Wisconsin 72, Illinois 60 POSTGAME

[pruman91]

I may be in the minority, but I think it does. Maybe not a lot, but 1-19 means we lost to one of if not the worst program D1 programs in the country.

Put it another way, a couple signature wins over Wisconsin and someone else, a is a sign of team that’s progressing and not that far away. I’m not predicting any mass exodus or decommits. I’m also not interested in benching all the upperclassmen and playing the freshman just because they will be here longer if it means we lose every game. I highly doubt it makes a significant difference in how the freshman play as sophomores. Jmo

Have you watched Rutgers play this year ? I'm not trying to start anything but I've caught a couple of their games and I wouldn't count our playing them as a win by any stretch...they have some big men that will be a challenge and that baker dude will probably have a career game against us....

Hard to see any remaining games as a win if we continue with the jekyl and hyde play of 30 + minutes playing good but 10 minutes of head scratching awful....

 

[illini62707]

I keep reading Kane, Jones, and Griffin can't get more time, because they blow assignments on defense. Have you been watching this year. EVERYBODY blows assignments on this team. And to say Underwood can't play these frosh more, because they have a better chance to win. Have you looked at the record lately. You can give these guys 10-15 minutes a game. Will they have just as good a chance to win. I don't know let's find out. And yes i would be more likely to return to a team where i was getting more playing time and losing than a team i'm getting little playing time and losing. If Underwood doesn't play Kofi and GB together next year your looking at the same deficient team. Kofi is coming to IL to be starting 5 form day 1.

 

[jrichisamazing]

Trent is 7 for 28 from 2pt and 4 for 16 from 3pt the last two games. How is that on BU? When he is open he isn’t hitting them like he was last year. The coaches don’t shoot the ball for the players. Until Trent can go to his right effectively and consistently proves he can beat his guy off the dribble and score at the rim teams will be able to defend him. None of this is on BU.

Kipper has checked out.

DMW is what he is. He plays great D, rebounds at both ends of the floor and hit the one open 3 he had tonight. Even good teams need players like this off the bench. He starts because our freshmen just aren’t ready.

At some point it falls on the players to play to their potential and do so consistently. We will see how we play the rest of the year, but I see a lot of games like this. We will do a lot of things well and we will do just enough other things poorly to lose games by 8-12 points.

Individually, I agree it falls on the player. Even the best coaches have guys that they can’t get to or can’t help. But when you add up all the individual parts, that overall trend is on the coach. And so far that trend doesn’t look good. It doesn’t matter what kind of talent we bring in if they plateau as freshmen. The biggest leap in performance is generally from freshman to sophomore year. Not always, but the great majority of the time.

If BU is all about positionless basketball and creating mismatches, why not post up Damonte? Or put him at the elbow? He loves to play physical, he’s not a good 3-pt shooter, let him play to his strengths.

Ayo has quickly become the true PG we expected. I think BU needs to find ways to get Trent catch and shoot threes, rather than creating his own because he doesn’t have the ball as much. Ayo can get him the ball.

Who knows what has happened to Kipper. But all offseason Kipper talked about wanting to step up and be the leader. And all offseason BU praised how hard Kipper has worked and how he has stepped up vocally. For him to fall completely off the map probably isn’t on Kipper alone.

But like I said, plenty of basketball left this year and next for BU to prove he can develop players.

 

[BRucks]

Have you watched Rutgers play this year ? I'm not trying to start anything but I've caught a couple of their games and I wouldn't count our playing them as a win by any stretch...they have some big men that will be a challenge and that baker dude will probably have a career game against us....

It seems like someone from the other team ALWAYS has a career game vs. us.

 

[ejam21]

We are in desperate need for a shooter to step up and make some shots. Hard to play with pace and space, when no one can make a shot to extend the defense and open up space. AJ and Giff need to be able to knock down some shots.

AJ has been shooting 3s at a 42% clip in conf play. He is knocking down shots, and his 2/6 from 3 yesterday isn't exactly horrible, its basically missing half a shot more than he should make based on his usual percentages.

He does need to pick the drives to the basket more selectively (IMHO only when it'd damn near wide open) as he doesn't finish through contact well at all

 

[ejam21]

Remind me, what offense were we running last year when Trent was making those 3s?

same 1....but main differences this year...Trent has the ball in his hands less (ayo), AND trent is sneaking up on NO one in the scouting report this year.
And the big 10 is better this year too.....

 

[Halloweenie]

Do you think Ayo has become a true point or more of a lead guard? Maybe semantics, maybe the offense but I don't see him setting up many people except maybe on the break. Think there is room for more development here.

 

[SescIllini]

Big fan of the potential of Samba, Griffin, and Tev. Could they get a little more time yes, but their understanding of the offense and defense it just not there. It is not just schemes as well, they struggle playing man to man at this level. But all 3 are where they should be for borderline top 100 players at a major division. Ayo and Giorgi are the anomalies. Both are having historically good years for Illini true freshmen. All 3 need to stay the course, they will look much better next year.

 

[KamsBartender84]

What is up with Kipper?

I've never seen an upperclassman completely disappear like this. His minutes are actually up three and a half minutes a game from last year. He takes about the same number of shots per game and about the same ratio of 2's to 3's, but his 3pt% has dropped from .378 last year to .224 this year. His ft% has dropped from .862 to .593 (?!?!). His rebounds, steals and blocks are all down on a per/game basis despite the increased minutes. (Stats are from before tonight's game.)

Is he hurt? What?

He should've never cut his hair... Same for goes for Finke - Ayo, Trent, NEVER CUT YOUR HAIR

 

[ChocolateThunder]

We need to change this defense if we are going to win. Defense is good for the first 10 seconds then breaks down, plus it is way exhausting for players to have to play like this.

I thought I noticed players starting to drag in the second half.

 

[TCTORNADO]

Last night's announced attendance was 12,294. I wonder if BU is on target for his attendance bonus again this year?

 

[ILLjuice]

Has the Krush been this bad the last few years? Hardly any home court advantage when your student section is as loud as us old timers in the lower bowl.

 

[Deleted member 645583]

It's winter in northern Illinois. Talk of wind chills way below 0. But nothing is as cold as Illini shooting.

 

[logjam]

He should've never cut his hair... Same for goes for Finke - Ayo, Trent, NEVER CUT YOUR HAIR

Looked like Trent went back to old hair last nite, seems like his troubles shooting started when he went to the short dreads,
......didn't work.

 

[skyIdub]

Has the Krush been this bad the last few years? Hardly any home court advantage when your student section is as loud as us old timers in the lower bowl.

I'm not going to bad mouth the Krush, but twice they started chanting "overrated" at Happ because he was a little off. Very lame. The second time he clapped at them and stepped up and drained two perfect FT's after he got fouled. His "bad game" helped some nobody have a career game.
He's hardly overrated and it made the Krush sound really stupid.

Just like the team, the Krush...and the SFCHall crowd for that matter... need to step up there game in a big way.

 

[RSBCC13]

Just once. Start Freshmen and Frazier

 

[Illiniaaron]

Have you watched Rutgers play this year ? I'm not trying to start anything but I've caught a couple of their games and I wouldn't count our playing them as a win by any stretch...they have some big men that will be a challenge and that baker dude will probably have a career game against us....

Hard to see any remaining games as a win if we continue with the jekyl and hyde play of 30 + minutes playing good but 10 minutes of head scratching awful....

For Illinois to take any conference opponent lightly would be laughable. Rutgers already has wins vs. OSU and Nebraska...teams the Illini have played and lost to.

 

[illini62707]

Ayo, checks in at #55 on updated CBS Sports mock draft. That would be late 2nd round.

 

[ChocolateThunder]

Just once. Start Freshmen and Frazier

Not much reason now not to experiment. May create team cohesion going forward.

 

[RML]

Ayo, checks in at #55 on updated CBS Sports mock draft. That would be late 2nd round.

Where's Georgie?

 

[SescIllini]

I'm not going to bad mouth the Krush, but twice they started chanting "overrated" at Happ because he was a little off. Very lame. The second time he clapped at them and stepped up and drained two perfect FT's after he got fouled. His "bad game" helped some nobody have a career game.
He's hardly overrated and it made the Krush sound really stupid.

Just like the team, the Krush...and the SFCHall crowd for that matter... need to step up there game in a big way.

I don't like the overrated chant, especially at Happ. He has always carried himself with class and is a hard worker. Like BU stated, he needs to be emulated by our players.

 

[bombayIllini]

I keep reading Kane, Jones, and Griffin can't get more time, because they blow assignments on defense. Have you been watching this year. EVERYBODY blows assignments on this team. And to say Underwood can't play these frosh more, because they have a better chance to win. Have you looked at the record lately. You can give these guys 10-15 minutes a game. Will they have just as good a chance to win. I don't know let's find out. And yes i would be more likely to return to a team where i was getting more playing time and losing than a team i'm getting little playing time and losing. If Underwood doesn't play Kofi and GB together next year your looking at the same deficient team. Kofi is coming to IL to be starting 5 form day 1.

Coaches are a stubborn lot. Just the way it is, nothing more.

 

[Beendownsince99]

I may be in the minority, but I think it does. Maybe not a lot, but 1-19 means we lost to one of if not the worst program D1 programs in the country.

Put it another way, a couple signature wins over Wisconsin and someone else, a is a sign of team that’s progressing and not that far away. I’m not predicting any mass exodus or decommits. I’m also not interested in benching all the upperclassmen and playing the freshman just because they will be here longer if it means we lose every game. I highly doubt it makes a significant difference in how the freshman play as sophomores. Jmo

I'm guessing you are talking about Rutgers. Rutgers is better bball team then North Atlantic Florida school of the blind that this team lost to at home about a month ago. So anything is possible.

 

[Truffaut]

I don't like the overrated chant, especially at Happ. He has always carried himself with class and is a hard worker. Like BU stated, he needs to be emulated by our players.

Did anyone else get the impression that something was wrong with Happ during that game? His face just looked a bit off to me. Also, he made some passes that a player of his caliber would never ever consider.

 

[SescIllini]

Ayo, checks in at #55 on updated CBS Sports mock draft. That would be late 2nd round.

There are many dNBA guys that would dominate at the college level, just to provide some perspective. Barely squeaking into the NBA is not good for a player like Ayo. That is a recipe for a journeyman career and bouncing back and forth between NBA and other leagues. Strongly recommend Ayo waits until he is a much higher pick and a team is willing to invest in his development.