Penn State 72, Illinois 56 POSTGAME

#26      

Deleted member 29907

D
Guest
I'm still not sold on BU and his style of play
One wonders if any team can keep up that type of defensive pace for a full B10 season. We looked dog tired the last 4 games and our shooting and D suffered because of it. Certainly if we're still playing hard in practice - that needs to stop once the season starts.

This is not SFA where you get some more breaks in the schedule during the season. This is a full contact, every game battle type league. It could also be that it was novel for the first season and 1/2 but coaches are adjusting and so the pressure may be neutralized.

Syracuse's zone D was always built for the NCAA tourney as it was difficult to deal with the first time teams saw it. Once SU moved to the ACC - an entirely new set of coaches saw more and more of it and were able to adjust.

All that being said - we did have a very difficult schedule and that could have mentally worn down the team as the season went on and its difficult to have to rely on Freshman to overcome that.
 
#27      

RedRocksIllini

Morrison, CO
Gotta wonder about the wisdom of a pre-dawn practice for a team on the road that has struggled mightily in the second half.
 
#28      

Deleted member 236589

D
Guest
Guessing that not putting the 2nd toughest non conference schedule in the country on the docket will help the overall perspective. This team was in WAY over their skis for the first 15 games of the season.

They'll be stuck with a back end ACC team next year, a back end Big East team, then Missouri(bad team).

For the mental health of the fans, outside of those games make the schedule cupcake city. Go into the conference season 10-3 and roll with it after that.

Just my opinion, but I think that will help immensely for all involved.

This season was basically over before the first of the year.
 
#29      
We suck. Disappointing way to the end the season. Hopefully they can win a couple games in the BTT
 
#30      
I wanted to shut it off with 9:00 to go. Figured ah, what the heck, they might make a run. Nope, PSU got a dunk. Shut it off with 7:28 to go, fully assured of a double digit loss.
 
#33      
So if my math is right and the predictions on here are correct, we should have 6 open scholarships.
 
#35      
this is a bad team with decent players but with very poor coaching...listen to the commentators closely as they bite their tongues to try to find something good...1 athletic director and 2 major coaches need to disappear or you just got a preview of next year and years to come in the major sports...what ever happened to leaders knowing what the eff they are doing?
 
#38      
Underwoods best coaching move he could pull off at this point is keeping everyone on board for next year.

He kept the locker room together to have a really nice stretch midway through the BIG schedule. Hopefully he can keep these guys on board long term because I really like the lineup next year with everyone back and Kofi joining.

Hope we can keep everyone for next year!
 
#39      
Let me summarize this entire thread, and then please lock it so as to prevent duplication of the flogging of the dead horses:

- no heart
- no pride
- no athleticism
- no length
- coaches don’t Know what they’re doing
- players aren’t executing
- the players are tired
- our scheme doesn’t work in the B1G
- the refs screwed us
- our schedule was impossible
- BU’s scheme sucks and can’t work on the B1G
- Our coaches don’t Know how to use our players
- Everyone is going to transfer
- Ayo is leaving for the league

If it were only so simple . . . . and I wonder sometimes why I come back here year after year . . . after year . . . after year.

- I KNOW the teams and the coaches gave their all this year
- I KNOW this year’s team was better than the teams the last 5+ years
- I KNOW next year’s team will be better than this years’
- I KNOW we will undergo extreme gyrations on this board before next year regarding the team next year

Everything else is UNKNOWN, and I’ll glide on by watching the angst.

I can tell I’ve been here on the Caymans past my expiration date . . . . 🤟
 
#42      
Unfortunately, it appears that no corners were actually turned. A really bad team had a nice little run in the middle of the season. I had hoped otherwise.
 
#43      
Ayo didn't have a very happy look to him today. He looked pi**ed. Probably lost more games this year than he did in all 4 years at MPHS.
 
#46      
Kenpom:

2019 - 78th
2018 - 102nd
2017 - 66th
2016 - 125th
2015 - 61st
2014 - 53rd

:unsure:
Those numbers are spot on kenpom is really good at basketball rankings. Good stuff
I can buy this (but I don’t use Kenpom as the story stick) but compare the visuals of this year’s team to the last 6 year’s teams along with the schedules).
Yeah I'm sorry but we we're actually on the bubble couple of those years and the bigten was better at the top most of those years.
 
#48      
According to College Basketball Reference's SOS rating, Illinois played the 2nd toughest strength of schedule in program history this year. Behind only the '89 Flyin' Illini.
 
#49      

USAFILLINI

Florida
Outside of Feliz, our PGs are soft.

Damonte might do small things, but he is absolutely brutal on the offensive end.

Griffin/Jones??????

Finishing around the rim is kipper Nichols kryptonite.

Saying “next year” is getting really old.