Te'jon got pissed when he was taken out of the game towards the end. Obviously BU was trying to put someone in that he had more faith could make free throws. Te'jon does not seem to have a very high BB IQ and I am not sure what he does well except guard the point. He can't shoot, he makes way to many turnovers, and it is obvious that at the end of the games teams are going to foul him because they don't think he can hit free throws. I would not be surprised if Trent is going to be starting real soon.
Illinois 64, Austin Peay 57 POSTGAME
Lucas is also a better ball handler. Neither has been consistently good so you really have to pick and choose based on who is having a better night. For that matter, you can probably say the same about most of the team.
Agreed. Players can be a step slower, but generally need to develop a quick first step or some other moves to get free. Mark showed signs early that you don't see from non contributors, so I'm not too worried about it. I think he'll have some good games this year, but teams are going to have a gameplan for him, so he needs to adjust.
DaMonte is going to take his lumps at some point. It's part of being a freshman. No use crowning one over another right now. I still think Smith hits his stride and ends up 1st team all-B1G freshman. We'll need them both to continue to improve to be anything better than a .500 team.
NW strongly challenges this
Deleted member 4960
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Awful short press conference for both players and coach. Seems everyone wants to move past this game in a hurry.
Deleted member 236589
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There was one second left in the game when he scored. They we're up 5. Dribble the clock out OR if you feel that they haven't conceded.....get fouled.
Seeing Damonte play gives me flashbacks to when I first became a Illini fan watching Frankie William with his sweet finger rolls.
Agree, and it's really discouraging to see us struggle so mightily, at home, against a team that is, according to Sagarin, 252nd in the nation, and 13 points worse than us on a neutral court.
We were virtually unwatchable for long stretches.
I'm going to hope that we took 3 steps forward in the second half of Maryland, 2 steps back here, and are ready to play a good game against UNLV, which is, again according to Sagarin, slightly better than us on a neutral court, and looking like a bubble team as well.
postgame
Reading these accounts, I thought we sucked to hell and back. Watching the game, I thought we played our asses off. I love this team. It cares.
Reading these accounts, I thought we sucked to hell and back. Watching the game, I thought we played our asses off. I love this team. It cares.
Watching the highlights, Finke puts it on the floor a bit much for my liking, and Te'Jon goes to the basket for the score in the closing seconds even after the fateful alley oop a game ago 
Wonder what coach thought of that, when if he pulls out they have to foul him (although the game was essentially over) and he'd get 2 FTs...
Wonder what coach thought of that, when if he pulls out they have to foul him (although the game was essentially over) and he'd get 2 FTs...Literally speaking Mark S. is of course, play so far DaMonte is....I don't agree with all-B1G freshman for Mark, although I think he ends up with a good year when he hits his stride.
Understanding your point, my "claim" was originally that he would have in fact challenged had he played his senior year, he was a prohibited favorite, when no one had heard yet of Mark S. My claim now is simply in context of play. No one is trying to take the actual Mr Basketball from Mark S., he certainly earned it. Repeatedly I am signifying that the talent is there for either. Mark had it in H.S. and is having a rough go of it now. DaMonte was injured and has come out very nicely so far for the ILLINI, which I am sure Mark will eventually do as well. I am glad we have both
, either way it is not a "silly" claim.
Two quick observations...but glad we won an ugly game.
No idea why it seemed like Finke kept getting subbed in for defense during the end of the game....I'd rather see Ebo.
Mark Smith turns his head to focus on his man, then the ball, more than anyone else I've ever seen. Most defenders look somewhere in the middle and rely on their peripheral vision to keep track of both....he doesn't see one or the other half the time. Maybe in high school he could athlete his way past this....but now people will take advantage of it.
No idea why it seemed like Finke kept getting subbed in for defense during the end of the game....I'd rather see Ebo.
Mark Smith turns his head to focus on his man, then the ball, more than anyone else I've ever seen. Most defenders look somewhere in the middle and rely on their peripheral vision to keep track of both....he doesn't see one or the other half the time. Maybe in high school he could athlete his way past this....but now people will take advantage of it.
Young team under a new coach coming off three hard fought heartbreaking losses (2 coming in OT) playing against a scrappy athletic bunch that knew exactly what we were going to do. I wasnt surprised at all with the ugliness of the game.
Think the guys just need to get some rest, enjoy this W, and keep learning and growing.
Think the guys just need to get some rest, enjoy this W, and keep learning and growing.
This sums up all my feels and takes for this game. On to UNLV.
I must be watching from a different angle. TeJon seems to be the only one that wants the ball at the end of the game. Is 15/22 on FTs (Trent is 14/22). Shooting percentage higher than Trents and is much stronger on defense. Not putting Trent down but don't understand all the negative on TeJon.
I guess the Wake Forrest, Northwestern and Maryland games weren't enough. :tsk:
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Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Good rebuttal. I'm watching from the same angle as you, evidently. Lucas and Frazier both have a lot of things to clean up, but there's obviously a lot to like too.
TheFameProtector
- Champaign
He looked upset with 3-4 minutes left when he was subbed out for Frazier. Not referencing the bucket at the end.
I agree...wish would could have played better. However, we got a win. Florida didn't get a win against Loyola Chicago. Notre Dame didn't get a win against Ball State. Mr. Blue Blood Kentucky didn't get a win against unranked Washington.
Happy to survive a potential 4 game losing streak and come out better when we lace them up again.
:thumb: