About the worst ending to the season imaginable, no? Just so many uncharacteristic mistakes, a lack of energy, absolutely NO ONE playing with the swagger we have seen down the stretch ... pretty sickening result. We all should thank the basketball gods everyday that Ayo chose to come here, but who knows? ... if Kofi could come back, we might just have as good of a team next year. We saw today what happens when your team EVER goes into "Wait for another guy to step up" mode. If we can beat Michigan that badly on their home floor without Ayo, we are clearly good enough to be a Final Four threat next year, PROVIDED Kofi stays. I really don't want anyone to take that as a knock on Ayo (one of my all-time favorite Illini), I'm just looking on the bright side going forward. Hopefully, this bitter loss makes Kofi want to come back, along with Trent and Da'Monte.
Other than that, I am at a loss for words ... I knew it was possible we'd go down early - especially to a team like Loyola - but I honestly never considered that we could lay a total dud. Not after the way we had been playing. Oh well, life goes on.