Indiana 92, Illinois 74 POSTGAME

[illinitiger]

More than enough reason for sincere pessimism too. AJ, Kipper, Frazier, and Damonte had a full summer to learn the system. I don't think any of those guys improved substantially from last year and Kipper is a lot worse. What makes you think the new guys this year are going to improve next year?

Actually I thought team D on Off and D improved significantly from last year.... Leron would have helped greatly and made us a bubble team, IMO.

Individual stats are interesting but dont tell the whole story....I think we are a little closer this year to being a team that is greater than Sum of parts, which is progress.

 

[clusterbuster75]

Said ankle is fine, but foot bruise I believe on the bottom of his foot, said it hurts when it gets stepped on so most likely is affecting his game.

thanks.. I can just tell he ain't been right. Ankles take a while to heal. I always say ankles ain't better till next season. I'm no insider. Just going by what I see on TV.

 

[clusterbuster75]

What I really want to know is the game at ten tomorrow, like if I don't change my clock? I'm a luddite, I have no phone that changes the time for me.

 

[JudsonFTS]

Or they are just better than us at this point in time? The rest are excuses that are right up there with every Big Ten referee being against us and Steve Bardo ruining games for us because he's an alum that doesn't care for his Alma Mater.

(Sigh)

Anyone who has watched this team knows that was not a typical effort level. They are generally hungry and play with passion. Did not happen and not sure why. That is actually a much more damning post than...saying the other team is better.

 

[Deleted member 236589]

Anyone who has watched this team knows that was not a typical effort level. They are generally hungry and play with passion. Did not happen and not sure why. That is actually a much more damning post than...saying the other team is better.

They were better because they were physically bigger and stronger. They destroyed us on the interior with their size. They had 8 more rebounds and 13 more shot attempts. We shot 50% from the field, 48% from three and took more free throws(12 of 22 however).

Sure, there were some unforced turnovers and some sloppiness by the guards, but you shoot 50% from the field, hit three more 3's than your opponent and take more free throws....generally you're going to win.

It's not a fun thing to hear or say quite frankly, but outside of GB, we are grossly undermanned in the paint and outside of Ayo(occasionally) we don't have guards that can help on the boards.

Add a couple of shot blockers/rebounders and the outcome is probably different in more than one of our losses. Now, we can either blame the refs or accept the reality that we need a lot more talent at the 3, 4 and 5. The guards are more than sufficient. It's a tournament caliber backcourt. The frontcourt is what has sprung a leak, most notably against Penn State and Indiana. We got bullied by Stephens and Morgan. It is what it is. No excuses.

 

[Efrem Winters fan]

I don't see any reason....yet...for any pessimism at all unless you are just looking for it. Trent's defense has improved dramatically. Damonte continues to be a guy that BU singles out for his intangibles each week. AJ absolutely improved substantially. It's obnoxious to suggest otherwise. I have no idea what you are watching or listening to, but if you are only going to point to stats and numbers with those guys you are doing it wrong. Kipper is a strange case and a huge outlier.

What makes me think the new guys this year are going to improve next year? Because everybody (sans Kipper) improved from last year. Especially in the second half of this season. It's pretty obvious actually.

Hell the difference in AG in this last 6 weeks alone is very obvious. The system is working. The kids have bought in. There are going to be bad nights and stretches of regression, but I have zero reason right now to anticipate anything but improvement.

Agreed skydub. There is pretty much universal agreement that Kipper is the player who was expected to play a bigger role this year but has been inconsistent and occasionally non-existent. I’m not sure we would miss the tournament this year if we had Leron Black. He would have consumed minutes from Kipper/Jordan/Williams. The problem on the team this year is not exclusively that we are young but that we have very few players with significant experience running BU’s system and lack depth in the paint.

 

[JudsonFTS]

They were better because they were physically bigger and stronger. They destroyed us on the interior with their size. They had 8 more rebounds and 13 more shot attempts. We shot 50% from the field, 48% from three and took more free throws(12 of 22 however).

Sure, there were some unforced turnovers and some sloppiness by the guards, but you shoot 50% from the field, hit three more 3's than your opponent and take more free throws....generally you're going to win.

It's not a fun thing to hear or say quite frankly, but outside of GB, we are grossly undermanned in the paint and outside of Ayo(occasionally) we don't have guards that can help on the boards.

Add a couple of shot blockers/rebounders and the outcome is probably different in more than one of our losses. Now, we can either blame the refs or accept the reality that we need a lot more talent at the 3, 4 and 5. The guards are more than sufficient. It's a tournament caliber backcourt. The frontcourt is what has sprung a leak, most notably against Penn State and Indiana. We got bullied by Stephens and Morgan. It is what it is. No excuses.

The sufficient guards, who had been causing lots of turnovers crated 7.

No one disputes the issues we have against length. Brad tries to overcome it by creating mismatches the other way with guards. But the shooting percentage by IU was directly about the guards getting anywhere they wanted...and you have to ask why that has happened.