Some additional Illini stats from today:
Illinois 64, Michigan 62 POSTGAME
I don't think it was all that ugly. Something I've noticed in watching a number of angles of replay, because it's like a good drug, is that Ayo very effectively created separation by using his lower have to make space between him and Homer.
It was excellent.
I think AYO should be B10 player of the week1
I really like how Ayo is playing. Also his jumper looks a lot better now and he is making more and more. He seems to be doing a lot better job of getting set up to shoot his jumper instead of floating forward almost shooting on the run and now he is moving fast but stopping and getting set and killling it. HE shot looks so much different than a month ago to me. HE is really playing well and i love it! If he gets set and shoots it like that he will be back in the first round! His pull up game is great from deep, mid range and he will blow by people. Most importantly make others better because he can pass and no one person can stop him, Go Ayo and Go Illini.
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Ayo wins the game... Again.
In your scenario we might be seeded before our game is over on that Sunday.
LOL, no we don’t. We’re starting DMW at the 3, and getting less than 3 ppg out of him. He’s been scoreless in 10 of our games, including the last 7. He does a lot of things right, but this team would look a lot better with an “elite” player there. I’d happily take someone scoring 15 ppg and playing half of the defense that DMW does.
Let’s not get too carried away in the bliss of beating scUM.
Totally agree. Four of are staters are really good. Not elite but really good. If DW had an offensive game and was just a little bigger he could be a Roger Powell Powell type and this could be a possible Final Four top 10 team right now. AG can still get there hopefully by the years end and it sucks Verdonk never had a healthy start. What frustrating is I know DW has it in him I think a lot of him missing open shots is a mental block. Clearly he doesnt take contested shots much which is fine so he should be able to make the ones he takes. I know he can I just think he lacks confidence or something. Kinda like the yips in golf. He can make em.
I I still think thesexreasons are why AG should start. I'm not sure what DW does so much better than AG. In the long run I think we would be better if he did
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Can I finally get credit for calling this team legit Final Four contenders back in early December when everyone else was down on this team and laughing at me? 3 road wins against teams that are a combined 26-3 at home this season excluding their losses to us. And another game that we had at Maryland that is 11-0 at home.
Got another month+ for this young team to improve. Nobody will want to see us in their bracket.
Got another month+ for this young team to improve. Nobody will want to see us in their bracket.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
^^^^
OK, you deserve credit for that call. Cheers
OK, you deserve credit for that call. Cheers
We are playing well but let's take one game at a time. We are finally playing tough and battling like a top 5 team in the B10. But Michigan missed how many FTs in the last 80 seconds and Teske a 5 footer? Wisconsin could have easily won but the ball bounced our wayther way. We won the games and I'm fired up. We dominated Purdue that was a final four performance but got dominated by MSU. It's been a good run and we need to keep it going. I think however us as fans should try to be like our players and not get too high or too low. Its not easy but things can change look at OSU and Michigan for example. Let's just win one game at a time and see what happens. If that happens then sure. You can be proclaimed a guru. Lol
Having watched the wide camera view of the winning shot, I am even more impressed....with both the shot and Simpson's defense. What a great basketball play!
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
If you missed the game, it's being replayed on FS1 at midnight Central Time
That's kind of the point. Final Four teams just find a way to win. Most of these road games in the last ten or so seasons, we've known the end result heading into the game. This year, the Big Ten is projected to have 11 tourney teams right now (which I don't see holding up, but tells me it's the toughest conference top to bottom) and we're sitting at the top of it and have had some tough road games. Split the Rutgers, PSU, Iowa and Ohio State road games and win the rest and we will be winning the Big Ten. This is realistic if this team stays together.
Deleted member 380722
D
Guest
Chester Frazier!
OSU was #2 and Michigan was,#3 things can change in a hurry. We have lost games like that too. That's precisely how we lost Maryland . Also just because this is the best conference which I think it is doesnt mean that Duke, Baylor, Gonzaga, or Kansas or others arent better. I hope we are but Michigan missing FTs one after another like they did had zero to do with our team. I am glad they won and things worked out today. That by the way is exactly what BU said today was we were fortunate to have a chance to win due to missed FTs. It takes luck to get on a run too. We are playing well and that gives us a better chance to win I'll give you that but I think we both know thus isnt the 89 or 04 05 team. There are about 25 teams that could be final four teams this year. Its wide open.
Sure we have a chance if we play hard and a few things go our way and god I hope they do.. That's true for a lot of teams too.
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Kenpom places too much weight on early season non-conference games. Young teams sometime need time to gel and Kenpom’s formula doesn’t account for that, from what I understand.
Sorry, just Illini. I don’t pay much attention to other sports anymore.
kiwanegarris22
- South Carolina
Afraid I'm not bought in to Final Four. With perhaps 3 more wins we'll be a lock for the NIT. (I think 17 D1 wins will do it.) Even with that said, I do believe we'll be in the Big Dance, rather than the NIT.
And I pray we win two and make it to the 2nd weekend of the NCAA tourney. Sweet Sixteen or Elite 8 would hand Brad U. COY in Big 10, unless Rutgers or PSU goes further.
There are certainly teams that are quicker and more athletic, but sometimes they do not play defense like Big 10 teams.
If we can continue to improve defensively and continue to play as a team, we could be very competitive.
After a night to digest the joy of that win hasn't worn off.
I will admit to be being surprised that Teske and Davis were able to hold Kofi in check. From the very start of the game they did a nice job of not letting him square his shoulders down low and move out space. Kofi missed a couple from close range and never found his touch. Not only that, they did a fantastic job of keep him off the boards. Giorgi and Kofi were overmatched on this day and I think those two seniors were determined not to lose the low post battle like last time out. Throw Wagner in there with some help also. They won the low post battle for sure.
But that ain't enough against this Illini squad. Illinois's team defense is truly outstanding. No easy buckets against these guys. The defensive rotations for the most part are tremendous. Occasionally the bigs don't help enough of the iced ball screens or drives across the lane but I believe that will get cleaned up even more. The dirty work crew of Kipper/Williams/Dre were at it again on the defensive side. Simpson was a load for anybody we put in front of him. All Big 10 guy there and he showed it tonight. Outside of him the perimeter was controlled nicely.
In this trench warfare type games you can count on Dre to get his. He has such an old pro style offensive game. Goes right into the trees, high arching shots, scrapping and scrapping some more. We absolutely lose this one without him. Trent got in foul trouble(ticky tac stuff) after draining some LONG range 3s and Dre stepped up. 7 boards to boot.
Alright that performance by Ayo was unbelievable. In the first half he did his usual let the game come to him routine but he made nearly all his opportunities. There was designed play about halfway through the half were he came off a double ball screen to an in rhythm jumper that was an absolute thing of beauty. Mich St level set plays were being executed. Second half, Trent off the court, Kofi not getting his...give me the ball offense for Ayo was in full effect. Never seen him play like that before. Superstar level performance.
Such a monster win. We've been on the wrong side of the missed free throw games and it feels super nice to punish the other team for a change. Illinois is getting much more efficient with its offensive game and the results are coming. Next game up, Big one against Minny at home, still no AG, Kofi will have his hands full in this one also.
I will admit to be being surprised that Teske and Davis were able to hold Kofi in check. From the very start of the game they did a nice job of not letting him square his shoulders down low and move out space. Kofi missed a couple from close range and never found his touch. Not only that, they did a fantastic job of keep him off the boards. Giorgi and Kofi were overmatched on this day and I think those two seniors were determined not to lose the low post battle like last time out. Throw Wagner in there with some help also. They won the low post battle for sure.
But that ain't enough against this Illini squad. Illinois's team defense is truly outstanding. No easy buckets against these guys. The defensive rotations for the most part are tremendous. Occasionally the bigs don't help enough of the iced ball screens or drives across the lane but I believe that will get cleaned up even more. The dirty work crew of Kipper/Williams/Dre were at it again on the defensive side. Simpson was a load for anybody we put in front of him. All Big 10 guy there and he showed it tonight. Outside of him the perimeter was controlled nicely.
In this trench warfare type games you can count on Dre to get his. He has such an old pro style offensive game. Goes right into the trees, high arching shots, scrapping and scrapping some more. We absolutely lose this one without him. Trent got in foul trouble(ticky tac stuff) after draining some LONG range 3s and Dre stepped up. 7 boards to boot.
Alright that performance by Ayo was unbelievable. In the first half he did his usual let the game come to him routine but he made nearly all his opportunities. There was designed play about halfway through the half were he came off a double ball screen to an in rhythm jumper that was an absolute thing of beauty. Mich St level set plays were being executed. Second half, Trent off the court, Kofi not getting his...give me the ball offense for Ayo was in full effect. Never seen him play like that before. Superstar level performance.
Such a monster win. We've been on the wrong side of the missed free throw games and it feels super nice to punish the other team for a change. Illinois is getting much more efficient with its offensive game and the results are coming. Next game up, Big one against Minny at home, still no AG, Kofi will have his hands full in this one also.
Let''s try not to get too carried way with the strength of the defense in this game. Michigan missed more than their share of wide open threes and had lots of 2 footers just bounce off. Yeh, we've had that happen to us, too (and Kofi had a couple of his own in this game), but if Michigan had a hot night instead of a cold one, I don't think our defense (or Ayo's heroics) would have been enough. But, like everyone else, I'm delighted the team pulled this one out. I hate to look ahead to the MSU rematch, but boy that could be a monster game.