Pregame: Illinois vs Evansville, Thursday, November 8th, 7:00pm CT, BTN Plus

[ChiefGritty]

Evansville alum and fan here. My mom is from McLeansboro (a few years ahead of Jerry Sloan) and my dad is from Dahlgren. Stopped by your board to check on this year’s Illini and to see what the deal is with BTN+.

Lots of excitement in Evansville about Walter McCarty but I sure wish we were playing you next year. Our best players are probably Deandre Williams (ruled ineligible this year, has to sit a year) and Kansas transfer Sam Cunliffe, also sitting this year. Transfer Art Labinowicz would also likely start if eligible this year. And word is that our only real inside presence, Dainius Chatkevicius, is suspended for breaking team rules for first 3 games.

We will play a completely different style than with Marty Simmons - faster paced, more free flowing and lots of 3’s. But we got beat on the boards in our exhibition against a D2 team - and that was with our big guy.

Lots of new faces and unknowns for both teams, but you should be able to dominate inside. We are picked to finish last in the MVC, but have high hopes for the future. Good luck on the season- except for tomorrow!

Yeah I missed this too. Thanks for the insight!

This sounds good for us tonight, sounds like they are uniquely ill-suited to exploit our weaknesses for the time being.

 

[AcesFan]

Yeah I missed this too. Thanks for the insight!

This sounds good for us tonight, sounds like they are uniquely ill-suited to exploit our weaknesses for the time being.

Lots of chatter that Dainius is suspended on the Evansville forum but it's weird - no official announcement from UE. So we will have to see. Either way, I would expect an easy Illini win.

 

[TheAngryBavarian]

Is David Lee Darin Lee's dad? (As in Darin, the former Nashville and current Collinsville coach?)

 

[Illioni]

Wasn't assistant to BU Geoff Alexander an assistant to former coach Marty Simmons at Evansville?

 

[skyIdub]

Welp, I just got surprised with tickets to Bill Burr at the Chicago Theatre tonight, so I'll have to catch the replay. He'd better be funny!

If we only score 79 tonight, color me concerned.

Illini 94
Evansville-80

 

[ChiefIllini]

Wasn't assistant to BU Geoff Alexander an assistant to former coach Marty Simmons at Evansville?

Five years as an assistant at Evansville.

 

[ILL in IA]

Could someone post a link to stream the radio call

 

[Dan]

Could someone post a link to stream the radio call

Radio stream gets posted about 30 minutes prior to game time in the game thread..you can always find it in the first post of the game thread.

 

[ChiefIllini]

MVC may have a great chance to put in 2 into the tourney this year. They certainly have the talent: UNI, ISU (who looked good against FGCU), Valpo, Loyola, Bradley all look like they could post strong seasons. Even though Evansville may be projected to finish low in the MVC, that isnt necessarily an indicator that they arnt a decent team. I view it more as an unfortunate circumstance of their conference being very competitive this year.

They lost (arguably) their three best players last year in Ryan Taylor (NW), Dru Smith (Mizzou), and Blake Simmons (graduation). Most of their new talent are incoming transfers who will be in their residency year. Last years team won 17 games.

If this games close, there is a very small chance it's because Evansville is a good MVC team. I'd think the spread should probably be closer to 20.

 

[Calvin]

Welp, I just got surprised with tickets to Bill Burr at the Chicago Theatre tonight, so I'll have to catch the replay. He'd better be funny!

Love Bill Burr's rants. I'd do the same.

I see we're favored by 14, so your call looks right.

 

[stlillinifan]

72-61 Illini, let's go

 

[oldschool51]

They have a kid Shea Feehan grad transfer avg 30pts per game hit 87 3s last year. Before i over hype him that was at the d3 level

 

[pruman91]

Played softball at Piopolis and used to eat once in a while at a little restaurant in Belle Rive.

Piopolis....wow.....I had so many friends from " Pio " all big drinkers, they started drinking beer around 8 years old....

 

[pruman91]

Is David Lee Darin Lee's dad? (As in Darin, the former Nashville and current Collinsville coach?)

yes

 

[pruman91]

Barnhart on pregame radio said Aces big man will not play tonite

 

[Deleted member 746094]

Welp, I just got surprised with tickets to Bill Burr at the Chicago Theatre tonight, so I'll have to catch the replay. He'd better be funny!

If we only score 79 tonight, color me concerned.

Illini 94
Evansville-80

Go see Bill. Guy is hilarious and never disappoints.

UofI by 20+. Can’t practice for the type of pressure we are going to put on teams this year. EU just doesn’t have the horses in the stable to keep up with our backcourt tonight.