2019-2020 Predictions Thread

#26      

unimaroon

Baja Ontario
[QUOTE="Ayooooooo, post: 1479726, member: 746517"

22-9, good for a 6 seed.
[/QUOTE]
FYI - Your break down, which doesn't include Nicholas St. on 11/05, shows 8 "L's" with the 22 "W's".
 
#28      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
I predict BU talks with some recruits this year.:cool:
2h7ga2v (1).gif


OMG....BU talked to a recruit !!!!!!!
 
#31      
Oh, fun!

Games:
11/5 - Nicholls State - W
11/8 - at Grand Canyon - W
11/10 - at Arizona - L
11/18 - Hawaii - W
11/20 - The Citadel - W
11/23 - Hampton - W
11/26 - Lindenwood - W
12/2 - Miami - W
12/7 - at Maryland - L
12/11 - Michigan - W
12/14 - Old Dominion - W
12/21 - Missouri - W
12/29 - North Carolina AT&T - W
1/2 - at Michigan State - L
1/5 - Purdue - W
1/8 - at Wisconsin - L
1/11 - Rutgers - W
1/18 - Northwestern - W
1/21 - at Purdue - L
1/25 - at Michigan - L
1/30 - Minnesota - W
2/2 - at Iowa - L
2/7 - Maryland - W
2/11 - Michigan State - W
2/15 - at Rutgers - W
2/18 - at Penn State - W
2/24 - Nebraska - W
2/27 - at Northwestern - W
3/1 - Indiana - W
3/4 - at Ohio State - L
3/8 - Iowa - W

Wow, nothing better to restore optimism than a new year and not seeing a game yet.

23-8 and give me that 4 seed.
 
#32      

illini80

Forgottonia
Oh, fun!

Games:
11/5 - Nicholls State - W
11/8 - at Grand Canyon - W
11/10 - at Arizona - L
11/18 - Hawaii - W
11/20 - The Citadel - W
11/23 - Hampton - W
11/26 - Lindenwood - W
12/2 - Miami - W
12/7 - at Maryland - L
12/11 - Michigan - W
12/14 - Old Dominion - W
12/21 - Missouri - W
12/29 - North Carolina AT&T - W
1/2 - at Michigan State - L
1/5 - Purdue - W
1/8 - at Wisconsin - L
1/11 - Rutgers - W
1/18 - Northwestern - W
1/21 - at Purdue - L
1/25 - at Michigan - L
1/30 - Minnesota - W
2/2 - at Iowa - L
2/7 - Maryland - W
2/11 - Michigan State - W
2/15 - at Rutgers - W
2/18 - at Penn State - W
2/24 - Nebraska - W
2/27 - at Northwestern - W
3/1 - Indiana - W
3/4 - at Ohio State - L
3/8 - Iowa - W

Wow, nothing better to restore optimism than a new year and not seeing a game yet.

23-8 and give me that 4 seed.
The off season has been the best time to be an Illini fan for years now. However, I am pretty optimistic for this year. Hoping the coaching change helps on game day adjustments and I think Ayo is going to be outstanding which will open things up for others.
 
#33      
The off season has been the best time to be an Illini fan for years now. However, I am pretty optimistic for this year. Hoping the coaching change helps on game day adjustments and I think Ayo is going to be outstanding which will open things up for others.
Ayo looked awesome in Italy and Alan and Tevian also looked great. Hope the chemistry develops and BU advances his defense.
 
#35      
My Predictions:
11/5 - Nicholls State W
11/8 - @ Grand Canyon W
11/10 - @ Arizona L
11/18 - Hawaii W
11/20 - The Citadel W
11/23 - Hampton W
11/26 - Lindenwood W
12/2 - Miami W
12/7 - @ Maryland L
12/11 - Michigan W
12/14 - ODU W
12/21 - Missouri W
12/29 - NC A&T W
1/2 - @ Michigan State L
1/5 - Purdue L
1/8 - @ Wisconsin W
1/11 - Rutgers W
1/18 - Northwestern W
1/21 - @ Purdue L
1/25 - @ Michigan L
1/30 - Minnesota W
2/2 - @ Iowa W
2/7 - Maryland W
2/11 - Michigan State L
2/15 - @ Rutgers W
2/18 - @ Penn State L
2/24 - Nebraska W
2/27 - @Northwestern W
3/1 - Indiana L
3/4 - @ Ohio State L
3/8 - Iowa W
Final Record : 21-10
 
#37      
21-10 win home games except one and lose BIG road games except one and lose to Arizona.
Add Nick Anderson equivalent (18 pts and 8 rebounds) at PF and 28-3.
 
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#38      
21-10 win home games except one and lose BIG road games except one and lose to Arizona.
Add Nick Anderson equivalent and 28-3
If we can win more than 1 road game this year I’d say we are much worse than all the hype would otherwise make me expect.
 
#39      
If we can win more than 1 road game this year I’d say we are much worse than all the hype would otherwise make me expect.
Believe we have the talent but not the defensive system. Purdue scored 40 pts in the paint against us and fouled out Giorgi in 22 mins. I would not like to say we were out coached but if someone else said it, I couldn't disagree. Kofi certainly gives us another tool but he also can foul out rather quickly. Believe the staff is aware of the problem which is the first step in correcting it, but they need to show it on the court.
 
#41      
Probably the most realistic prediction in this thread. I hope you're wrong though.

We are a now experienced team that returns all of its major pieces. We add potential nba talent at an area of need to go along with an nba point guard.

Don’t confuse realism with pessimism. 18 wins and below .500 in conference is a failure for this team, this year, barring major injuries.
 
#42      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
Prediction:

18-13 (9-11)
That's pretty close to but a little more pessimistic than my prediction of 20-11 in the regular season (2 losses in the non-con and then 11-9 in conference). Then I think we get 2 BTT wins making us 22-12 going into Selection Sunday. That should be more than enough to get us in at something like an or 8 or 9 seed depending on how good the conference is this year.
 
#43      
11/5 - Nicholls State W
11/8 - at Grand Canyon W
11/10 - at Arizona L
11/18 - Hawaii L
11/20 - The Citadel W
11/23 - Hampton W
11/26 - Lindenwood W
12/2 - Miami W
12/7 - at Maryland L
12/11 - Michigan L
12/14 - Old Dominion W
12/21 - Missouri W
12/29 - North Carolina AT&T W
1/2 - at Michigan State L
1/5 - Purdue W
1/8 - at Wisconsin L
1/11 - Rutgers W
1/18 - Northwestern W
1/21 - at Purdue W
1/25 - at Michigan L
1/30 - Minnesota W
2/2 - at Iowa W
2/7 - Maryland L
2/11 - Michigan State L
2/15 - at Rutgers W
2/18 - at Penn State W
2/24 - Nebraska W
2/27 - at Northwestern W
3/1 - Indiana W
3/4 - at Ohio State L
3/8 - Iowa W

Overall: 21-10 Conference: 12-8

5 Seed NCAA Sweet 16

I feel like I am being a pessimist, though
 
#44      
2018 Prediction: 14-16
2018 Actual: 14-18

2019 Prediction: 10-22
2019 Actual: 12-21

Now is the time for some optimism!

2020 Prediction 21-10 regular season, 1-1 BTT, 1-1 NCAA tourney. Total Season 23-12
 
#45      
2018 Prediction: 14-16
2018 Actual: 14-18

2019 Prediction: 10-22
2019 Actual: 12-21

Now is the time for some optimism!

2020 Prediction 21-10 regular season, 1-1 BTT, 1-1 NCAA tourney. Total Season 23-12


So since you were spot on in 2018 and then 2 victories short in 2019, I'm assuming that means you'll be 4 wins lower than actual this year. I'll take all 4 extra wins in the NCAA tourney please.
 
#46      
We are a now experienced team that returns all of its major pieces. We add potential nba talent at an area of need to go along with an nba point guard.

Don’t confuse realism with pessimism. 18 wins and below .500 in conference is a failure for this team, this year, barring major injuries.

I agree, that's a very pessimistic view of this team and would be a failure without injury issues.
 
#47      
11/5 - Nicholls State W (1-0)
11/8 - at Grand Canyon W (2-0)
11/10 - at Arizona L (2-1)
11/18 - Hawaii W (3-1)
11/20 - The Citadel W (4-1)
11/23 - Hampton W (5-1)
11/26 - Lindenwood W (6-1)
12/2 - Miami W (7-1)
12/7 - at Maryland L (7-2, 0-1)
12/11 - Michigan W (8-2, 1-1)
12/14 - Old Dominion W (9-2, 1-1)
12/21 - Missouri W (10-2, 1-1)
12/29 - North Carolina AT&T W (11-2, 1-1)
1/2 - at Michigan State L (11-3, 1-2)
1/5 - Purdue W (12-3, 2-2)
1/8 - at Wisconsin L (12-4, 2-3)
1/11 - Rutgers W (13-4, 3-3)
1/18 - Northwestern W (14-4, 4-3)
1/21 - at Purdue L (14-5, 4-4)
1/25 - at Michigan L (14-6, 4-5)
1/30 - Minnesota W (15-6, 5-5)
2/2 - at Iowa L (15-7, 5-6)
2/7 - Maryland L (15-8, 5-7)
2/11 - Michigan State L (15-9, 5-8)
2/15 - at Rutgers L (15-10, 5-9)
2/18 - at Penn State L (15-11, 5-10)
2/24 - Nebraska W (16-11, 6-10)
2/27 - at Northwestern W (17-11, 7-10)
3/1 - Indiana W (18-11, 8-10)
3/4 - at Ohio State L (18-12, 8-11)
3/8 - Iowa W (19-12, 9-11)

It's more pessimistic than I'd like to be, but I have trouble putting us into the second tier of conference teams (i.e. those below MSU and UMD but off the bubble) because of how far we have to climb from last year to get there. Assuming we're in the bubble group, we've really been hurt by this year's schedule, because of course we have.

We only have seven games against the five teams I consider to be off the back (Northwestern and Nebraska will both be horrible, and Minnesota, Iowa without Bohannon, and IU all lost an awful lot), and five of those are at home. No breaks against the top two, who we'll play home-and-home, and three road games against what I have as the other bubble teams (UW, Rutgers, and PSU).

We need to steal a couple of road wins against good teams to hit .500, I think. There's a distinct possibility that we will actually make the leap forward but I won't believe it until it's proven on the court.
 
#48      
In the past several years the experts had us predicted near where we ended up for the season. Most of us, myself included, predicted much better. This year, so far, the writers I have read have us doing rather well. So I am going with my conservative estimate of 20-11 (11-9), but when drinking my Tang I think we can do better if we win most of the close ones.
 
#49      
Going to put forth a contrarian view.

Honest question: How is this team different from last year's 12-21 team that got destroyed by 21 against Iowa?

Ayo was fantastic last year, improved as he went, but how much better can he get over the summer?
Same for Giorgi, and to a lesser extent, Feliz.
Kofi should be expected to be inconsistent. Even still, I'll give a slight bump to the true freshman over an injured ADR and Kane.
AJ graduated. 27 mpg and shot 42% from 3, and was our best FT shooter (Tevian had the highest FT% but didn't shoot enough to qualify IMO). AJ rebounded well too, and didn't turn it over. People are glossing over the loss of a plus player.
Trent I would expect to be productive if healthy.
Tevian and AG should improve, but it seems like people are expecting miracles.
BU has not shown the ability to install his system quickly, and that's not good if you're in a world of high roster turnover. We looked like crap for half the season. I couldn't stand watching the !!!!-show we put on early. I felt like we were watching one team that hadn't practiced vs a team that had. As far as intangibles, I'm not optimistic about us knowing how to win close games, simply because we trailed off so heavily at the end of the season (2-6 after the winning stretch). There were positives, for sure, and I appreciate the effort these guys put in. Nothing against them, but I see some serious concerns about us getting to the level people here are expecting.

Anyway, I'm not expecting as much as many others. If we get above .500 in conference I'll be pretty happy. The non-conf is a lot more forgiving this year, and hopefully we've progressed enough, that we won't lay an egg in the games that matter. That could put us in bubble territory, something I would be loathe to see for a program that should be well into a strong rebuild.
 
#50      
Believe we have the talent but not the defensive system. Purdue scored 40 pts in the paint against us and fouled out Giorgi in 22 mins. I would not like to say we were out coached but if someone else said it, I couldn't disagree. Kofi certainly gives us another tool but he also can foul out rather quickly. Believe the staff is aware of the problem which is the first step in correcting it, but they need to show it on the court.
Kofi has the potential to make us a completely different team defensively. You do realize we played a 6”5 SG at the 4 last year right?