Florida State 72, Illinois 61 POSTGAME

[Illinijose]

I'm trying to stay positive. TJL looks like a solid high major PG, kid has moxy. Black looked undersized compared to the FSU frontcourt but put up good numbers, great effort. Going forward the defensive intensity has to increase. FSU and WVU just gave Illinois an example of how to get after it. The next recruit has to be a 6-9 and above quick leaper, we are slow footed in our interior defense. Going to have to give DJ more minutes, he can help and is the future at the SF position. Hoping Kipper can be a multi-dimensional glue guy, this team needs one on the court.

 

[GForce]

I have to agree with the above posters. Even as a freshman Tejon looks like you expect your point guard to look. He is already head and shoulders above any point guards we have had for quite some time, and he performed against two top 25 teams.

Wasn't Tejon compared on or near the same level as Charlie Moore?, who by the way has been given the keys to Cal and is leading their team with 20ppg. Even with his injury recovery setback, if that's still an excuse they're giving for not playing him, TJL still looks like our best pg.

 

[illinoisfan11]

Wasn't Tejon compared on or near the same level as Charlie Moore?, who by the way has been given the keys to Cal and is leading their team with 20ppg. Even with his injury recovery setback, if that's still an excuse they're giving for not playing him, TJL still looks like our best pg.

He's the best option. And it's not close.

 

[illinimike]

Is there a link for a post game press conference? I'd love to hear what JG has to say this time. I'm sure it's something along the lines of give them a lot of credit, we missed some opportunities, loved the effort, etc.

 

[GoosenibbleScooter]

As Yogi once said it's deja vu all over again. We don't play defense and if we don't make 3's we don't have a chance. Our offense is non existent for multiple stretches in every game we play against a quality opponent. Rotations don't seem to be working because we don't play aggressive defense. I'm a diehard fan since the mid 60's but something really has to change. The schedule isn't going to get any easier. At this moment Temple is taking it to W.V. It's time for a change at the top for this school. And DJ's mom is right he should be getting minutes too. JG and staff really need to reset this deal now. Good luck Illini players you are going to need it.

 

[Illinijose]

"DJ needs to be in somebody's lineup/rotation"

Exactly, kid needs time to develop and has shown improvement. He proved to be a match up problem for some teams in limited play last year. I expected him to play when Hill is out and some minutes at PF. Black has taken some of his minutes but it shouldn't be all of it. We need two PG getting time TJL and Abrams, one should start. JCL needs to play out of his funk and develop more game at SG. Hill is your 3 and Black is your 4. Morgan or Thorne at the 5. Give Finke time at the 4 and 5, good player but couldn't rebound and defend against quicker players. Get DJ minutes at the 3 and 4 and probably get Kipper minutes at the 2.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

Unless the coach did something bad, i.e abused players then this is correct.

No, even in that case.

Free transfer out is a penalty that can be levied by the NCAA, but that's exceedingly rare. The SMU death penalty, the Dave Bliss fiasco at Baylor, and the Sandusky PSU thing are the only situations I think that's ever occurred.

 

[Dirtbags32]

Remember when many here were complaining about Egwu? Unfortunately none of our bigs now, can protect the rim. Maverick Morgan is absolutely terrible defensively.[/B]
Not that we have any "stoppers" defensively.

Morgan stood there and let so many dudes drive right to the basket and not even put a hand up, let alone give an effort to block or alter a shot. Truly pathetic.

 

[Dan]

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[bombayIllini]

A week or two ago Groce mentioned, i an after game interview, that Lucas was not starting because the rest of teh team had "more confidence" in Tate/Abrams.

Play the younger players.

 

[ILCommenter]

Jaylon is who he is. A D2 level player trying his best at high D1. And his best is not good enough. IMO JG brought him in as a way to curry favor with Simeon and get the pipeline going. With TJL showing improvement we need to get him as much playing time as we can going forward. Tate will be a 4-5 min player by midseason.

Perfect, that way we can finally trim the fat and be on track to a 16-win season.

You had to know going into this NY trip that these would be some marquee wins/losses for our tournament bid. Starting Tate due to TJL's inexperience is hardly excusable, given the 6th year PG we have in Tracy (he's not a 2, he'll never be a 2, using 2 PGs and leaving JCL on the bench is banana's dumb), but even still, not pulling Tate after the first 38 turnovers he had against WVU is completely inexcusable.

 

[Illinijose]

Jaylon is who he is. A D2 level player trying his best at high D1. And his best is not good enough. IMO JG brought him in as a way to curry favor with Simeon and get the pipeline going. With TJL showing improvement we need to get him as much playing time as we can going forward. Tate will be a 4-5 min player by midseason.

Well said, Tate is trying but he is not high D-1. Like I said in another post Damonte Williams has physical skills that we haven't seen in any of our guard recruits in the last 10-12 years. Unfortunately, teams like FSU have about 2-3 players like this on their team right now. I'm starting to think that TJL, Damonte, and Frazier should give us competitive PG/combo guard play. Much upgraded from Tate, Austin, and Lewis combo that took the court last year.

 

[IlliniMed]

Man, Groce really babies these guys. All i hear is "limit this, monitor this, monitor that" ... Do you honestly think coaches at Michigan State or Michigan do it to this extent? Heck no... black is back, TJL is healthy. Play your horses

 

[Ulysses Everett McGill]

Exactly, kid needs time to develop and has shown improvement. He proved to be a match up problem for some teams in limited play last year. I expected him to play when Hill is out and some minutes at PF. Black has taken some of his minutes but it shouldn't be all of it. We need two PG getting time TJL and Abrams, one should start. JCL needs to play out of his funk and develop more game at SG. Hill is your 3 and Black is your 4. Morgan or Thorne at the 5. Give Finke time at the 4 and 5, good player but couldn't rebound and defend against quicker players. Get DJ minutes at the 3 and 4 and probably get Kipper minutes at the 2.

Agree on DJW, and with JCL not contributing much, I'd add to AJ's tick too.

 

[GoosenibbleScooter]

Geez same old post game news conference bye bye JG! Your days are numbered.

 

[Illini1221]

Man, Groce really babies these guys. All i hear is "limit this, monitor this, monitor that" ... Do you honestly think coaches at Michigan State or Michigan do it to this extent? Heck no... black is back, TJL is healthy. Play your horses

Especially with MSU's schedule

 

[schnaurt]

Just listened to the press conference.

I heard 27 seconds and that is all anyone needs to know. I do not understand how you can be "proud of the way the players responded less than 24 hours...." coach speak or not, you cannot give the idea that this is anywhere near acceptable. I do not expect him to act lik a child and rant but there is a way to get the point accross.

He is now losing the press conference as well. Unfortunate. I hoped fo nothing but the best under Groce but it is apparent that he is not a future possibility at this point.

 

[IlliniMed]

"control what you can control" .... screw that. You go out there and make your own destiny with heart and proper coaching.

 

[schnaurt]

It's like the opposite of what BW's tack was near the end of his tenure, constantly throwing the players under the bus.

Do you guys think JG's glass-half-full attitude has clouded his coaching judgment? I've had that theory rolling around in my head for a while.

Yes. He does not seem to be able to deviate from his pre-determined plan. You can see this with Ford's substitutions. They do not seem to take game flow and matchups into account. It is simply time to switch out a, b and c regardless of the situation.

 

[Cymoin]

FSU and WVU will not be juggernauts in their conferences this year so be careful about making those two teams into something they are not. And while everyone is getting giddy over TJL, just remember that there's no film on this kid yet and he was not a can't miss 5-star with blue bloods pursuing him. If Groce does give him more minutes starting next game, you will see B1G teams well prepared for him once conference play begins and, just like JCL, you will be scratching your heads wondering why his play has fallen off. Illinois has average players and very average coaches. It's really just that simple.

 

[Give it to Greene]

FSU and WVU will not be juggernauts in their conferences this year so be careful about making those two teams into something they are not. And while everyone is getting giddy over TJL, just remember that there's no film on this kid yet and he was not a can't miss 5-star with blue bloods pursuing him. If Groce does give him more minutes starting next game, you will see B1G teams well prepared for him once conference play begins and, just like JCL, you will be scratching your heads wondering why his play has fallen off. Illinois has average players and very average coaches. It's really just that simple.

Or maybe average players and below average coaches...

 

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

Wasn't Tejon compared on or near the same level as Charlie Moore?, who by the way has been given the keys to Cal and is leading their team with 20ppg. Even with his injury recovery setback, if that's still an excuse they're giving for not playing him, TJL still looks like our best pg.

Not really. Moore was ranked 71 in the 247 composite, Lucas was 141.

No, even in that case.

Free transfer out is a penalty that can be levied by the NCAA, but that's exceedingly rare. The SMU death penalty, the Dave Bliss fiasco at Baylor, and the Sandusky PSU thing are the only situations I think that's ever occurred.

Yes, even in that case it is possible.

Another example closer to home.

 

[alexander58]

FSU and WVU will not be juggernauts in their conferences this year so be careful about making those two teams into something they are not. And while everyone is getting giddy over TJL, just remember that there's no film on this kid yet and he was not a can't miss 5-star with blue bloods pursuing him. If Groce does give him more minutes starting next game, you will see B1G teams well prepared for him once conference play begins and, just like JCL, you will be scratching your heads wondering why his play has fallen off. Illinois has average players and very average coaches. It's really just that simple.

How good TJL will be moving forward is just a guess, but he has shown himself to be the only PG Illinois has to beat his man off the dribble. FSU has the length and quickness to give a lot of teams trouble. At this point, TJL doesn't appear to be over his skis versus good competition.

 

[Deleted member 3875]

Starters sb TJL, LB, Finke, JCL, TA

 

[Paigncake]

I'd like to see more Aaron Jordan. He has length, his outside shot will eventually fall, and he can put the ball on the floor.

JCL at least tried to attack the basket a couple times but man he's one dimensional right now.