Illini Basketball 2021-2022

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#27      
Gonna try my hand at this as well. Why not!
W vs. Jackson State
W vs. Arkansas State
W at Marquette (Gavitt Games)
W vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City, MO - Hall of Fame Classic)
L vs. #14 Arkansas (Kansas City, MO - Hall of Fame Classic)
W vs. UT-Rio Grande Valley
W vs. Notre Dame (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
W vs. Rutgers
W at Iowa
L vs. Arizona
W vs. Saint Francis (PA)
W vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO - Braggin' Rights Game)
W vs. Florida A&M
W at Minnesota
W vs. #20 Maryland
W at Nebraska
W vs. #8 Michigan
L vs. #6 Purdue
L at #20 Maryland
W vs. Michigan State
W at Northwestern
W vs. Wisconsin
W at Indiana
L at #6 Purdue
W vs. Northwestern
L at Rutgers
W at Michigan State
W vs. #19 Ohio State
L at #8 Michigan
W vs. Penn State
W vs. Iowa

Got us at 24-7 (15-5) in the regular season, followed up with another BTT championship, and an Elite 8 Run as the lowest #2 seed putting us at 30-8 overall. Our non conference is fairly easy, but I see us dropping a close one to Arizona. They'll be much improved with a new coach and three very good sophomores in Ben Mathurin and Azuelis Tubelis. Plus a former Top 55 Prospect in Dalen Terry. Think they'll come out firing and get their signature non conference win as Loyalty explodes. Arkansas is very good this year, and they have Chris Lykes who absolutely destroyed us in 19-20. Don't see a way we lose to ND/Marquette. We're simply way better than them, and the only way we lose to Mizzou is if one of their fans sold their soul. They're awful this year. We get on a big win streak, capped with a huge win over Fraudchigan, and then drop the next one against Purdue, Ivey kills us in crunch time to steal one. We drop another one to Maryland because they own us, but go on yet another huge win streak capped off with a nail biter against a much improved Indiana team. Then we play what should be a Top 10 Purdue team at Mackey... I don't like our chances. Next loss is to Rutgers, they bring back Ron and Geo, but otherwise the cupboard is pretty empty. They'll be hungry for a huge win to cement their tournament status and we'll fall again at the RAC. Bounce back with wins over MSU and a close one against OSU before JuFraud picks up his first win over Illinois. Last game of the regular season we run the Hawkeyes out of the gym and send Bohannon home crying after getting babied by Sir Trenton Frazier. We struggle in the Quarter Final but Belo comes up big for us late and we win by 5+, semi final game against Purdue, and we finally get it done, and in the championship we get the rubber match with the frauds from Ann Arbor and pull it out. We wipe the floor with the 15 seed, play in a tight game throughout against the 7-10, but Kofi dominates late and we pull away and escape with a 5 point victory. Then we get matched up with a very strong 6 seed in the sweet 16, where Trent Frazier has his game to remember as an Illini, dropping 20+ and hitting 3's from everywhere as we look very impressive and win by 15+. Finally we face the 1 seed in our region, let's just say it's Gonzaga where we finally see the Timme/Cockburn matchup. Kofi outplays Timme, but we have no answer for Holmgren and the Zags walk away with a convincing win.

Might as well add rough Player Stat predictions as well

Kofi- 21 PPG, 10 RPG, .25 APG - 1st Team AA, B10 POTY
Belo- 14 PPG, 5 RPG, 7 APG - All B10 1st Team
Trent- 12 PPG, 3 RPG, 3 APG - All B10 3rd Team, All B10 Defensive Team
Plummer- 10 PPG, 1 RPG, 2 APG
Grandison- 8 PPG, 4 RPG, 1 APG
Hutch- 7 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 APG
Coleman- 7 PPG, 3 RPG, 2 APG
Payne- 5 PPG, 6 RPG, .1 APG
Serven- 100 PPG, 100 RPG, 100 APG - Everything

I know this was quite similar to the original post, but I thought this would be fun to do now!
If Kofi averages a double double, he'll be the first since Nick Weatherspoon. Hope he does it.
 
#30      
Good for Trent, hooking up with health Alliance NIL deal. One last thing.... shouldn't we be hearing practice reports soon?
Alfonso Plummer has a shirt for sale on player's trunk for anyone interested. Not sure how he's able to use the block I logo, but I first saw it on Coach Frazier's instagram story so I'm pretty sure it's all on the up-and-up.

 
#32      
We'll see if he merits the hype soon, but it's good to see Austin promoting it. If he feels confident enough in himself at this point in the off season to think he'll have an impact, I'm optimistic for the season.
1631826310148.jpeg
 
#36      
My humble thoughts on starting lineup...
Curbelo
Frazier
Grandison/Hutch
Hawkins/Hutch/Grandison
Kofi
Hutcherson is far more likely to play some one than play any four. He’s not a four at all.

C. Kofi, Payne, BBV, Lieb
F. Grandison, Hawkins, Goode
G. Hutcherson, Williams, Melendez
G. Frazier, Podziemski
G. Curbelo, Plummer

Williams could easily be the starter to start the year but he also showed that he was effective coming off the bench last year.

Probably a 9-man rotation: Starters plus Plummer, Payne, Williams, Hawkins.

Plummer is one of the five best players but unlikely we start 3 small guards.

Payne is playing very well.

A freshman will have to really be good to crack the rotation. Goode might be the most ready to play. Melendez highest upside. Podziemski a great shooter.
 
#37      
Hutcherson is far more likely to play some one than play any four. He’s not a four at all.

C. Kofi, Payne, BBV, Lieb
F. Grandison, Hawkins, Goode
G. Hutcherson, Williams, Melendez
G. Frazier, Podziemski
G. Curbelo, Plummer

Williams could easily be the starter to start the year but he also showed that he was effective coming off the bench last year.

Probably a 9-man rotation: Starters plus Plummer, Payne, Williams, Hawkins.

Plummer is one of the five best players but unlikely we start 3 small guards.

Payne is playing very well.

A freshman will have to really be good to crack the rotation. Goode might be the most ready to play. Melendez highest upside. Podziemski a great shooter.
As good a shooter as Podz seems to be, I’d love to see him be able to play at least 10 minutes a game this year. Great shooters can change a game in just a few possessions. We haven’t had a great shooter since Sean Harrington, and he was strictly a catch-and-shoot guy. If Podz can get on the floor, he could be a difference maker in limited minutes.

Plummer may also be that guy this year. But why not both?
 
#38      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
Hutcherson is far more likely to play some one than play any four. He’s not a four at all.

C. Kofi, Payne, BBV, Lieb
F. Grandison, Hawkins, Goode
G. Hutcherson, Williams, Melendez
G. Frazier, Podziemski
G. Curbelo, Plummer

Williams could easily be the starter to start the year but he also showed that he was effective coming off the bench last year.

Probably a 9-man rotation: Starters plus Plummer, Payne, Williams, Hawkins.

Plummer is one of the five best players but unlikely we start 3 small guards.

Payne is playing very well.

A freshman will have to really be good to crack the rotation. Goode might be the most ready to play. Melendez highest upside. Podziemski a great shooter.
If I could like this a million times, I would. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
 
#40      

illini80

Forgottonia
Hutcherson is far more likely to play some one than play any four. He’s not a four at all.

C. Kofi, Payne, BBV, Lieb
F. Grandison, Hawkins, Goode
G. Hutcherson, Williams, Melendez
G. Frazier, Podziemski
G. Curbelo, Plummer

Williams could easily be the starter to start the year but he also showed that he was effective coming off the bench last year.

Probably a 9-man rotation: Starters plus Plummer, Payne, Williams, Hawkins.

Plummer is one of the five best players but unlikely we start 3 small guards.

Payne is playing very well.

A freshman will have to really be good to crack the rotation. Goode might be the most ready to play. Melendez highest upside. Podziemski a great shooter.
Always appreciate your insight combes. Always.

I’ve heard so much about Payne, my expectations are probably getting too high. If he and Kofi can play effectively together at times, we are a nightmare matchup. We are anyway for most teams. I’m very interested to see how the coaches use them.
 
#41      
I love that Chester Frazier is one of the assistant coaches now. Very proud to call him Coach Frazier now! What a welcome addition to the our coaching staff.
How cool would it be when it is time for him to move on to a head coaches' role, then another Coach Frazier stepped in?
 
#45      
Mebbe. Probably. But if those guys are shining, perhaps we did a lot better with the portal than the "experts" think.
I agree. Jeremy Werner and Piper from 247 go into details on Payne here:

15:30min - Can Tim Anderson land us Ty Rodgers?
24:00min - Austin Hutch, Omar Payne - "No one talked about more these last few weeks than Omar" "His roommate is Andre"


 
#48      

DB11Headband

Chicago Burbs
Hutcherson is far more likely to play some one than play any four. He’s not a four at all.

C. Kofi, Payne, BBV, Lieb
F. Grandison, Hawkins, Goode
G. Hutcherson, Williams, Melendez
G. Frazier, Podziemski
G. Curbelo, Plummer

Williams could easily be the starter to start the year but he also showed that he was effective coming off the bench last year.

Probably a 9-man rotation: Starters plus Plummer, Payne, Williams, Hawkins.

Plummer is one of the five best players but unlikely we start 3 small guards.

Payne is playing very well.

A freshman will have to really be good to crack the rotation. Goode might be the most ready to play. Melendez highest upside. Podziemski a great shooter.
A “Hutch in the starting lineup” prediction. Thank you combes!
 
#49      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
If Payne is able to play PF, that would be pretty good.

I get that he's our backup center, but if he has the versatility to play the 4, that gives us another option. God, what I'd give to be able to view practices.
 
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