Pregame: Illinois vs UConn, Saturday, March 30th, 5:09pm CT, TBS
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I think the key with UCONN is the say as with ISU in that the best chance you have of winning is to try blitzing them early and hope that you can play well enough and make enough shots to make it hold. UCONN just isn't a team you want to play from behind against. Like ISU, you need to spend so much energy just to try getting back in the game that it gets very hard to get over the hump and even when you do, how much do you even have left for that final frenetic kick? We've gotta start out hot against UCONN and go up early in my opinion to have our best shot in this one and then everytime they start throwing blows furiously we get that counter until we can land that devastating Haymaker late
Illinois has never pulled off a seed upset greater than one. We’re due.
Which is really funny because one of the things mentioned in that article is the veterans and coaches at UCONN trying to keep the younger players humble. Can't stop fans, I suppose.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Many people unfamiliar with it think that Connecticut is a posh state. The tiny SW corner near NYC is. However, my mom grew up in a gritty industrial city in central CT in the '30s and '40s, which cratered when its industry left in the ate '60s, and I spent lots of time there as a kid and well into adulthood. Still go back for family reunions to see cousins who live there. It's a rough, unrefined state, as most of New England is. It certainly has its smattering of idyllic little towns and money from Boston and NYC spread out. However, from Upstate NY (which pretty much begins 30 miles above NYC) through CT, Mass, and up through VT, NH and Maine, it's rough. Maine is grindingly poor outside of the coastal towns.
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
Tell them to win 10 of 12 ncaa championships and we’ll think about it. That’s what Wooden accomplished at UCLA
We're really good at letting one player go off and set career highs against us while we shut down the rest of the team, so this bodes well for the Illini tomorrow. Unfortunately, we also shut Cam down almost completely in the game last year ... he only scored 2 points against us, so I guess that's a bad thing.
I was thinking today that I couldn't even find Connecticut on a map which is really more of an indictment of my Illinois education than anything against the fine folks of Connecticut.
Even after all that thought, I still can't be bothered to find Connecticut on a map, because, well, I just don't care.
Gee, after reading what follows below — will the Illini even bother to show up on Saturday?...
“In the wake of Connecticut vaporizing another team... the question I'm here to ask isn't whether or not Illinois can upset the Huskies. It's whether we can get a competitive game... UConn has been flatly disgusted at the notion of even entertaining semi-competitive games in this tournament... If you're Illinois, how do you prepare for a monster?... Connecticut isn't just different, it's crept in on legendary status... There might be a team that can beat UConn. But I have no idea who...”.
(I sure hope UConn is kind enough to let the Illini share the court with them for a few minutes.)
UConn on record-setting NCAA Tournament pace for second straight year; dangerous Illinois is up next
As the Huskies peer over the edge of history, one question looms: Can Illinois keep it close vs. UConn?
www.cbssports.com
I was thinking, and decided a very important factor will be fouls. As far as matchups go, gotta avoid foul trouble, especially early. If someone needs to sit and there’s a mismatch anywhere, it could be rough.
That’s what I remember about ‘05. Augustine was the only guy who could slow down May, but he got 3 fouls pretty early and had to sit for a significant portion of the game.
That’s what I remember about ‘05. Augustine was the only guy who could slow down May, but he got 3 fouls pretty early and had to sit for a significant portion of the game.
They've won 5 in 24 years and are currently ranked #1. While not at Wooden-UCLA level, they are the best team of the past quarter-century. Of course their fans are cocky. We'd be the same way. But really, what does it matter?
Krombopulos_Michael
- Aurora, Illinois (that’s a suburb of Chicago)
At this point I’m so ready for tomorrow and to watch Rocky IV
sacraig
- The desert
Norlander is a turd and I can't remember the last time, if ever, I didn't feel that way.Gee, after reading what follows below — will the Illini even bother to show up on Saturday?...
“In the wake of Connecticut vaporizing another team... the question I'm here to ask isn't whether or not Illinois can upset the Huskies. It's whether we can get a competitive game... UConn has been flatly disgusted at the notion of even entertaining semi-competitive games in this tournament... If you're Illinois, how do you prepare for a monster?... Connecticut isn't just different, it's crept in on legendary status... There might be a team that can beat UConn. But I have no idea who...”.
(I sure hope UConn is kind enough to let the Illini share the court with them for a few minutes.)
UConn on record-setting NCAA Tournament pace for second straight year; dangerous Illinois is up next
As the Huskies peer over the edge of history, one question looms: Can Illinois keep it close vs. UConn?
foby
- Bonnaroo Land
Thanks for sharing. At this point, I'm kind of shocked they don't just cancel the rest of the tournament and crown the Mighty Huskies as champs.Gee, after reading what follows below — will the Illini even bother to show up on Saturday?...
“In the wake of Connecticut vaporizing another team... the question I'm here to ask isn't whether or not Illinois can upset the Huskies. It's whether we can get a competitive game... UConn has been flatly disgusted at the notion of even entertaining semi-competitive games in this tournament... If you're Illinois, how do you prepare for a monster?... Connecticut isn't just different, it's crept in on legendary status... There might be a team that can beat UConn. But I have no idea who...”.
(I sure hope UConn is kind enough to let the Illini share the court with them for a few minutes.)
UConn on record-setting NCAA Tournament pace for second straight year; dangerous Illinois is up next
As the Huskies peer over the edge of history, one question looms: Can Illinois keep it close vs. UConn?
Maybe the humble Illini can make it somewhat interesting.
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
I'm seeing a lot of big talk from UConn fans about how they're going to lock us down, beat us by 20, and show everyone we're nothing compared to them.
That's not what strength sounds like. It's the sound of anxiety.
That's good. We can exploit that.
That's not what strength sounds like. It's the sound of anxiety.
That's good. We can exploit that.
a tall shot blocker didnt stop MD from averaging 23 pts against purdue this year.......
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
They had occasional modest success for decades but played in a meh conference (Yankee) which finally dropped basketball and they became independent. Calhoun showed up in the mid-'80s and made them what they are today. Their powerhouse status is the result of the 20-plus year run of tourney success he had and spillover for a couple seasons with Ollie after he retired and before Ollie got them into NCAA trouble and got canned. Hurley got them back to the top quickly. They've had a nearly unbroken 35-season run. Only UCLA, Carolina, Duke and Kansas can touch that (off the top of my head).
If you're an old man like me you realize that it takes a Harry Combes, Branch McCracken, Fred Taylor (to give BT examples), or John Wooden to put a program firmly on the map, and good luck to hire subsequent coaches who don't drive the bus into a ditch. We understand that truth bitterly.
But UConn is a relatively recent Hoops phenomenon. UConn = Jim Calhoun. If you'd told me when I was on campus at UIUC that they'd be a perennial D-1 powerhouse within 10 years I would have been... deeply skeptical. (Same for Wisconsin... it was unthinkable and I woulda lol'd.) They had little to nothing before he arrived.
The power of a long-tenured HOF coach. Think about it: sitting here today who will be a consistent power 10-20 yrs from now that's highly implausible? 'Cause it's likely to happen. (Apart from the obvious answer:
)
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You’re on to something here. Everyone in media (and many other places) seem to be on their knees in the elevated presence of the East-Coast U-Conners. And hopefully the U-Conner team itself is fully secure and feeling sassy and smug in their feeling of invincibility.
If the Illini get off well (like yesterday)... or can hang with The Invincables as the game moves along... this puts doubt in the minds of The Invincables and gives The Beloved confidence. That does not guarantee an Illini victory, but it will be fun to see Mere Mortals put a bit of fear into the heart of The Invincables.
One of my great fascinations with sports is with the mental and emotional side of the contests. The way Media is framing this next game really takes all the pressure and expectations off of the Illini. They would truly seem to have nothing to lose but play a loose, blacktop/playground-style game and have fun with it.
Coach Underwood should have some real fun with this as he prepares the team to meet The Truly Unbeatables.
Upon review, Epps did a pretty admiral job on Spencer last year. But Sencire had him in shambles. It got to the point where Spencer just didn’t want to be out there and Pike had to go with Derick Simpson for the final 7:00 or so.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
As someone else noted, same with the media. In the media's case, there's no upside to being conservative about the outcome, or UConn's ability to crush us. Their invincibility is the story today and tomorrow.
If they blow us out it's expected. If we keep it close or win, they'll publish stories Sunday about the plucky upstart, and Husky heartbreak. And move on as if nothing untoward occurred. If there's one thing about punditry it's that its foundation is no accountability.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
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