up. Pretty good D. Also, I noted that our bigs have controlled two pretty good opposing centers in the last two games -- PU's Johnson and Sims. Our guys are not "bangers," but height has its advantages, too. Probably helps that Sims and Johnson are more finesse than physical, but they do get up well. I think Tis is showing a lot of improvement the last month on D. Speaking of Tis, one of our recent new wrinkles that have bedviled recent opponents -- our pick and pop with him -- wasn't there last nite. I think DMac in his interview said something to the effect that MI took it away. I noted that in response BW ADJUSTED and put Tis down lower where he was more open, and he hit a few hooks. Also, wouldn't you say MI played pretty good D on us? Took away the new wrinkle, forced some turnovers, we didn't have lots of open looks. One thing they did very well was converge when DJ tried to drive, and his only points last nite were a pair of threes and a pair of FT's. DJ actually took more wild shots than did BP. I fear the next game may be equally ugly, since MN is a defensive team without great shooting, except for Hoffarber (sp?). We beat 'em last year at our place, they don't have Nolen, so I'm hopeful of a W rather than a thing of beauty.