NCAA Tournament

[sacraig]

The Illini should make it to the Sweet 16. Oklahoma State should, too, and that match-up will be a tough one. Right now the Cowboys are hotter than a two dollar pistol.

But, I mean... so are we. We just ran roughshod over the Big Ten to finish the year. Our last 6 games have been victories against #23, #2, #7, #NR, #5, #9 and all away from home.

In terms of tournament seeds, those were the equivalent of beating #9, #1, #2, #10, #2, #2.

Bring. It. On.

 

[CentralILifer]

The Illini should make it to the Sweet 16. Oklahoma State should, too, and that match-up will be a tough one. Right now the Cowboys are hotter than a two dollar pistol.

They didn't win their conference tournament. I tend to prefer those teams. It just so happens that Drexel (of course), GA Tech, Loyola Chi****, and Illinois all won their conference tournaments. Color me crazy, but that tends to make me less worried about OK State. We'll see how they handle their first 2 games.

 

[dgcrow]

They lost their last game and a game a little before that.

Yeah, you're right. They lost to Baylor by 11 on March 4 and to Texas by 5 in the Big 12 Tournament final. Still think it will be a tough match-up for the Illini.

 

['16caine]

Fast forward a couple of weeks & we’re in the final four ...

Would you rather play OSU for a fourth time or Baylor for a second?

Baylor. This team loves revenge

 

[dgcrow]

Baylor. This team loves revenge

Agreed. Would love the Illini to get another chance at them.

 

[GloryDays]

One upset pick I’m calling now. Abilene Christian over Texas. I’ve seen a lot of Texas living in Austin and saw ACU in person last Friday. They have a 7’0 center who works inside, another 6’8 big who can bang and hit the 3 and make the post entry pass to the other guy, and they got a TON of shooters.

Smaller at guard and on the wing than Texas, but good quickness and athleticism for a smaller school. I am not the only person I know who has seen both teams and feels the same way.

I've got Texas minimum elite 8

 

['16caine]

LSU as an 8 is insane. Good chance scUM out in second round. Those kids took Bama to the wire

 

[dgcrow]

I've got Texas minimum elite 8

Texas impresses me some, especially how they got by Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament championship game. Also have wins over North Carolina, West Virginia, and Kansas.

 

[I11ini82]

I would say a tough match-up for both. You love "correcting" people, don't you?

It's definitely a tough match-up for both. They just beat a #1 seed by 9 on a neutral floor on Friday.

They're 6-2 in their last 8 games with wins over teams seeded 1, 3, 3, 6, 8, 8 with losses to teams seeded 1 and 3.

If we play them in the Sweet Sixteen it will be a game between two very good teams who are playing very well. We're better and playing better but anything can happen in 1 game.

 

[GloryDays]

I think we're complaining about the wrong team. How is Georgia Tech an 9 seed? They're 17-8, 5-3 against the top 25 beating UNC, Florida State (twice),
Virginia, Virginia Tech, and winning the ACC Tournament. If you take away their bad losses in their first 2 games, that's a potential 4 or 5 seed. They've won 9 in a row. As is I think they're better than all the 8 and 7 seeds, maybe even some of the 6s.

I hope Loyola makes them work and gets them tired, but I'll be shocked and very pleased if we play Loyola.

 

[Deleted member 186590]

They could have put us against Missouri, Oklahoma, or UNC as well. We couldn't get Wisconsin so the only 8/9s we could get that wouldn't have had a "storyline" are LSU and the Bonnies. And we could get Georgia Tech. If they wanted a "storyline" they would have put Loyola against Missouri.

I suppose it does depend on your definition of "storyline", but you have to think about it from a national attention perspective, creating interesting pairings that would only happen in a national tournament - us playing Missouri isn't interesting, we play them every year, us playing against a coach that coached us 21 years ago isn't all that interesting (to be honest I even forgot Kruger was the coach at Okla), UNC is a bit dated to be interesting to anyone other than us

I agree with you, they don't move teams several seeds to make up storylines, but when it's there, they definitely go for them.

 

[I11ini82]

I suppose it does depend on your definition of "storyline", but you have to think about it from a national attention perspective, creating interesting pairings that would only happen in a national tournament - us playing Missouri isn't interesting, we play them every year, us playing against a coach that coached us 21 years ago isn't all that interesting (to be honest I even forgot Kruger was the coach at Okla), UNC is a bit dated to be interesting to anyone other than us

I agree with you, they don't move teams several seeds to make up storylines, but when it's there, they definitely go for them.

Us playing against Loyola has zero national appeal either.

 

[sacraig]

Us playing against Loyola has zero national appeal either.

Honestly it doesn't really have any local appeal, for that mater. Loyola fans (such that they exist in any reasonable number) would be interested but no one else really would.

 

[Deleted member 186590]

Us playing against Loyola has zero national appeal either.

It does IMO - it's been mentioned in almost every national bracket conversation I've heard - Sister Jean and Loyola were a huge national story in their final four run and there are already articles about her wanting to attend this year, playing the big state school with a lot of local Chicago ties - Krutwig against Kofi

It's a story

 

[2qtslow]

Fast forward a couple of weeks & we’re in the final four ...

Would you rather play OSU for a fourth time or Baylor for a second?

Not just the final four, but the final, right? We've already atoned for the loss to OSU, so I choose Baylor.

 

[I11ini82]

I think we're complaining about the wrong team. How is Georgia Tech an 9 seed? They're 17-8, 5-3 against the top 25 beating UNC, Florida State (twice),
Virginia, Virginia Tech, and winning the ACC Tournament. If you take away their bad losses in their first 2 games, that's a potential 4 or 5 seed. They've won 9 in a row. As is I think they're better than all the 8 and 7 seeds, maybe even some of the 6s.

I hope Loyola makes them work and gets them tired, but I'll be shocked and very pleased if we play Loyola.

I 100% agree with this. Georgia Tech could have easily been a 6 or 7 seed.

If you sort Sagarin by "recent" our pod of 8 has 4 of the top 18 teams:

1. Illinois
11. Oklahoma State
13. Georgia Tech
18. Loyola Chicago

 

[I11ini82]

It does IMO - it's been mentioned in almost every national bracket conversation I've heard - Sister Jean and Loyola were a huge national story in their final four run and there are already articles about her wanting to attend this year, playing the big state school with a lot of local Chicago ties - Krutwig against Kofi

It's a story

Us playing Missouri would have also been a story. The first time these two rival programs have met in the NCAA tournament, how Missouri beat us in the Braggin' Rights game, etc. The national conversations are always going to focus on whatever is in front of them.

And if we're going off anecdotal evidence, I haven't heard a single mention of Illinois/Loyola. There's plenty of talk around Loyola specifically because of the last run and Sister Jean.

 

[the juiceman cometh]

Exactly. We look at everything through Illini lenses. There are so many teams in this tournament with connections to other teams. The committee's job is already hard enough. To go through and adjust potential matchups for every team would be a massive undertaking.

It's actually not that hard because they're clearly only doing it to the Illini..../s

 

[WhiteHorseWings]

Guy on ESPN picked Ohio as best chance fir a seed 9 or above to reach S16

 

[CentralILifer]

Guy on ESPN picked Ohio as best chance fir a seed 9 or above to reach S16

I've got them in the S16.

 

[I11ini82]

Honestly it doesn't really have any local appeal, for that mater. Loyola fans (such that they exist in any reasonable number) would be interested but no one else really would.

I don't think so either. My good friend went to Loyola and he's stoked they're good and back in the tournament but doesn't care about playing Illinois at all.

Honestly, it's probably BAD for ratings, if that's what they care about. Casual fans in the area might have tuned in for both the Loyola game and the Illinois game but in this case, there would just be one game to tune in for.

 

[Deleted member 747903]

Us playing Missouri would have also been a story. The first time these two rival programs have met in the NCAA tournament, how Missouri beat us in the Braggin' Rights game, etc. The national conversations are always going to focus on whatever is in front of them.

And if we're going off anecdotal evidence, I haven't heard a single mention of Illinois/Loyola. There's plenty of talk around Loyola specifically because of the last run and Sister Jean.

I would not want to see Mizzou ever in the tourney. That program has sold their soul to the devil to beat us and then be mediocre the rest of the year.

 

[dgcrow]

I don't think so either. My good friend went to Loyola and he's stoked they're good and back in the tournament but doesn't care about playing Illinois at all.

Honestly, it's probably BAD for ratings, if that's what they care about. Casual fans in the area might have tuned in for both the Loyola game and the Illinois game but in this case, there would just be one game to tune in for.

For what it's worth, the last time the Illini played Loyola was in 2011, a 67-49 win in Champaign. The Illini's all-time record against them is 12-3.

 

[CubsIlliniFan]

The Illini should make it to the Sweet 16. Oklahoma State should, too, and that match-up will be a tough one. Right now the Cowboys are hotter than a two dollar pistol.

No they are not. They have Cunningham which is a load but who is going to guard Kofi? Do the MSU thing and maul him? Who guards Ayo? Curbelo? No, I am not worried about OSU. We go in and do our job and win. JUST WIN BABY

 

[dgcrow]

No they are not. They have Cunningham which is a load but who is going to guard Kofi? Do the MSU thing and maul him? Who guards Ayo? Curbelo? No, I am not worried about OSU. We go in and do our job and win. JUST WIN BABY

Sure hope you are correct. Maybe I'm over-estimating them -- often do with whoever the Illini are playing.