Man, after some time to digest that blood bath and let the old nerves settle a bit, what a game! Mad props to Rutgers. Those boys were out for blood today. It was a fight for every inch of ground. That point guard was a one tough SOB, wouldn't mind him on my side. Their entire squad was up for the battle. Gonna be seriously hard to take them at the RAC! I think they are a couple of bounces away from a tourney birth and I would be all for it after watching that display.
Ayo for the second game in a row was an absolutely clutch stud. Big boards, move the ball unselfishly, clutch free throws at the end, blocks, steals. He is doing it all for us. mid range game is gonna be huge if they team is to win against elite defenses such as this. I'm full on falling for this guys game now, he is a complete player and developing into a winner. Seems like a great kid to boot.
With such a putrid shooting line it is very hard to win but they won every other aspect of the game. One game after fts nearly blew the game for us this game it won it for us. 16-19 and making them down the stretch win they mattered most. Icewater in the veins. Ayo with 4 big ones late, again leading the team.
AG was an energize bunny again, despite truly poor shooting tonight, one can't help to feel his infectious attitude o the court. 8 rebound and 4 offensive just keep the team surging. The damonte/Griffin/kipper swingy small forward combo play is truly effective. Lots of length, energy and commitment. At the start of the second have Damonte had his moments. Great offensive board and assist to Ayo 3 and shortly after that a world class block out on the defensive side. These three guys do a ton of dirty work and it is the guts of the team.
Speaking of guts, Dre is a true baller. that period in the second half where he had those drives for buckets is what kept this team alive. Playing like a senior. I felt early on that this was gonna be a Dre type of game, took a while to come together but it was in the end.
And what can you say about Kofi and the rebounding effort in general. 11pts and 17 boards! The man is a presence like we've never seen at Illinois. 48 rebounds, when was the last time we did that?
This team is prone to shooting slumps and scoring droughts but they can still win by defense, taking care of the ball and out rebounding. great win against a determined team.
time to go back on this thread and see the rest of everybody's thought.