Illini Basketball 2018-2019
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No Tevian or Da’Monte in the starting lineup? Feel like a little more size would help d and rebounding. Although I seem to remember Frazier and Lucas was a pretty effective combo last year...
Deleted member 29907
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Is this an Offensive or Defensive point of view? Your answer will probably be 'both' but how would we defend against size? Seems like it would be pretty easy to post up against this crew....
If we agree that Frazier and Ayo are starters, it comes down to the third guard spot. Feliz, Jordan or Williams. It will be a great battle but obviously all three are key members of the team. Any of the three could start.
I like Jordan’s shooting off the bench. He comes in when the other team is a bit gassed and nails shots right and left.
Williams has a great all around game. If he can knock down jumpers, he will be hard to keep out of the lineup.
Right now, I like Feliz at the point. That could change. I like his ballhandling, defense, and toughness. He is a bulldog. He finds the open shooter and can hit shots, too. I like Frazier and Ayo attacking off the wings.
Nichols is a lock at the four and we need Jones there, too, although Jordan can provide minutes at that spot because of his ability to rebound.
At center, it is currently Giorgi. He knows the offense, is strong, can really pass it. Hopefully, he will rebound a bit with his added strength. When DeLaRosa is healthy, he will give us an experienced option there. I like Kane’s skill set. Athletic with length and he can score. He just really needs strength right now. It’s too bad that he missed 8 weeks of weight training in the summer.
And I really like Griffin. He is a bit like Jamar Smith when it comes to shooting the ball. By that I mean he is one of those shooters where you are surprised when he misses. Right now, he is behind some really good wings until he gets more experience and strength. But I think he will surprise opponents this year.
I like Jordan’s shooting off the bench. He comes in when the other team is a bit gassed and nails shots right and left.
Williams has a great all around game. If he can knock down jumpers, he will be hard to keep out of the lineup.
Right now, I like Feliz at the point. That could change. I like his ballhandling, defense, and toughness. He is a bulldog. He finds the open shooter and can hit shots, too. I like Frazier and Ayo attacking off the wings.
Nichols is a lock at the four and we need Jones there, too, although Jordan can provide minutes at that spot because of his ability to rebound.
At center, it is currently Giorgi. He knows the offense, is strong, can really pass it. Hopefully, he will rebound a bit with his added strength. When DeLaRosa is healthy, he will give us an experienced option there. I like Kane’s skill set. Athletic with length and he can score. He just really needs strength right now. It’s too bad that he missed 8 weeks of weight training in the summer.
And I really like Griffin. He is a bit like Jamar Smith when it comes to shooting the ball. By that I mean he is one of those shooters where you are surprised when he misses. Right now, he is behind some really good wings until he gets more experience and strength. But I think he will surprise opponents this year.
Deleted member 29907
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BU mentioned this in the after practice discussion, but it will be nice to be ready for a zone D early this year and this year's team gives me hope we can start jacking 3s if a team starts to zone us. Last year, when we started to pinch-post-pick (say that three times real fast) other teams, they quickly adjusted, went to zone, and we didn't have enough weapons to shoot or move the ball quickly enough to get the open look. And then it quickly became rinse and repeat for the next opponent.
Yes, agreed, but also, it wouldn't surprise me if he could haha
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
Can you imagine the flops while trying to get pass interference calls?
Deleted member 654622
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Is it just me or does Ayo always look disinterested in just about every video I watch?
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
Maybe is the start of the season hype getting to me, but I am getting more and more confident in what Giorgi can do. Good size/strength to him for a frosh. Reports that he can move really well. But the BB IQ is the biggest thing. Plenty of average at best skill set players have had really good college careers just by knowing where and when to be placed on the court in the system they run (see Baer on Iowa roster for this currently) Put that with good energy, and I think he can be a key contributor. I am not looking for him to be great this season, but I do think he and Kane can be serviceable. And if we can get serviceable from our bigs, the team will go as far as the Guards and Kip can take us.
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
I thought the same thing, esp. the very end. He also comes off as a kid that isn't super outgoing and seems to close off around the camera. It shows way more next to Trent all the time.
Offensively, I think we will have the worst production out of the 5 spot in the B1G. Defensively, we have to have at least be obviously not the worst (sorry thats an awful way to state it but I can't think of anything better to say). If we can get better defensive production from the 5 compared to last year, I think our back court strength could easily propel us into the 6-10 range.
This season will hinge on how well the 4/5 spot can defend. If Kipper can be a better than average defender of the other teams 4, I think BU can find serviceable D from Kane/Giorgi/Adonis. My hope is that BU can simplify their defensive assignment. Our 1-3 spot has a real chance to be suffocating at times, and they'll need to be. Frazier was good last year, Ayo has shown on a very high stage he can defend, and DMW has the length to be extremely disruptive (I thought he was our best defender last year).
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Have not seen him in person, but in videos he seems to be the kind of guy who lets his play do his talking. He did his 'curl away from the great pass' move after the alley to Tevian which I also recall seeing during the summer US games he was in - so he seems to express himself in more of a 'cool' fashion as opposed to beat my chest. Could also be that he's a frosh getting up at 5;30am for a 7:00am 3 hour practice and its hitting him.
I think he's just got one of those faces.
Sal Iacuzzo
- Yonkers, NY
Without seeing any practices, I'd have to imagine AJ will be included in the starting lineup (or top 5 in minutes played) as we need his size and rebounding ability.
BananaShampoo
Captain 'Paign
- Phoenix, AZ
He's got "RDF". (Resting Disinterested Face)
This is going to be great Loyalty drama
Honestly though, if Feliz starts at the point, it has to be really good (or at least just "good") for us. It probably means he is better than Jordan and Williams. It also probably means he is as good or better as a point guard than Ayo and Frazier. I know it doesn't mean he is a better player than Ayo or Frazier, but maybe better at just being our point or the combo of those three makes our team better.
Either way, we know that Jordan and Williams are both decent, if Feliz starts over them, then it is good for us.
If he starts to begin the season I don't think it lasts into conference time. Trent, Ayo, and Kipper will start. Damonte is our fourth. If we go big start Giorgi/Kane/De La Rosa if we go small start Feliz. Play your scorers off ball. I think the step forward Damonte will be able to take from fresh-soph year along with the fact that he's had all summer unlike last year will be huge.
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
Last year, watching basketball was fun again (at times). I just want that to continue this year.
It would seem to me that a lineup of Trent, Griffin, AJ, and Kipper should be able to give us enough shooting to kill a zone. Just wonder if we will be forced to play more zone defense to protect our front court.
That's the kind of thing that is gold. If Kane can help and recover, he can make an impact in the minutes he gets.
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