Rutgers 91, Illinois 88 Postgame

#4      

BMoreIllini

BMoreIllini
Baltimore, MD
BMoreIllini
sad arrested development GIF

Rutgers will always be tough to be at the RAC. It's just disappointing how the game went the last 25 minutes or so, especially that 4.5 minute stretch where Rutgers pulled away. Miller seemed invisible unless he was messing up an assignment on the defensive end. Refs were poor, at best. This was likely going to be the toughest of our first 10 B1G games, just wish it would have been a W. On to the next on.
 
#5      

CurbeloYourEnthusiasm

CurbeloYourEnthusiasm
CurbeloYourEnthusiasm
We're 5-3 with Damonte Williams shooting 70% from 3 (14-20). Could easily be 4-4. I'm not that encouraged at this point. We got lot of talent, but some major problems on the defensive end. Need find a way to play defense when Giorgi/Kofi are both on the court. Also need Curbelo to play 30+ minutes a game. Offense is just too stagnant when he's on the bench.
 
#11      

Deleted member 747277

D
Guest
Deleted member 747277
LouHenson said:
Problem is we have had punch in the mouth see Mizzou and Baylor. Are you saying we need to get mugged to get better? Sorry we have had the punch in the mouth maybe even see Ohio?
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me personally? I agree with you. But the post game thread will be full of “well, Rutgers is actually really good!” And other excuses.

Last year was fine for that. Next year I’m fine with these types of gut check losses. But anything less than a top 3 finish in the B1G this year will be a disappointment to me. You don’t have Ayo come back when he could have gone, add the pieces we did and claim anything less than that the special season we hoped for. I’m not asking for us to run the table like 04-05. But we can’t keep losing games and saying “we’ll learn and hopefully be good by tourney time” not this year.
 
#12      

grantlab

G
grantlab
Unfortunately, it’s a 40 minute basketball game, and we just don’t play 40 minutes of hard-nosed basketball across the board. Eerily similar to the Baylor game where a 2-3 minute stretch took us out of the game.
 
#13      

Dre

D
Dre
Making free throws make it a different game.
 
#14      

skyIdub

skyIdub
Winged Warrior
skyIdub
Absolutely love Curbelo and Miller, but when you are playing two freshmen that much...this is what you get. Growing pains.

We are not there mentally. Much like last year...I think this team grows and gels during the second half of the season.

Go Illini.
 
#18      

BlindLoyalty

B
FartNoiseMotivation
BlindLoyalty
The Illini are one shot away from being (4-4). Right now this is a good team. Quite a bit of time left to develop into a great team. I’m enjoy the journey more than ever during these times.
 
#19      

DB11Headband

D
Chicago Burbs
DB11Headband
Started the game 10-2, proceed to take out your two best players, and immediately let up a 7-0 run...could’ve stomped on their throats early, really poor substitution there by BU
 
#20      

lexwaldez

lexwaldez
lexwaldez
Illini_Jack said:
For a "national title contender", as Jay Bilas put it, we sure lose a lot
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The team lets down and plays lazy just often enough to lose games. Rutgers is what a hungry team looks like hustling on the court. Underwood should make them watch the game just to see what hustle looks like. And at this point they should shoot freethrows until everyone is over 90%. It's almost better watching a young team missing talent hustle and punch above their weight than watching a super talented team play down and make lazy turnovers. Other team deserved the game more. Embarassing really.
 
#21      

Orange Wave

O
Orange Wave
Getting tired of posting about a L that we can learn from...guess we haven’t learned(from the other 2) that you have to play harder than the other team. Way too many bad fouls, shots, sloppy TO’s in our 3 losses...doesn’t seem like we can make an adjustment when we need one