Tom and Dick were indeed twins and graduated in '63. I watched their final Big Ten game at the old IU fieldhouse against OSU led Gary Bradds. They started with Tom Bolyard, Jon McGlocklin, and Jimmy Rayl, not one over 6'5", and won the game while the Illini with Dave Downey, Skip Thoren, Bogie Redmon, Tal Brody, and Bill Small won that day to win the Big Ten title. I was a high school soph and attended with a teammate who had signed with Indiana. We sat at half court with our elbows on the elevated floor pulling for the Hoosiers....and not a soul knew why I was so motivated for them to win.
Illini Basketball 2020-2021
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In the CBS article, 3/5 writers had us 1st in the Big, 1 had us 2nd and one third. All had us above MSU! I have been holding back for fears that the season would not happen at all, confident it will start, hopefully it finishes. GO ILLINI!
https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...dge-iowa-and-luka-garza-for-conference-title/
https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...dge-iowa-and-luka-garza-for-conference-title/
This doesn’t bode well for us filling out our non con season.
At this point I’m just hoping we can still host our MTE, and then maybe fill the other 4 games with local teams.
From Illinois:
DePaul, Loyola and Bradley would all be solid in-state competition. Northern Illinois, UIC, Southern Illinois, Illinois State, SIU-Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois, and Western Illinois would all be fine as well.
From Iowa:
Drake, Iowa St, or UNI would all be fine competition.
From Indiana:
Butler, Ball St, Valparaiso, or Indiana St would be fine.
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
What's more likely: event cancelations or venue changes? Holding out hope for our matchup with Baylor.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
Is there anywhere else equipped for a large-scale bubble? Orlando had a good set up for it with the NBA, but who knows about now
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
This is the only time I will be rooting for Indiana. Don't screw this up.
CBS also named Ayo 1st team pre-season All American. https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...e-basketballs-best-and-most-talented-players/ Nice to see, can't wait for the season to start.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
So much so !
I have to wonder if the Big Ten is having conversations about a double round robin regular season with no out of conference games allowed. Or maybe keep the Big 10/ACC challenge? I think 27 games are allowed this year which would work out.
Yeah, if B1G teams can't fill out their schedule with non-conference games I think expansion of the B1G regular season makes a lot of sense.
The B10 is ranked incredibly high in preseason polls. It could be advantageous to our NCAAT seeding chances to just not play other conferences and play 26 conference games this year...
I personally dont care who we play, I just want to see this team compete for a championship. Thats something I can say without being thrown in an insane asylum for the first time in a decade and half. As long as there is buy in and general safety amongst the team, I'm in for whatever they throw at us, I'd rather play Duke, UK, and Kansas 30 times then waste a year of the talent on this team.
Well that would shut down the double round robin idea pretty quickly, but I still do wonder about expanding conference play. I haven't followed the scheduling that closely for us, let alone other schools in the conference, but I would think if we're having trouble, others probably are to. Are MTEs allowed to have teams from the same conference? I doubt it would happen, but it could be a workaround...
I believe that they could schedule other B10 teams in a MTE but I don't think that they would count in the conference standings.
alamocityillini
- San Antonio
BREAKING: Illinois will travel to Cameron Indoor to take on Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
sacraig
- The desert
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
Duke's biggest guy is a 7-foot, 243-pound freshman, and no one else is even close. If Kofi's getting drafted this year, he needs to look dominant in this game.
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