Illinois was schooled by the Indiana point guard.
Indiana 92, Illinois 74 POSTGAME
Deleted member 236589
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I have the same concerns. The guard play has been bad.
This game was no surprise and followed my worst case scenario expectations. IU is too good in the frontcourt with size and have guards that can hit the threeball and take care of the rock. Illini just cannot match up against them on the defensive end. We also struggled against a tightly packed defense which demanded our shooters to hit from deep...and that happened not often enough. Georgi cannot handle all their bigs inside by himself and Jordan, Williams, Kipper, Tevian, and Griffin were simply to small too keep them off the rim as they repeatedly cut to the hoop off high ball screens to score layups. IU had a great gameplan and executed it to perfection as our guys simply were to small to stop it.
As for next year, the Illini roster will have plenty of size to combat....but those bigs will all be newbies with much to learn. And for now, we do not know how much speed and athleticism will be on the court as Kofi will have to make a transformation, January will have to show up, Kane will need to step up a level and show a different self-image and aggressiveness (along with being able to hold onto the ball), Higgs will need to improve without playing a year, Kipper will have to stop being Kipper and become dependable, and another player to be named later will need to show up ready to play. Alll those things are not likely to happen, but the roster should allow for a more traditional lineup sizewise with which to compete consistently enough to compete for an NCAA bid. But no one knows if they will...other than the fact that players get better from year to year as they learn to do what they can do better and grow into confident players. I don't expect them to lack the ability to compete with anyone....but losses will occur and hopefully be offset by tough wins against good teams.
As for next year, the Illini roster will have plenty of size to combat....but those bigs will all be newbies with much to learn. And for now, we do not know how much speed and athleticism will be on the court as Kofi will have to make a transformation, January will have to show up, Kane will need to step up a level and show a different self-image and aggressiveness (along with being able to hold onto the ball), Higgs will need to improve without playing a year, Kipper will have to stop being Kipper and become dependable, and another player to be named later will need to show up ready to play. Alll those things are not likely to happen, but the roster should allow for a more traditional lineup sizewise with which to compete consistently enough to compete for an NCAA bid. But no one knows if they will...other than the fact that players get better from year to year as they learn to do what they can do better and grow into confident players. I don't expect them to lack the ability to compete with anyone....but losses will occur and hopefully be offset by tough wins against good teams.
Deleted member 236589
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Our pre-conference schedule is making the overall record look much worse than the level this team has played at.
If it's a top 50 schedule instead of a top 2.....we're probably looking at 15-14 vs 11-18. Just my opinion.
Deleted member 6376
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This team has gone through so much, and now they are just tired and ready for season to end.
And I really hope that Kipper stays on the bench. Lifeless upperclassman with that talent ? Inexcusable.
And I really hope that Kipper stays on the bench. Lifeless upperclassman with that talent ? Inexcusable.
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
Horrible showing. Hoping for a turnaround in the next game.
In a league stacked with great coaches, you can’t come out and do the same stuff every game (heck, every half) and expect to win. It’s insanity. Coaches will counter and the result of that when you over-pressure is layups and wide open threes.
Yet, we constantly come out in this “system” and get scorched. How many times are we going to watch this Groundhogs Day?
A coaches job is to put his players in the best position to succeed. Brad has not done that. At all. When something isn’t working you adapt. We never adapt. We are going the way of the dinosaur.
Apologies for the rant, but watching this over and over has taken a toll. This one size fits all approach needs to go.
Yet, we constantly come out in this “system” and get scorched. How many times are we going to watch this Groundhogs Day?
A coaches job is to put his players in the best position to succeed. Brad has not done that. At all. When something isn’t working you adapt. We never adapt. We are going the way of the dinosaur.
Apologies for the rant, but watching this over and over has taken a toll. This one size fits all approach needs to go.
This team is unambiguously better than last year’s model. You can win without elite talent, or experience, but good luck trying it with neither.
Who says they aren’t making adjustments? They are. Switching from an extended pressure defense to a pack line isn’t an “adjustment.” It’s a wholesale change.
And it still wouldn’t make a whit of difference given the circumstances.
We gave up 23 dunks/layups tonight. If we adjusted it wasn’t readily apparent.
You don’t have to go packline. But you can tweak things to take away backdoor cuts, wide open driving lanes, and wide open 3’s.
Time will tell, but I don’t see it being better next year. People are already expecting too much from Kofi. And if Ayo declares forbthe draft? Yikes. Need to add 2-3 more guys for next year, hopefully plus athletes.
They definitely need to add talent, and keep a couple of key guys.
No system gets a good defensive performance with the effort tonight. It’s absolutely on Underwood to get his guys mentally ready, and they weren’t. But nobody’s making chicken salad out of the chicken **** we saw tonight.
Look, I understand the frustration. Tonight was a poor showing and a step backwards. Our recent stretch of games hasn’t been pretty, but did you miss our stretch of wins? To say Underwood hasn’t put the players in a position to succeed, or haven’t adapted “at all” is a bogus take. There have been more than a few instances where the system has done the scorching, and not got scorched. I’m not saying we don’t have a lot of work to do.
Watched the post game interview with BU. If nothing else, I like his slapping of the stat sheet. We are going somewhere. He was P******ed. Will be OK. Front Court help coming, Hopefully including January. I wouldn't trust a coach that didn't care. BU does. Next game.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
So shocked and disappointed ... the winning streak is all but erased. Boys, PLEASE: prove us all wrong who are doubting and go shock Penn State. 
If yesterday's practice was "off teh charts" and today's game lacked energy, then do NOT practice. Walkthrough, slow-mo, the game plan and then play the game.
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looking at boxscore and surprised how relatively even it looked....two stats jumped out....we missed 10 FTs ( 12/22) and they shot 13 more FGs than we did.....meaning they got offensive boards (10) and we failed to turn them over like others we've played. IU is a decent team and I think they may play into Tourney if they keep playing like tonight.
5-2 in the Big Ten with a healthy Rob Phinisee both losses to ranked teams. Our fanbase is pretty resigned to knowing we at minimum have to get to 18 wins. Beat Rutgers on Sunday then beat OSU on Thursday. Luckily a team that is struggling. With either a quad 1 win or loss against a Michigan school
That might get us in. Beat the Michigan school and I’d bet good money we are in. Lose and I’ll be nervous but hopeful.
That being said Illinois did a lot of things right. And I still see a solid foundation going forward.
the national
- the Front Range
Lol, we aren’t getting in. We have a lot to work on, but getting in the tourney isn’t one of them.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/col...cle_fe34b9d1-7421-5c87-8a58-af2889ebae39.html
“Our defense was atrocious tonight,” Dosunmu said. “We couldn’t guard anyone. We played with no urgency.”
The loss closed out the home season for Illinois (11-19, 7-12).
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Where to start ?
OK, I'm gonna post like the players played last night....LIKE I DON'T CARE ANYMORE AND I'M GLAD THE SEASON IS GOING TO BE OVER AFTER 2 MORE LOSSES...
That's not how I feel but after that display last night by the Illini then maybe I do or should or...................
“Our defense was atrocious tonight,” Dosunmu said. “We couldn’t guard anyone. We played with no urgency.”
The loss closed out the home season for Illinois (11-19, 7-12).
________________________________________________________
Where to start ?
OK, I'm gonna post like the players played last night....LIKE I DON'T CARE ANYMORE AND I'M GLAD THE SEASON IS GOING TO BE OVER AFTER 2 MORE LOSSES...
That's not how I feel but after that display last night by the Illini then maybe I do or should or...................
As others have suggested 23 dunks and layups, is that unprecedented? Looked like a Globetrotters game at times.
Better find a half-court offense other than that weave, that yielded little or nothing. Did we have more than five uncontested shots the entire evening?
Granted Indiana had much more to play for, but they seems bigger, stronger and quicker at every position.
Better find a half-court offense other than that weave, that yielded little or nothing. Did we have more than five uncontested shots the entire evening?
Granted Indiana had much more to play for, but they seems bigger, stronger and quicker at every position.