Good guys by 4
Without Ayo
Without Ayo
Pregame: Illinois at Michigan, Tuesday, March 2nd, 6:00pm CT, ESPN
- Status
really? any pictures good news for him playing then
Jmo, he's not going to go in to an unknown. If going. Plus koolaid.
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altenberger22
- South Carolina
We're actually 8 deep without Ayo:
1. Kofi
2. Grandison
3. DaMonte
4. Adam
5. Trent
6. Curbelo
7. Giorgi
8. Hawkins
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Illini, up to No. 4, set for showdown Tuesday with second-ranked Michigan
Illinois has its best rating since being No. 1 in 2004-05 season.
“It has been hard being a freshman and having to step up. It is not an easy thing to do, especially in the best conference in the country,” he said. “I’ve always been a guy that likes challenges and that’s why I left Puerto Rico. I wanted to continue to get better and continue to improve. I’m all-in for the challenges and it is preparing me for what could potentially happen in March Madness and the Big Ten tournament.”
Curbelo was named the Big Ten freshman of the week on Monday and Underwood has seen his biggest improvement on the defensive end.
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conundrum.............................go with my heart or brain......??????????????????????????
Anchors aweigh ...........................
Illini 74
scUM 73
Hope I'm right
This is not going to be like the OSU Michigan game. That turned into a shootout, but our D is too good to let that happen. This will be much more of a grind it out game. Whichever team can get stops and push the ball to find easy points is going to win.
Giorgi will be the x factor. Their backup big man, Austin Davis, can do some damage. We need Giorgi to win that matchup. He will also probably have to guard Wagner out on the perimeter at times. Good Giorgi might be the difference.
Giorgi will be the x factor. Their backup big man, Austin Davis, can do some damage. We need Giorgi to win that matchup. He will also probably have to guard Wagner out on the perimeter at times. Good Giorgi might be the difference.
And in a grind it out game reducing turnovers and making free throws becomes the deciding factor.
After so many years of being at the bottom, I just can't believe Illinois is legitimately ranked 4 at the end of the season playing up and I actually have hope going into this game that we can win. I mean even without Ayo I can see this team winning tonite. And I don't think that's delusional. If Curbelo commits less than 5 turnovers we might be in this game!
I mean who would have believed we would be saying at the end of the season we are better than Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina....and it's not even close.
I mean who would have believed we would be saying at the end of the season we are better than Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina....and it's not even close.
Go Illini. Win tonight and go into Saturday and win.
Loyalillini10
- Urbana, IL
I would bet my beach house, if we win tonight and have 15 TOs, you will be the only on here who’s standard hasn’t been met.
Not sure about Kansas. They have been coming on strong. They kicked Baylor last week . I thing we beat them but not a cake walk
I'll take 5 Illini scoring in double figures for the win.
Deleted member 747903
D
Guest
Any insider scoop on the chances Ayo plays today?
I need a hype video for this game.
We need Kofi to win his, also.
Don't tease me, bro!
We did exactly that against PSU last yearIf the script was flipped, and the Illini were facing a team with it's star being a game time decision...that star would of course play, and drop 20+ on the Illini.
Maybe it's our turn?
Ayo plays and drops 25 on scUM.
As it has been stated ad nauseam, what's one more statement on the importance of minimizing our turnovers this evening? Could it really be that simple? It would sure make it a lot easier to win games combined with our rebound margins.
It boggles the mind at how good our efficiency numbers and metrics would look if we subtracted 5 turnovers a game. It very well could be the difference between the greatest Illini season ever, (I know, avoid extremes, BUT don't we want a championship?) or not making it to the second weekend of the tournament.
But our focus of this thread is tonight and beating Michigan. As a fanbase, we need to begin to shed the layers of, "We are Illinois, and we cannot be trusted," myself included. We are Top 4 in the country in March, what the what?! And we are playing #2 Michigan in a potential Final 4, National Championship preview.
We are an excellent team no matter the outcome this evening, with or without Ayo, and into the future.
Last Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin was a statement game. Tonight's game, we will be delivering a message to all. We are Illinois and we are not going anywhere.
It boggles the mind at how good our efficiency numbers and metrics would look if we subtracted 5 turnovers a game. It very well could be the difference between the greatest Illini season ever, (I know, avoid extremes, BUT don't we want a championship?) or not making it to the second weekend of the tournament.
But our focus of this thread is tonight and beating Michigan. As a fanbase, we need to begin to shed the layers of, "We are Illinois, and we cannot be trusted," myself included. We are Top 4 in the country in March, what the what?! And we are playing #2 Michigan in a potential Final 4, National Championship preview.
We are an excellent team no matter the outcome this evening, with or without Ayo, and into the future.
Last Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin was a statement game. Tonight's game, we will be delivering a message to all. We are Illinois and we are not going anywhere.
Derek Piper said that he's been able to get shots up and feels ready, but the decision on Ayo will likely be made at shootaround
Deleted member 747903
D
Guest
Get your popcorn ready..
Would love nothing more than to see Ayo lock up NPOY tonight on ESPN.
GallopingGhost
- Denver, CO
This one is going to be our toughest game of the season. Michigan is VERY good and playing better than anyone right now. My couple of breakdown thoughts as to why this one will be a tough loss.
1. Dickinson and Kofi are pretty equal. I think they both get theirs. But once Giorgi has to come in, even if against Davis, we are done for. Davis is a senior (I think?) and a good defender and has a nice touch. Those might be the minutes we lose ground.
2. Michigan has 3 very solid guards and a man off the bench in Brown that could probably start on our team. We have Miller and Frazier who I have good confidence to at least slow down Livers and Smith, but I think Monte and Grandison will have their hands full with Brooks and Wagner.
3. leads me to the basic point of: we may have the best 2 players in the game (and that’s if Ayo is playing) but they probably have the next best 5, and that is not a recipe for a great game for us. They have great defense, are long and all can shoot lights out. Their bench is just deeper too.
Sorry to say Illinois friends, but I’m as down on this game as I think I have been for a game in the past 3 months. Michigan comes hot and too tough to handle. So I will give 2 predictions:
Illinois 63
Michigan 77
if we have Ayo
Illinois 70
Michigan 77
1. Dickinson and Kofi are pretty equal. I think they both get theirs. But once Giorgi has to come in, even if against Davis, we are done for. Davis is a senior (I think?) and a good defender and has a nice touch. Those might be the minutes we lose ground.
2. Michigan has 3 very solid guards and a man off the bench in Brown that could probably start on our team. We have Miller and Frazier who I have good confidence to at least slow down Livers and Smith, but I think Monte and Grandison will have their hands full with Brooks and Wagner.
3. leads me to the basic point of: we may have the best 2 players in the game (and that’s if Ayo is playing) but they probably have the next best 5, and that is not a recipe for a great game for us. They have great defense, are long and all can shoot lights out. Their bench is just deeper too.
Sorry to say Illinois friends, but I’m as down on this game as I think I have been for a game in the past 3 months. Michigan comes hot and too tough to handle. So I will give 2 predictions:
Illinois 63
Michigan 77
if we have Ayo
Illinois 70
Michigan 77
- Status