Yes, I agree. Top 25 wins are great, but not important. Beating other tournament teams and winning on neutral or road courts (VCU). These things matter. Though we have lost bad when we have lost. We have won big when we have won. I think we will be fine to the committee if we can win a good amount down the stretch.
Illinois 76, Iowa 64 POSTGAME
Yes, I agree. Top 25 wins are great, but not important. Beating other tournament teams and winning on neutral or road courts (VCU). These things matter. Though we have lost bad when we have lost. We have won big when we have won. I think we will be fine to the committee if we can win a good amount down the stretch.
After tonight I would never ever want Fran to coach a team I rooted for. What he did tonight to Jok made no sense and could of hurt him in the future. He shouldn't of been on the court at all. You could just see how uncomfortable he was and spent most of his time stretching out his back.
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For all of the Jok defenders for Iowa. We played most of the 2nd half without our best player also. This was a pretty good win led most of the game by 16 finished with 12 others win. Iowa has beaten Purdue this year. Again overall I would say an above average win.
The committee is on an antiquated system of not taking margins of loss/wins into account but it is what it is for this year. We beat Mizzou period. Lost to WVU period. Margin of victory or loss doesn't matter.
Kenpom and Sagarin are far more accurate on rating teams but only the RPI matters this year and we are about 30 spots ahead in the RPI from the advanced sites
I think that I heard he had a bad case of the wuss-itis...
I kid... He has some sort of back injury. Not a fun thing to deal with, but no excuses for the Squawks.
First off, I am not naive to think we are magically a good team again but I did see evidence that the team Looked different tonight. It seemed that we were much more engaged on defense. I saw more hands swiping at careless dribbles and passes than I remember seeing in a long time. We were extremely active on the boards and did a good job boxing out. To me, it looked like a team that had been "coached up" for this game.
We can thank Florida St and West Va. for becoming so good, BYU is 15-6, NC St is 14-7, VCU is 15-5, Winthrop is 15-4
illinoisfan11
- Peoria, IL
I legitimately felt badly for Tate when that happened. I'm not a fan of having him on the floor, as I don't think he brings what TJL does to the team, but he's given his all for this program for 4 years. He doesn't deserve that. I know the fans boos were direct at Groce, but Jaylon knows why. Can't be a good feeling for a kid who's given his all to the program. Hope that never happens again.
I think he takes it in stride. He even high-fived a fan after he made that contested lane shot. I'm sure he understands the limitations he has and those boos were definitely directed at Groce. I heard some boos during the starting lineup for when the PA announcer announced coach Groce. Fans are getting restless with him and his odd substitution patterns.
Finally, our four most efficient players played the most minutes. Tracy and Tate should be playing a maximum 10 minutes COMBINED. It's a shame Tejon wasn't getting these minutes all year.
Heading into this game we had 9 players taking 90% of the minutes, and 3 players taking the final 10%. That is ridiculous for this team. The style doesn't dictate it. The talent doesn't dictate it.
Kentucky, with all their talent, only plays 7 deep taking 90% of the minutes. They have 2 players taking the remaining 10%.
We can't afford to be playing under-performing players simply because they're seniors.
At least NC St beat the Dookies at Durham... Hope they can knock off a few other ACC teams as well.
illinoisfan11
- Peoria, IL
It was good to see him get that basket and respond so positively. He got a nice ovation after that.
Listening to McCaffery's presser, he took direct accountability that and said that his team's struggles reflects on him and how his staff prepares the kids and that it starts with him. Now, his team is young, so he has an excuse, but you never hear Groce take that kind of accountability. Makes you think.
With all of Fran's crazy blowups this month, not sure I buy into those comments tonight. You don't blow up and act like an !!! like he has and then, miraculously take full accountability for the team. He sees the direction that the Squawks are heading and is trying to play the game to get things turned around. He's frustrated and should be, just as Groce is frustrated and should be... Let's hope for a strong finish and let the offseason take care of itself.
The Dave
- CA
Not to be TOO optimistic, but the other factor in the NCAA's this year is that there are not a lot of mid-majors out there vying for spots. There are going to be a lot of "junk spots" going to average P5 teams due to that. Our best bet might be the general mediocrity of the non P5 teams this year.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
Didn't seem worth a new thread at this hour.
USC up 11 on UCLA with 12:00 to go.
Could be interesting
Delete if you like, Dan
USC up 11 on UCLA with 12:00 to go.
Could be interesting
Delete if you like, Dan
No, but JG can....
Because Our university has paid him millions of dollars over the last 5 years.
His subbing patterns tonight were borderline foolish!!
Please JW...... Stop the insanity!!
I can't make sense of it. It's going cost him and his staff their jobs.
We're up 10-0 or 11-0 and rolling and he yanks TJL and JCL with 16:45 left in the first half. Didn't end up hurting us, but just makes no sense. Those guys were really clicking.
He has to figure it out quickly but in his defense he is trending in right direction albeit slowly
He had a few momentum killers, almost all of them involved TJL-Tracy. It was obvious he was trying to help Tracy mentally/psychologically who was struggling. At the end, he gave Tracy a really big hug, evident of his effort to try to lift him up.
My problem is that Tracy had the highest USG% on the entire team for this game @ 33% which is almost double Malcom's, double Mav's, and greater than Finke's 29%.
Finke completely outplayed Tracy in every aspect yet Tracy has a greater Usage. It makes no sense. I understand trying to run a few plays for Tracy to get him a few clean looks, but Groce is apparently giving him the full green light.
Ten players got tick this game. Tracy had the highest Usage, and 2nd lowest efficiency. I don't believe its scheme because Tate played similar minutes to Tracy; yet only had an 8% Usage. I don't want to go there though, and will leave scheme comments to the experts on this board.
I will be so upset with this staff if we don't make the tournament. The pieces are there.
edit: corrected 8th lowest efficeincy to 2nd
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