Wisconsin 63, Illinois 55 POSTGAME

#26      
Losing at home to mediocre teams has become common. Wrong guys taking shots, no offense, few open shots....good effort on defense though.
 
#27      
Honestly I really don't see how this team would be significantly better with Abrams and black. There are substantial lineup holes but more importantly there are huge gaping holes in our all around game planning and schemes.

Yeah, who needs experienced pg play, rebounding, and roster depth?
 
#29      

AeroIllini

3rd Floor talbot lab
I've always been a fan, but as a student I'm done going to games. My crush seat (like 1/4 the others) will remain empty this semester. I've got better things to do with what free time I have than to waste it on this team.
 
#30      
I've always been a fan, but as a student I'm done going to games. My crush seat (like 1/4 the others) will remain empty this semester. I've got better things to do with what free time I have than to waste it on this team.

What a fan you are. Bet you didn't watch the cubs from 2009-2014 either, probably their biggest fan now though
 
#31      

illynifan34

That's a winner!!
OH
I've always been a fan, but as a student I'm done going to games. My crush seat (like 1/4 the others) will remain empty this semester. I've got better things to do with what free time I have than to waste it on this team.

If you're a student that's just dumb.
 
#32      
We only had 6 assists? We used to have point guards average that over the course of an entire season. I didn't watch the game yet but losing the rebounding battle by 12, shooting 36%, and generating 6 assists...we should have lost by 20.
 
#33      
I'm easy on Groce, especially this season, but there really isn't a reason to have one of Tate or Lewis on the court at all times. These guys give great effort for the team, but they just aren't power 5 point guard options. We have 3 guys in Nunn, Hill and Lands that can be just as effective getting us into an offense.

Yes, I don't get it. Would love to see a lineup at this point with MH, KN, JCL, MM, and MF, with AJ, DJW, and then Tate and KL rotating sparingly. Could it be a turn over fest? Maybe. But obviously what we have going on now is not working in anyway what so ever.
 
#34      

AeroIllini

3rd Floor talbot lab
What a fan you are. Bet you didn't watch the cubs from 2009-2014 either, probably their biggest fan now though

Nah I'm from Southern Illinois so I'm a cards fan. I'll still watch games when I can, but it takes too much time to get down to Assembly Hall.
 
#35      
I don't know what you guys expect. We got unlucky with injuries this year; that's it. Groce probably isn't one of the best coaches in the bigten, but he's certainly not one of the worst either. He's also young, and will learn and improve. The facts are that no other team in the conference (other than Rutgers, who suck even worse than us) has three players injured right now. Pretty much every team has 1 or 2 out. We've had 3-4 out all season. And all three players that are out now were expected to either start or at least be significant contributors. The fact that this team is managing to stay competitive in most games, speaks volumes to their effort, which I think Groce should get a lot of the credit for, and the talent of Hill and Nunn. Yes, it sucks to watch our Illini lose, but this season was always going to be a lost cause with the injury situation. What we should be watching for is player development and effort, both of which I think have been positive. Just look at the game Aaron Jordan had!
If you want to look at other teams injury situations for yourself, here's a link: http://www.donbest.com/ncaab/injuries/.
 
#36      
Nah I'm from Southern Illinois so I'm a cards fan. I'll still watch games when I can, but it takes too much time to get down to Assembly Hall.

Well at least you have that going for you, you should still go to the games though if you're a student.
 
#37      
I agree. I'll still be watching, but the last couple games have really forced me to the realization that you just can't be competitive in this league with backups playing starter minutes and no depth. This team is worn down physically and mentally. I'm seeing improvement from the freshmen and also Mav. There are still positives happening, it's just hard to watch.


Hey you never know we may get hot in March and win the Big Ten tourney HAHAH
 
#39      

BirdDog9048

The Chief Lives
Chicago, IL
You're either delusional or you don't actually remember Tracy Abrams if you think he'd somehow fix this team. Leron Black has shown extremely little so far except the ability to foul a lot.
I notice you haven't mentioned the absence of Thorne at all. Is it perhaps because you realize that losing him was a huge blow, and were hoping know one would notice, to bolster your argument?
 
#40      

Chilliniwek

Chicagoland
Quite frankly, I blame the cheerleaders for this mess. If they wouldn't keep acting like everything is going great, maybe something would change. Give the guys a big thumbs down or a raspberry when they miss a gimmee. Or boo Groce when he fails to make good in-game adjustments.
 
#42      
Hey you never know we may get hot in March and win the Big Ten tourney HAHAH

Hey, if Thorne gets back and has a few games in a row to get his feet under him, anything is possible. Between that and if we can get some more freshman improvement and maybe find a way to play more lineups without a true pg i think we could be a decent team by that time. I don't think any team has ever won after having to play on the first day, however. Unfortunately, we will likely have to.
 
#43      

Chilliniwek

Chicagoland
Quite frankly, I blame the cheerleaders for this mess. If they wouldn't keep acting like everything is going great, maybe something would change. Give the guys a big thumbs down or a raspberry when they miss a gimmee. Or boo Groce when he fails to make good in-game adjustments.

And on a serious note, I do feel bad for the team. I do think they're trying their best.
 
#44      
I'm easy on Groce, especially this season, but there really isn't a reason to have one of Tate or Lewis on the court at all times. These guys give great effort for the team, but they just aren't power 5 point guard options. We have 3 guys in Nunn, Hill and Lands that can be just as effective getting us into an offense.

I'll hazard a guess at a reason... turnovers which will lead to fast breaks and slam dunks.
 
#45      
1. Kind of a blah game to be honest. We started out looking good, but then we just became ineffective on offense. Hopefully Finke and Nunn are OK, because this game was a big enough disaster as it was.

2. Malcolm Hill is pretty much our offense, and without being spectacular he certainly did his part. Tonight he was about all we had.

3. Nunn played hard and gutted it out after getting some type of hip injury on a bump during a drive. Nothing extreme, but he was obviously hurting. He did make a big three at the end, but his shot was off after the injury.

4. Jordan started and did OK for a freshman, but yeah he is a freshman.

5. Mav played a lot because of Finke being limited by injury, but his style of play was not all that effective against the Wisky defense.

6. Finke was playing hard, but he only played about 17 minutes before he injured his knee. Losing him didn't help our rebounding, which was poor...again.

7. The rest of our team didn't do too much, and the Wisky bench really helped them, which they needed with their foul trouble. We missed a lot of close in shots when we might have made a late comeback.

8. Yes, that is what I said. Wisky had foul trouble. Who knew that could happen. I am not sure how we got only 2 fouls to their 8 fouls in the first half, but we didn't take advantage of the pleasant calls. Groce said they think Nunn and Finke just got contusions, so that is good news if it holds up.

9. At least we play Rutgers next at their place. It should be a gimmee, but who knows. We are not in a happy place right now.
 
#46      

KRSAS

Charleston, IL
You know this has to be one of the worst times being in Illinois.... No state budget, colleges potentially closing and Illinois sports at the bottom of the Big Ten.. If there is another time as depressing as this, please enlighten me.
 
#48      

IlliniFan12

Cedar Falls, IA
One thing I cannot stand about Groce's post game pressers is how he always has to give credit to the opposing team's players. I understand how he's trying to be positive but man.. He acts like if one of their role players has a big game then there's no stopping them and credit MUST be given.
 
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#49      
I'll hazard a guess at a reason... turnovers which will lead to fast breaks and slam dunks.

KL and JT don't turn over the ball much because they don't do much of anything. They don't create off the dribble, don't drive and dish, don't drive and finish or kick out to shooters. They safely pass the ball around the perimeter, generating no shots for teammates or themselves.

KN and MH are good enough handlers to run the O by committee. Might have 2-3 more TOs per game but also will have more shooters on the floor, which creates more space for drives and pass and cut movement. Trotting out the same lineup with weak PGs and expecting different results will not work.