Illinois 79, Purdue 62 POSTGAME

[skyIdub]

Jesus Lucas Johnson was everywhere!

Yeah, but watching Frankie gives me a basketball fanrection every time.

 

[PtownIllini8]

One sport wears pounds of padding and a helmet as protection. The other is just you and some synthetic fibers between you and the opponent.

Yeah, it makes him a punk.

This is also a terrible comparison. Two totally different sports with different expectations around contact.

No it doesn't make him a punk. But it was a punk move. Everyone, especially young folks, deserves a 2nd chance on that. Do it again, and you've got real issues.

 

[IlliniKat91]

No it doesn't make him a punk. But it was a punk move. Everyone, especially young folks, deserves a 2nd chance on that. Do it again, and you've got real issues.

I both agree and disagree. I work in a high school and am inclined to give young people a chance to grow, but I'm also on the lookout for patterns of bad behavior. From now on, his actions won't exist in the vacuum of the moment. I also think that as a D-I player who gets a ton of coaching on media interaction and representing the school, you need to know and behave better, even in the heat of the moment.

By all accounts he apologized. As long as he takes any punishment and doesn't do it again, we move on and call it a day. Thing is that now people are going to watch him more closely to see if he does stuff like this again. If he's smart (and I think he is), he'll straighten it out.

 

[alaskaillini]

Home page says that Griffin apologized to the Purdue player. If true, and he had the proper attitude, that would be a good second step for him.

FIFY

 

[robjilla]

Griffin was right in the first row (next to Kofi) during the locker room celebration and was actively part of the team. He was probably also very relieved for the victory. I doubt there will be any suspension. If so, it would have been announced by now.

He better be relieved. The Boilers went on a little run after that brain cramp. I love that CBS article. I just read it and it is spot on. The difference in defensive scheme is very noticeable with this team.

 

[ktal]

That made me go find this.

This was so much fun to watch. And the memory of being a confident Illini fan sure felt nice. A lot of good times. But man, could Lucas get the charge?!

 

[alaskaillini]

I think this season demonstrates that there was reason to question his system but not reason to question his coaching ability. Clearly his old system wasn't working and we questioned why he wasn't making changes, which would signal poor coaching. The thing is, he recognized exactly that and did make changes. That is good coaching.

So, in hindsight, posters were justified to question his system but (seemingly) not his coaching ability. There's still a lot left to be written here, of course.

Agree with all your points. However, after the game I pulled up lasts year's win over MSU on the DVR and watched it for comparison purposes (especially after Dakich recalled his comment before Ayo drained his second late 3). While the pressure defense may not have consistently provided UI with the best chance of winning, when it worked it was beautiful. We may have only won 12 games last year but that team played the game in a way that made it really fun to watch (especially in comparison to the style that had preceded it). Don't get me wrong, winning is better, but I appreciate the attraction of playing aggressive defense and at a face pace on offense.

It has taken Ayo a while to figure out how to play at the slower pace. Moving from PG has seemed to help. Maybe he has more time and can focus more on making plays without the ball in his hands as much.

 

[ChocolateThunder]

I don’t know if it’s been said yet, but Ayo had more assists than Purdue as a whole.

Ayo's two 12 footers, after we had missed 3 times in a row, with about 3 minutes to play to was a key moment.
The ice man cometh.

 

[PlayAZ]

Ayo's two 12 footers, after we had missed 3 times in a row, with about 3 minutes to play to was a key moment.
The ice man cometh.

Those shots in particular looked silky smooth, uber confidant, and ultra Alpha Male....Ayo is back and better than last year finally!

 

[BRucks]

Ayo's two 12 footers, after we had missed 3 times in a row, with about 3 minutes to play to was a key moment.
The ice man cometh.

He may miss shot early in the game but when crunch time comes around he is the guy that you want shooting the ball.

 

[Dan]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1220118558195290113

 

[TxChief]

That's a lot of speculation. It can easily be said the Underwood see that in him and that is why he is not starting. Either way it does not matter. You cannot act like that. Watch Felix and TF play. They are competitive and get into guys without being dirty. I am a huge AG fan but that stuff is just unacceptable.

AG is so lucky that Kansas and KSU decided to one up him on the same night, or he might still be watching his dance step on Sports Center.

 

[SKane]

"More mindful in the future" seems weak,

I would have felt better if he had said that it would never happen again.

 

[NotThatPierre]

"More mindful in the future" seems weak,

I would have felt better if he had said that it would never happen again.

I get what you're saying, but as to the future it matters not what he says but what he does.

 

[Ol Dirty Gamer]

"More mindful in the future" seems weak,

I would have felt better if he had said that it would never happen again.

He seems to play with a chip on his shoulder everynight. I would imagine he will continue to play with a lot of intensity. He’s had past incidents, so i think he’s acknowledging the boundaries between a shoulder bump like in the miami game and stepping on a player.

 

[clusterbuster75]

For sure man. We are definitely here on this board to vIRtUE SiGnAl for fake internet points and don’t actually think stepping on opposing players is not a good thing. 100%.

It is not like he went for a chair, that is definitely outside the rules of war.

 

[WizardBill]

I go with "GB" but if he keeps hitting threes i will spell it all out.

GB3?

 

[clusterbuster75]

Re Kofi and Ayo going into the draft: I seem to remember Deron Williams said he left Illinois for the draft because of financial pressures at home. He needed the money because his mom was ill and it would have been against NCAA rules for anyone to help financially. I seem to remember that he said if could do it all over again and his mother had not been sick, he would have stayed with Illinois for his senior year. That season with the Illini is something that can never be replaced.

I think he said something like that to Ayo.

Maybe I heard/remember incorrectly, but we can only hope that Ayo's unfinished business with the Fighting Illini includes two more seasons after this one. And Kofi too, of course. Hey, if you were a basketball player, are you going to say nope to Deron?

When I get really really flat-out hogged on the orange Kool-Aid, that's what I dream of.... Ayo and Kofi sticking around to win it all.

 

[WizardBill]

Re Kofi and Ayo going into the draft: I seem to remember Deron Williams said he left Illinois for the draft because of financial pressures at home. He needed the money because his mom was ill and it would have been against NCAA rules for anyone to help financially. I seem to remember that he said if could do it all over again and his mother had not been sick, he would have stayed with Illinois...

Isn’t that identical to Miles Leonard?

 

[illini80]

Griffin was right in the first row (next to Kofi) during the locker room celebration and was actively part of the team. He was probably also very relieved for the victory. I doubt there will be any suspension. If so, it would have been announced by now.

Could be wrong, but I’ll be surprised if the B10 doesn’t impose something.

 

[Deleted member 29907]

Could be wrong, but I’ll be surprised if the B10 doesn’t impose something.

I'd be surprised for a first offense. But then again, as I think of it, nothing we do seems to go our way - so there's that. I personally think he paid a penalty of being out the rest of the game. BU might sit him 1/2 of the next and then its short leash from there on out. Heck, Giorgi, lays some pretty high elbows on opponents very often. Its not quite so obvious and not during a stopped clock - but if he were on another team - I probably would really hate him.

On a side note, anyone else notice Ayo is back to his over the head hook passes again? Explains the 11 assists?

 

[AZis]

The Closer!

Kofi and The Closer!

 

[Deleted member 29907]

Watching the replay - 2:44 left in the first half - when Feliz caught one in the ribs/sternum - cheap shot by Eastern. Totally on purpose leading the elbow. I know the guy is awkward to start with - but it was a clear lead with the elbow into Feliz.

 

[EyeoftheIllini]

AG is so lucky that Kansas and KSU decided to one up him on the same night, or he might still be watching his dance step on Sports Center.

While it might have limited the scrutiny on ESPN, I wonder if given the nastiness of and reaction to the K-KSU if the B1G thinks it needs to send a message of its own.

 

[BillyBob1]

Watching the replay - 2:44 left in the first half - when Feliz caught one in the ribs/sternum - cheap shot by Eastern. Totally on purpose leading the elbow. I know the guy is awkward to start with - but it was a clear lead with the elbow into Feliz.

Tried to find that at halftime. Wonder why it wasn’t reviewed?