Pregame: Illinois vs North Carolina, Tuesday, November 30, 8:30pm CT, ESPN

[4ever]

Originally Posted by illini4everjp

Holding them under 10 might be a midge too difficult

yeah your right JP. :laugh:

[AK Illini]

Originally Posted by PeoriaIlliniBrave

Did anyone watch the Waukegan/Aimes matchup on ESPN last year. I know Barnes didn't do as well as McDermott who is now at Creighton

Did JR guard Barnes that whole game?

The game was a hot mess like most HS games. 1 on 1 JR did a fine job on Barnes, but the sample size was small, there just weren't a lot of 1 on 1 half court set matchups. Barnes made his living out on the break. You really can't infer much about there Tuesday matchup from the game.

[mmccallum]

Originally Posted by UncleBob

I'm not a coach, I don't play one on TV, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but here's where we are, as I see it.

BP worked hard in practice and performed well in games to the point where he replaced BC as starter last game, and the game results for one game were positive, so if BP is healthy and he hasn't been beaten out of his job in practice, he starts Tuesday. As long as the 'starters' play well and continue to earn their job by their performance in practice and in games, they keep starting....that's how BC won the job last year and that's how BP took it from him last week. Coach should not be using some type of chart or spreadsheet that rotates a player in or out of the starting lineup simply because it's his turn to start.

The next question is JR.....he is improving quickly and in my opinion he deserves to start.....so if this trend continues over the next few games and everything else stays as is, who should not start in favor of JR? MD? If not MD, then who?

And then what happens when Head gets back to 100%, and is Bertrand possibly going to become a factor? Leonard has improvement written all over him.

Hard to make starting decisions when the new talent weighs out about even with the experience.

[ILLINIDAD2010]

Originally Posted by PeoriaIlliniBrave

Did anyone watch the Waukegan/Aimes matchup on ESPN last year. I know Barnes didn't do as well as McDermott who is now at Creighton

Did JR guard Barnes that whole game?

Yes Jereme Guarded Harrison. However, Harrison didn't guard Jereme. He was a part of the double and triple team scheme they employed, but not one on one.

[JJRich32]

Originally Posted by mmccallum

Weber should get away from a set starting lineup and share the wealth.
He has at least 8 bonefide (sp?) starting players:
McCamey
Davis
Tisdale
Richardson
Cole
Paul
Richmond

and arguably also:
Leonard
Griffey


I'ld just rotate the starting lineup so each of these players starts 1/9 of the time. Every game a different starting lineup. If the players view that they are all starters, it enrich the team in more ways than just on the floor.
(not pretending I'm a coach, but I've seen a lot of teams in the past whose starting lineups had some rotation, it seems like the current IL team is designed for such an arragement).

Championship teams dont rotate starters, if somebodys getting the job done they start, if they arent, they dont.... its that simple....were not playin baseball...we dont need a pitching rotation

[weasel88]

Originally Posted by JJRich32

Championship teams dont rotate starters, if somebodys getting the job done they start, if they arent, they dont.... its that simple....were not playin baseball...we dont need a pitching rotation

Thank you.

That doesn't mean that championship teams don't have fans speculating on who should start and who shouldn't, but last I checked that's what the DIA pays the coaching staff for.

[mmccallum]

Originally Posted by JJRich32

Championship teams dont rotate starters, if somebodys getting the job done they start, if they arent, they dont.... its that simple....were not playin baseball...we dont need a pitching rotation

You done a survey?

[UncleBob]

Originally Posted by mmccallum

You done a survey?

Don't need to....look at history. Rotating players as starters is a nice idea for Little League, but I can't remember any successful coach on the college level doing this. I gotta think if it was such a good idea that Bobby Knight or Coach K or Lou Henson or anyone else would have tried it. The rewards for working your a$$ off in the gym every night are to 1. Start and 2. Get quality PT. Rotation takes that motivation away from your team.

[CrazedUIFan]

Originally Posted by UncleBob

Don't need to....look at history. Rotating players as starters is a nice idea for Little League, but I can't remember any successful coach on the college level doing this. I gotta think if it was such a good idea that Bobby Knight or Coach K or Lou Henson or anyone else would have tried it. The rewards for working your a$$ off in the gym every night are to 1. Start and 2. Get quality PT. Rotation takes that motivation away from your team.

+1. Overall, the coaches need to determine what is the best for the team. Certainly they can reward players by starting, but you can also reward players by minutes. To me, having a normal starting team gives stability. Even a basic rotation is important.

[gailmoore1949]

I am already nervous. Hope we play great and win big. I too still want revenge, but mostly I want this team to keep getting better and go deep into the tourney, and now is as good a time as any to start whipping up on some big names. Go illini

[Future Walk-On]

Does anyone know who is broadcasting this game for ESPN?

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

Originally Posted by PeoriaIlliniBrave

Does anyone know who is broadcasting this game for ESPN?

From the Game Notes:

TV: ESPN (also streamed via ESPN3.com) - Dave O'Brien (Play-By-Play), Jimmy Dykes (Analyst)

[BWBW]

Well, I hope Illinois and the rest of the Big Ten teams sit up and take notice of Minnesota's loss.

The ACC is bringing it, and records don't mean much. Our guys better bring it tonight or we'll be on the wrong side of the score.

[AK Illini]

Vegas has Illinois 4-6 pt favorites. FTW OSU is 4.5 favorites on the road and i'd take that bet.

[SaltLife]

Originally Posted by PeoriaIlliniBrave

Did anyone watch the Waukegan/Aimes matchup on ESPN last year. I know Barnes didn't do as well as McDermott who is now at Creighton

Did JR guard Barnes that whole game?

Ames had too much height for Waukegan. Richmond was caught between trying to help out in the paint and also play with Barnes outside. End result is he was spread too thin (caught in the middle) and Ames' center killed Waukegan inside with Barnes going off outside. Waukegan's little guys just weren't enough to make it a game and to allow Richmond to concentrate on Barnes. One on one, Richmond can fare much better vs Barnes and is our best defender on the team for players like Barnes when they use their quickness and length. Barnes will bust out one of these days.

[DRS]

Originally Posted by WesterveltVictoryCigar

From the Game Notes:

TV: ESPN (also streamed via ESPN3.com) - Dave O'Brien (Play-By-Play), Jimmy Dykes (Analyst)

I like those two. Dykes seems to this Dmac is behind Lucas and Taylor in the pecking order of Big Ten point guards. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say tonight.

[CrazedUIFan]

Originally Posted by ILLINIDAD2010

Yes Jereme Guarded Harrison. However, Harrison didn't guard Jereme. He was a part of the double and triple team scheme they employed, but not one on one.

I watched that game. Obviously you would be correct in saying they did a lot of double and triple teaming JR. There also was no help d on Barnes. It wasn't much of a team effort on Waukegan's part in any aspect of the game.

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

Originally Posted by DRS

I like those two. Dykes seems to this Dmac is behind Lucas and Taylor in the pecking order of Big Ten point guards. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say tonight.

Dykes is pretty good, usually he only does SEC games, so it'll be nice to hear what he has to say tonight.

[Botb9]

Originally Posted by DRS

I like those two. Dykes seems to this Dmac is behind Lucas and Taylor in the pecking order of Big Ten point guards. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say tonight.

I don't understand the disrespect for McCamey. I understand he doesn't always make the best decisions. He's number two in the country in assists. He's averaging numbers that not even Deron and Dee could put up. And to compare him with Lucas is stupid. They are suited for different positions. I think you could look at the number of assists between the two players and understand that.

[jmontgo3]

Illinois 82, UNC 76

A close game that opens up down the stretch. Pumped!

[Dan]

This is McCamey's type of stage

Where Illinois should have an edge is at point guard, where senior Demetri McCamey should outclass Larry Drew II. I've heard they are not real happy with his early play and this is the kind of game where McCamey should make it his business to shine.

Tupper

Victory over UNC would build Illinois' NCAA resume

Any time North Carolina comes to town, it's a big game. This one sold out fast, and the Big Ten Network will be here filming for its show "The Journey." The BTN studio crew will set up on the court for 5:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. live shows. Then there's the ESPN late-night national audience for the game telecast, not to mention an opponent with its own shade of blue.

"It will be a little shell shock at first," Illini freshman Jereme Richmond said. "I'm used to seeing Carolina on TV. Now, I'm in the fire playing against one of the great universities. Once I get a few minutes under my belt, I'll be fine."

Supinie

Pair of highly-touted freshmen still finding their way

So in a Radisson hotel room in Kalamazoo, Mich., last weekend, roommates Mike Davis and Jereme Richmond shared a heart-to-heart.

"I talked to him the other day, we were roommates on the Western Michigan trip," Davis said Monday. "He was saying how he came in and thought it was going to be easy."

But it's rarely easy for freshmen, whether you're a McDonald's All-American (like Richmond) or fourth-team All-Podunk (like most of us). And just about every rookie – you're excused Kyrie Irving and Jared Sullinger – must endure those struggles.

Klee

[SaltLife]

Every North Carolina starter is a McDonald’s All-American. Illinois has one – Jereme Richmond – and he doesn’t even start. - Tupper

Weber said Monday he might switch back to starting Billy Cole rather than Brandon Paul

Illinois experience and team play still trumps UNC's prodigious talent. Right?

[carmelillini]

Minny really gave one away last night. A poor start for the B10 - ACC challenge.

[BWBW]

Originally Posted by SaltLife

Illinois experience and team play still trumps UNC's prodigious talent. Right?

Dunno. Does someone on UNC's team have a big azz he can use to foul out Tisdale?

[NYCIllini]

Originally Posted by BWBW

Does someone on UNC's team have a big azz he can use to foul out Tisdale?

Henson and Zeller are twigs. Still Tizz will find a way to foul. Still Tizz will get more than the 9 minutes Augie saw in the 05 Championship game with foul trouble.