Michigan State 81, Illinois 72 Postgame

[Deleted member 6376]

This is why I'm so afraid of what happens if we end up below the 2 line. If we get a 4-5 seed I can imagine us going in with big heads thinking we've already won and getting embarrassed.

This.

 

[the juiceman cometh]

Trent- that’s about it. Curbelo was a mixed bag. Everyone else was at best meh.

Yeah, Trent was good, you are right.

 

[201154JC]

lol how many calls should Illinois have gotten? We had 34 ft attempts. MSU shot 20.

Right you are. Refs didn't cost us anything. Hit free throws and we win that game.

 

[Deleted member 11228]

Wouldn't shock me. This team is capable of some pretty bad stretches of basketball even in our wins:

Purdue - gave up a 20-0 run.
Penn State - down 15 in 1st half.
Northwestern - down 15 at half
Almost lost to Ohio
Ot vs Nebraska
Ot vs Indiana

A 14th seed team is likely to be as good as these teams. All it takes is playing poorly, and then not pulling it out like we've been able to so far, which wouldn't be shocking. It'd be more a playing with fire eventually you'll get burned thing. Alot of it will be matchups though. If we get a physical athletic team like the 97 team played vs UT-Chattanooga, it'll be a tough game. If we get the soft teams that don't have much inside and rely on 3 point shooting, we can handle those easily

None of those are 14 seeds, we won all of those games. Capable is actually losing those games. Purdue/IU aren't 14 seeds.

 

[Calillini]

We didn't have a offensive game plan, no edge, lost people on defense, talked too much crap for getting our lunch taken from us, flat out laid a turd tonight. But....I think we can still win it all. Team needs to learn from this and flush it.

If it makes us feel better -not- Iowa State (2-16), just took Baylor to the wire AT Baylor

 

[CurbeloYourEnthusiasm]

No way would I call those 'played bad'. If we did that we don't win all those games. We didn't play at an elite level but bad is not correct.

Nebraska and Northwestern are terrible. Alot of teams with great talent, can play horribly and still beat them, which is what Illinois did. Nebraska is 1-12 in the conference. You really think a top 5 team in the nation, that gets taken to OT against them, is playing anything but bad?

If you think we played average vs Nebraska, then we're not a top 5 team. Because an top 5 team playing average ball should beat a Nebraska team by 20+

 

[Deleted member 747802]

It's confidence and focus with Kofi. When he's energized, fired up and excited(Saturday), he's more than capable. When he's tired, down and we're behind, he makes Shaq look like Steph Curry. It needs to be addressed because that's going to be recipe for shutting him down. If he gets close to the rim, hammer him.

Exactly, plus 50% of the time the hack is not called. Maybe 70%

 

[201154JC]

I swear sometimes I think we're the worst top 10/5 team ever. No matter who we play I'm nervous because I know we could lose in an embarrassing fashion like tonight.

Ain't it the truth. On thin ice at all times.

 

[Dan]

 

[Deleted member 11228]

Nebraska and Northwestern are terrible. Alot of teams with great talent, can play horribly and still beat them, which is what Illinois did. Nebraska is 1-12 in the conference. You really think a top 5 team in the nation, that gets taken to OT against them, is playing anything but bad?

If you think we played average vs Nebraska, then we're not a top 5 team. Because an top 5 team playing average ball should beat a Nebraska team by 20+

You keep saying this but the most important point is we won those games. Every team in this league hasn't played their best every game. The bottom line is we won the game and that's all that matters.

 

[Calillini]

zomg. Well Brad Underwood has to be ashamed of that effort. Sure the last five minutes looked good, but the game was disaster. Can I say one thing Mr. Underwood? TEACH THEM TO SHOOT FREETHROWS. We're a #2 seed that loses to #15 if they play like that hot garbage. Possessions with two or three missed layups. Giving up easy offensive boards to MSU. Terrible shot selection. Missed free throws. I know you can't bench the entire team, but they don't deserve to start. Without doubt the officiating was worse than our shooting percentage (people getting punched in the face with no whistles - JAYZYUZ) but we did NOT deserve to win that game. Props to MSU on coming out, playing hard and executing a game plan. We almost made a game of it, but not really. You don't show up for the last five minutes and deserve to win. Kofi has to learn if he's going to shoot under 40% from the line then he is going to get hammered game in and game out (and deservedly so). He better learn to dunk the ball with two hands exclusively if he can't make an unguarded jump shot from the line and he's not willing to dish the ball outside when triple teamed like that. Curbello was mostly hanging with NBA talent and showed some bright spots in the second half. I can't really think of a single positive thing to say about the first half. If they don't all shoot 10,000 free throws this week I don't know what the hell they're thinking. High school teams shoot better than that. Damonte - shoot the freaking ball; that look you don't think is quite right is about three times better than what Ayo or Trent will have to throw up with two seconds on the shot clock.

Nail right on the head, dead center

 

[The Sprouting Divot]

Any respect I had for izzo and MSU is gone

Yeah, there sure are a lot of turds on this year's team.

 

[201154JC]

I should add, if I’m Underwood, I’m dropping my check in the mail tonight and absolutely blasting the officials in the postgame. It’s not just this game. At this point, it’s the culmination.

I must agree. A T might have helped.
We did get hacked on the way to the hole a lot. Refs did not cost us the game though.

 

[BretMyBeachHouse]

If it makes us feel better -not- Iowa State (2-16), just took Baylor to the wire AT Baylor

It doesn't make me feel better but I also know we're not the only team capable this year of getting upset. But without looking closely, I'd just say we're a bit more volatile than most of the top teams.

For so many reasons this is going to be a memorable season. But there's no getting around the fact that we come up with some crappy games.

 

[Deleted member 11228]

But you said you'd be shocked if we lost a game like that. How can you be shocked when we've played games like that all year long? The line between winning and losing is pretty thin. Eventually you lose a game like that if you play enough close ones.

I'd be shocked if we lost to a 14 seed too if we'd been blowing out teams all year long around that level. But we haven't. We've played down to our opponents all year long.

Yes I did and I meant it. You said we are capable of losing to a 14 seed which we haven't this season. If we had I'd be on board with what you are saying but we haven't. I don't care if we struggled to beat Nebraska or Northwestern(which we didn't) we won the game.

 

[201154JC]

This a million percent. There’s a reason Miller doesn’t ever score. He has short arms and plays below the rim. Long athletic guards eat him up. Langford basically blocked all of Miller with one hand and the ball never touched the ground.

Agree with you both. Effort can't overcome height if the wing is talented.

 

[Lexis20]

We did not lose because of the officiating. But when was the last season that in EVERY televised game the announcing crew has said something about the officiating being so poor...."that was not the right all," or "that was not a foul" or tonight, "Kofi has to be the most fouled player in college basketball that they don't call the fouls for."

I forget which game it was but Dakich did analysis and called it the worst officiated game he has ever seen (I believe was how he described it). He was still talking about it the next day on his radio show.

 

[tell it like it is]

I don't know, the game vs Ohio is still pretty fresh. We were down with what....a minute to go? When a team misses a ton of free throws, has turnover issues and can be prone to long scoring droughts....that's generally the recipe for disaster.

That's us

 

[POWURR]

Life on the road. No time to lose.
#huskingtime

 

[Deleted member 747802]

Underwood's postgame has to be one of the more unexpected, bizarre interviews I have seen. I mean, maybe it's just me but I could almost sense the frustration (not anger, I think that's too strong) under the surface. Maybe I'm making something out of nothing, but his postgame attitude did not match his demeanor from the few times I saw him during the game. And the question about what he said to his boss sitting court side, that was interesting. I'm guessing his true feelings are not as simple as "it was one of those nights," and "we will get them next time." Again, maybe it's me but it seemed weird and certainly not what I expected to hear.

 

[Johnny Lawrence]

MSU was stronger, more athletic, quicker to loose balls. Great game plan by them. Crowded Kofi, fouled him to not let him get any rhythm. Didn't give up anything in transition to Ayo.

This was another opponent of the ilk of Mizzou, Rutgers, Ohio State, Maryland where Illinois just gets outmuscled/outathleted. Our bad matchups are teams that are strong/athletic and play half court.

"But wait until Fletch gets ahold of these guys."

 

[Illini13]

Why doesn’t Kofi pass out of double/triple teams. Frustrating. I’d take my chances on the pass out for a shot vs his free throw shooting

 

[WhiteHorseWings]

None of those are 14 seeds, we won all of those games. Capable is actually losing those games. Purdue/IU aren't 14 seeds.

I was run out of town for this view after the Nebraska win. I absolutely agree with you.

 

[Deleted member 11228]

I was run out of town for this view after the Nebraska win. I absolutely agree with you.

There's just something about finding a way to win and we did. We might face that against a 14 or 15 seed but I feel confident that we would win those games.

 

[Gray Troop]

How do we let a 6'5" guy that has missed 2 years because of leg injuries get 16 rebounds on us!!!