2018-2019 Predictions Thread

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#26      
I expect us to be one of the worst P5 teams. No front court. Freshmen bigs are generally awful. If Kipper gets in foul trouble, then defense will be either fouling or getting beat for layups. Probably the least experienced team in the country. No cohesion given so many newcomers, and late summer arrivals. Plus tough schedule.

Long season. Just looking for improvement as it progresses, increasing team chemistry. and how BU/Ayo handle the adversity.

Would love to be wrong.
 
#27      
I expect us to be one of the worst P5 teams. No front court. Freshmen bigs are generally awful. If Kipper gets in foul trouble, then defense will be either fouling or getting beat for layups. Probably the least experienced team in the country. No cohesion given so many newcomers, and late summer arrivals. Plus tough schedule.

Long season. Just looking for improvement as it progresses, increasing team chemistry. and how BU/Ayo handle the adversity.

Would love to be wrong.
Losangellini...why can't you be more brutally honest. I'm not quite as pessimistic as you, but agree on working on chemistry as a goal. I do feel like staff under BU for a year will speed overall player and team development.
 
#28      
I predict we'll lose all the games in which our opponent outscores us... and some of the games in which we score more than our opponents
 
#29      
Neither Evansville nor ETSU is exactly a cupcake. ETSU were better than we were last year.

ETSU lost to every real team it played last year. It racked up 25 wins against a horrible schedule. They lost to the Citadel. Their best wins were UNC-Greensboro and Furman. They also graduated their 4 top players.

ETSU is a cupcake this year.
 
#31      
Thu, Nov 08___Evansville W
Tue, Nov 13___Georgetown W
Mon, Nov 19___Gonzaga (Maui Invitational) W
Tue, Nov 20___Arizona or Iowa State (Maui Invitational) L
Wed, Nov 21___Auburn/Duke/SDSU/Xavier (Maui Invitational) W
Sun, Nov 25___Mississippi Valley State W
Tue, Nov 27___@Notre Dame L
Sun, Dec 02___@Nebraska L
Wed, Dec 05___Ohio State (Chicago, IL) W
Sat, Dec 08___UNLV W
Sat, Dec 15___East Tennessee State W
Sat, Dec 22___Missouri (St. Louis, MO) W
Sat, Dec 29___Florida Atlantic W
Thu, Jan 03___@Indiana L
Sun, Jan 06___@Northwestern W
Thu, Jan 10___Michigan L
Wed, Jan 16___Minnesota W
Sun, Jan 20___@Iowa L
Wed, Jan 23___Wisconsin W
Sat, Jan 26___Maryland (New York, NY) L
Wed, Jan 30___@Minnesota L
Sat, Feb 02___Nebraska W
Tue, Feb 05___Michigan State L
Sat, Feb 09___Rutgers W
Thu, Feb 14___@Ohio State L
Mon, Feb 18___@Wisconsin L
Sat, Feb 23___Penn State W
Wed, Feb 27___@Purdue L
Sun, Mar 03___Northwestern W
Thu, Mar 07___Indiana W
Sun, Mar 10___@Penn State L

B1G 9-11 Non-Con 9-2; 18-13 and a bubble team
 
#33      
Our worst record in the last ten years was last year at 14 wins and we have a bunch of forecasters saying it will be worse than that but we are improving?? I'm confused. Doesn't seem like improvement to me. Seems like deeper into the s storm.
 
#34      
Our worst record in the last ten years was last year at 14 wins and we have a bunch of forecasters saying it will be worse than that but we are improving?? I'm confused. Doesn't seem like improvement to me. Seems like deeper into the s storm.

Isn’t it good to know we don’t need to watch any games this season? We need to thank the people for letting us know up front that this season is over and will be one of the worst seasons in Illini history. Has anybody called coach to let him know to not even show up to coach??
 
#35      
Isn’t it good to know we don’t need to watch any games this season? We need to thank the people for letting us know up front that this season is over and will be one of the worst seasons in Illini history. Has anybody called coach to let him know to not even show up to coach??

What's his number?
 
#36      

Deleted member 4333

D
Guest
Isn’t it good to know we don’t need to watch any games this season? We need to thank the people for letting us know up front that this season is over and will be one of the worst seasons in Illini history. Has anybody called coach to let him know to not even show up to coach??

I think these predictions actually fall into the category of "guesses". Somebody has to watch the games to let us know how the guesses turned out. If BU decides not to show up for the rest of the season, many of the guesses will probably change. Not sure which way, though. /s
 
#38      
W - Evansville
W - Georgetown
L - Gonzaga (Maui Invitational)
L - Arizona or Iowa State (Maui Invitational)
L - Auburn/Duke/SDSU/Xavier (Maui Invitational)
W - Mississippi Valley State
L - @Notre Dame
L - @Nebraska
L - Ohio State (Chicago, IL)
W - UNLV
W - East Tennessee State
L - Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
W - Florida Atlantic
L - @Indiana
L - @Northwestern
L - Michigan
W - Minnesota
L - @Iowa
L - Wisconsin
L - Maryland (New York, NY)
L - @Minnesota
W - Nebraska
L - Michigan State
W - Rutgers
L - @Ohio State
L - @Wisconsin
W - Penn State
L - @Purdue
W - Northwestern
L - Indiana
L - @Penn State

11- 20 (5-15)
 
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#40      
W Evansville
W Georgetown
L Gonzaga (Maui Invitational)
W Arizona or Iowa State (Maui Invitational)
L Auburn/Duke/SDSU/Xavier (Maui Invitational)
W Mississippi Valley State
L @Notre Dame
W @Nebraska
W Ohio State (Chicago, IL)
L UNLV
W East Tennessee State
W Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
W Florida Atlantic
L @Indiana
L @Northwestern
L Michigan
W Minnesota
L @Iowa
W Wisconsin
L Maryland (New York, NY)
L @Minnesota
W Nebraska
L Michigan State
W Rutgers
L @Ohio State
L @Wisconsin
W Penn State
L @Purdue
W Northwestern
L Indiana
W @Penn State


16-15.....
 
#41      
3 out of first 4 conference games on the road. Thats horsepoop. Seems like every season we are getting hosed on the road games to start out. Need to get a young team some W's.
 
#43      
I expect us to be one of the worst P5 teams. No front court. Freshmen bigs are generally awful. If Kipper gets in foul trouble, then defense will be either fouling or getting beat for layups. Probably the least experienced team in the country. No cohesion given so many newcomers, and late summer arrivals. Plus tough schedule.

Long season. Just looking for improvement as it progresses, increasing team chemistry. and how BU/Ayo handle the adversity.

Would love to be wrong.

Plus add in a system that takes time to learn. From BU interviews, it sounded like last year's team barely scratched the surface of being able to fully run the offense. Perhaps, that was due more to the team chemistry, leadership issues, etc. While losing the transfers individually didn't mean that much, it was the fact that they all had a year of learning the system under their belts and that we saw progression throughout last year is what hurts. In some ways, we're starting over from this perspective. I do think we have more talent this year though. Regardless, I'll be watching anyway.
 
#44      

Illiini

In the land of the Nittany Lion
How Illinois Loyalty readers arrive at Illini basketball games:

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#48      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
I've got us at 5-8 non-con, 5-15 B1G, 0-1 BTT, for 10-24 total. A program record for losses, but perhaps a mild improvement Kenpom-wise because of our really tough schedule.

If somehow, some way Kane, De La Rosa and Giorgi can combine to really surprise and provide quality defense, rebounding, and finishing around the rim, there's a bunch of upside to my prediction, we could be genuinely pretty good.

If Kane or De La Rosa or god forbid both misses a bunch of time, there could be very ugly downside.

Regardless, there are going to be some (non-senior) players who do some nice things for us. Everything hinges on ALL of those players returning for 2019-20. The losing isn't over, but the roster chaos has to be.

tenor.gif
 
#49      

Dren1

Glenview, IL
W - Thu, Nov 08___Evansville
W - Tue, Nov 13___Georgetown
L - Mon, Nov 19___Gonzaga (Maui Invitational)
L - Tue, Nov 20___Arizona or Iowa State (Maui Invitational)
W - Wed, Nov 21___Auburn/Duke/SDSU/Xavier (Maui Invitational)
W - Sun, Nov 25___Mississippi Valley State
W - Tue, Nov 27___@Notre Dame
L - Sun, Dec 02___@Nebraska
W - Wed, Dec 05___Ohio State (Chicago, IL)
W - Sat, Dec 08___UNLV
W - Sat, Dec 15___East Tennessee State
W - Sat, Dec 22___Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
W - Sat, Dec 29___Florida Atlantic
L - Thu, Jan 03___@Indiana
W - Sun, Jan 06___@Northwestern
L - Thu, Jan 10___Michigan
W - Wed, Jan 16___Minnesota
W - Sun, Jan 20___@Iowa
W - Wed, Jan 23___Wisconsin
L - Sat, Jan 26___Maryland (New York, NY)
W - Wed, Jan 30___@Minnesota
W - Sat, Feb 02___Nebraska
L - Tue, Feb 05___Michigan State
W - Sat, Feb 09___Rutgers
L - Thu, Feb 14___@Ohio State
L - Mon, Feb 18___@Wisconsin
W - Sat, Feb 23___Penn State
L - Wed, Feb 27___@Purdue
W - Sun, Mar 03___Northwestern
W - Thu, Mar 07___Indiana
W - Sun, Mar 10___@Penn State

21-10 (12-8). Mmmm, that tastes good!
 
#50      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
We will lose games we should win because of our youth and inexperience, but we will win games we should lose because of our youth and exuberance.

This makes us more likely than not a .500 team.

This being said, I am looking closer at the last 10 games plus B1G Tournament time (Feb-Mar) as the barometer for what is to come. We absolutely have to be a better team during that stretch, and the improvements must be substantial, concrete, and obvious.
 
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