Looking ahead to 2020-2021

Status
Not open for further replies.
#176      
haasi
kiwanegarris22 said:
Not yet convinced that BBV will be a huge contributor. He looked pretty much like a deer caught in the headlights when he (briefly) played at the start of the season. Hope he's able to make a huge jump during his RS-FR season!
Click to expand...
Hopefully corona won’t have a significant impact on off season training.
 
#177      
BWBW
PlayAZ said:
Unfortunate for him, but I have to admit, I am glad we won't have to hear anymore TJ deserves so many more minutes, or this that or the other
Click to expand...
If TJ were here, we woulda won the game!

😎
 
#178      
armo859
PlayAZ said:
Gotta be Bakari Evelyn?
Click to expand...
"Duke and Auburn were mentioned".

Auburn? Bruce Pearl. Why did it have to be Bruce Pearl? That snake.

A piece of Illinois basketball history that will not be soon forgotten. If ever. Generations of young Illini fans will learn the story of Bruce Pearl around a dark campfire....
Snakes Indiana Jones.jpg
 
Last edited:
#179      
Ransom Stoddard
armo859 said:
"Duke and Auburn were mentioned".

Auburn? Bruce Pearl. Why did it have to be Bruce Pearl? That snake.

A piece of Illinois basketball history that will not be soon forgotten. If ever. Generations of young Illini fans will learn the story of Bruce Pearl around a dark campfire....
Click to expand...

It can't be much of a fire if it's dark.... :ROFLMAO:
 
#180      
Hopingfor500
Ga65 said:
Also think OSU will have more difficulty replacing the Wesson’s than we will have with Ayo and Dre.
Click to expand...
What do you think our record would have been without Ayo this year? Ayo was everything to this team not only with his physical talents, but just as important his leadership skills. He gave this team and edge. His post game after beating Iowa told the story. We don't like them, they don't like us...that's infectious in the locker room.

His ability to convert late in games or make a shot to stop a run...probably added 4 W's to our record, if not more.

That game @Rutgers, without him....was an eye opener.

I expect next year to be a step backwards. You just don't lose a guy like that and not feel it.

Like BU said....you can replace the points, but you can't replace the intangibles.
 
#181      
RockfordIllini
Hopingfor500 said:
What do you think our record would have been without Ayo this year? Ayo was everything to this team not only with his physical talents, but just as important his leadership skills. He gave this team and edge. His post game after beating Iowa told the story. We don't like them, they don't like us...that's infectious in the locker room.

His ability to convert late in games or make a shot to stop a run...probably added 4 W's to our record, if not more.

That game @Rutgers, without him....was an eye opener.

I expect next year to be a step backwards. You just don't lose a guy like that and not feel it.

Like BU said....you can replace the points, but you can't replace the intangibles.
Click to expand...

Agree somewhat. I think we were good this year but record may have been inflated somewhat because we won more than our fair share of close games. How many wins can we attribute to Ayo making a big shot or Dre grabbing a big rebound or loose ball? Probably 5 or 6.

The question is whether we make up for it in other areas. With another year of work, I really think Kofi will be an absolute monster next year. We should be a much better shooting team and longer/deeper.

I think we may get off to a slow start while we find our feet but if we play D and rebound like we did this year and surround Kofi with shooters we will be tough to beat.
 
#183      
IlliniFandom
RockfordIllini said:
Agree somewhat. I think we were good this year but record may have been inflated somewhat because we won more than our fair share of close games. How many wins can we attribute to Ayo making a big shot or Dre grabbing a big rebound or loose ball? Probably 5 or 6.

The question is whether we make up for it in other areas. With another year of work, I really think Kofi will be an absolute monster next year. We should be a much better shooting team and longer/deeper.

I think we may get off to a slow start while we find our feet but if we play D and rebound like we did this year and surround Kofi with shooters we will be tough to beat.
Click to expand...
I like that idea of where can we make up for Ayo and Dre because in all likelihood we are going to regress as a team in that area. I agree that Kofi is the key to a successful year and I think improved play at the 4. I don't see any combination of players at the guard spot really making up for the production of the two we lost. They gave us points, rebounds, clutch shots, and toughness. AG gets us partly there. Miller is still a freshman and the best I'm going to project for him is Ayos freshman year numbers, and hutch or curbello. Only hope is to have trent come out of his slump and be lights out and then maybe we are back to even...but that is a big if.

So the 4 and 5 is really where we will need to improve.
 
#184      
IllGuardU
IlliniFandom said:
I like that idea of where can we make up for Ayo and Dre because in all likelihood we are going to regress as a team in that area. I agree that Kofi is the key to a successful year and I think improved play at the 4. I don't see any combination of players at the guard spot really making up for the production of the two we lost. They gave us points, rebounds, clutch shots, and toughness. AG gets us partly there. Miller is still a freshman and the best I'm going to project for him is Ayos freshman year numbers, and hutch or curbello. Only hope is to have trent come out of his slump and be lights out and then maybe we are back to even...but that is a big if.

So the 4 and 5 is really where we will need to improve.
Click to expand...
Good thoughts. I don’t know whether Grandison is a 3 or 4, but others have said he has played really well. If Damonte can continue shooting well, that really changes what our opponent can do defensively.
 
#185      
PlayAZ
IlliniFandom said:
Only hope is to have trent come out of his slump and be lights out and then maybe we are back to even...but that is a big if.
Click to expand...

I don't think that it has to be such a "big if" actually. Trent has done it before, he deferred to Ayo imo (coaching staff as well), and now it will be his time to shine again more than just defensively. We will have Alan, DMW, and others to play the defensive ace assignment, freeing him up once again.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Trent average about 15+ a game next year actually. He was driving more this year, 3's plus more of that and free throw line will get him back where we need him.
 
#186      
Ga65
PlayAZ said:
I don't think that it has to be such a "big if" actually. Trent has done it before, he deferred to Ayo imo (coaching staff as well), and now it will be his time to shine again more than just defensively. We will have Alan, DMW, and others to play the defensive ace assignment, freeing him up once again.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Trent average about 15+ a game next year actually. He was driving more this year, 3's plus more of that and free throw line will get him back where we need him.
Click to expand...
Many of us have thought each year that DaMonte would become more of a scoring threat. Still think that is accurate but we’ve been off on the timing. Next year is the year! Really believe he has the ability to take it to the hoop but wasn’t his role. He has a great advantage over Trent in strength and length and we have lost the two players who were really great at it so hopefully his role changes.
 
#187      
Illinoisy
Ayo's decision is the key to projections for next year. With him, probably pre-season top 15 or better. Without him, there will be a lot of doubts and questions and a "wait-and-see" assessment. Either way, the program finally seems to be re-stocking, not just trying to keep a nose above water from year to year.

As for Underwood, I'm still somewhat on the fence, although this season was encouraging, to say the least. As he re-stocks with his recruits and hopefully finds guys willing to buy into his system, we'll hopefully see consistent improvement. I was impressed this past season both with his coaching and his public demeanor. I thought he handled the team's ups and downs effectively. Also, very measured in addressing Giorgi's struggles. No blame casting. Good job, Coach.
 
#189      
Efrem Winters fan
RockfordIllini said:
Agree somewhat. I think we were good this year but record may have been inflated somewhat because we won more than our fair share of close games. How many wins can we attribute to Ayo making a big shot or Dre grabbing a big rebound or loose ball? Probably 5 or 6.

The question is whether we make up for it in other areas. With another year of work, I really think Kofi will be an absolute monster next year. We should be a much better shooting team and longer/deeper.

I think we may get off to a slow start while we find our feet but if we play D and rebound like we did this year and surround Kofi with shooters we will be tough to beat.
Click to expand...
Not sure I agree that we won more than our fair share of close games. Losing by one @Maryland, Michigan State, By two to Miami at the buzzer... We did win some close games but I thought we lost just as many.
 
#191      
jrichisamazing
Yes, we won a lot of close games. But part of that is we didn't have enough offensive fire power to pull away from teams. Next year's team has the potential to light up the nets so hopefully we won't have to rely on late game heroics quite so much.
 
#192      
jrichisamazing
PlayAZ said:
I don't think that it has to be such a "big if" actually. Trent has done it before, he deferred to Ayo imo (coaching staff as well), and now it will be his time to shine again more than just defensively. We will have Alan, DMW, and others to play the defensive ace assignment, freeing him up once again.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Trent average about 15+ a game next year actually. He was driving more this year, 3's plus more of that and free throw line will get him back where we need him.
Click to expand...

It's not a coincidence that Trent's numbers went down and Ayo's went up when Trent took over as the primary ball handler. If Curbelo can play 25+ min as the PG then Trent's numbers will definitely go back up.
 
#194      
Elgin7680
I was just wondering if anybody knew what happen Mark Tupper and his U Tube videos? He use to make them every week and have not seen one for a long while.
 
#196      
PtownIllini8
Hopingfor500 said:
What do you think our record would have been without Ayo this year? Ayo was everything to this team not only with his physical talents, but just as important his leadership skills. He gave this team and edge. His post game after beating Iowa told the story. We don't like them, they don't like us...that's infectious in the locker room.

His ability to convert late in games or make a shot to stop a run...probably added 4 W's to our record, if not more.

That game @Rutgers, without him....was an eye opener.

I expect next year to be a step backwards. You just don't lose a guy like that and not feel it.

Like BU said....you can replace the points, but you can't replace the intangibles.
Click to expand...
Not me. I think we have an uber talented PG and a lot more shooting. We will miss Ayo's closing if he leaves, but others will improve, like Kofi and Griff. Curbelo's quickness and passing with better shooters around and our bigs underneath, is a proposition for success. I don't think we'll miss a beat, and if Ayo somehow stays, we're a NC threat.
 
#197      
PtownIllini8
jrichisamazing said:
Yes, we won a lot of close games. But part of that is we didn't have enough offensive fire power to pull away from teams. Next year's team has the potential to light up the nets so hopefully we won't have to rely on late game heroics quite so much.
Click to expand...

That's my view also. Well said!
 
#199      
PtownIllini8
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back