Pregame: Illinois vs Arizona, Saturday, December 11th, 4:00pm CT, FOX
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Keep the faith! This is the pre-Christmas, Saturday afternoon, big non-conference home game slot where we once shocked the world by having Rennie Clemons throw one down Shaq's throat!
Very much where I’m at too. As I mentioned in earlier post, there is no one in their rotation that is under 6-3. Plummer better be rocking it from 3, cuz I think he’s going to be a liability on D. Them having two legitimate 7-0 centers to toss up against Kofi has to help them some too. Hopefully Illini get some home court advantage with officiating (unfortunately that’s not a given), because if not I fear some foul trouble with our perimeter players. I wouldn’t be surprised if Goode, RJ and Hutch have to see more meaningful minutes than they’ve seen of late.
Illini can win it and that would be huge. Have a feeling this will end up being biggest game (quality of opponent wise) other than the Purdue games.
So, if we played them 1,000,000 times, we would win 510,000 of them.
Source: Fading memory of Statistics 101
I do seem to recall something something standard deviations, but nevermind.
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I’m with ya… Dude‘s really ask in for it..
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Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
One thing I’m REALLY hoping can push us over the edge here is the home crowd. Yes, it’s hard to win on the road, but an ACTUALLY rowdy and energetic crowd that legitimately makes it harder for the other team’s players to hear can swing a one-possession game. We need a 2005 Wake Forest-level crowd.
It’s notable that Arizona has only played one true road game - against a 1-8 Oregon State team in front of 3,918 fans … in other words, compared to us being at Marquette and in Iowa City, they haven’t been in a hostile environment for two years. I’m hopeful that if our guys come out with the same energy we’ve had lately and can keep the crowd in it, we can gain a clear edge in that area and hopefully get out to an early lead.
It’s notable that Arizona has only played one true road game - against a 1-8 Oregon State team in front of 3,918 fans … in other words, compared to us being at Marquette and in Iowa City, they haven’t been in a hostile environment for two years. I’m hopeful that if our guys come out with the same energy we’ve had lately and can keep the crowd in it, we can gain a clear edge in that area and hopefully get out to an early lead.
it's a sold out game, people are still begging for tickets. Crowd needs to be crazy, I will be there and I am feeling crazy. More crazy than normal.
Hutch will not play any minutes that are meaningful. He is double digits on the depth chart
I have double checked it and you are correct
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Talk that noise, see what happens, Tommy Boy.
It’s really too bad he’s been hurt/sick. Games like this are where we could really use his length and athleticism. But he’s too far behind right now to just throw into Zona. I’m still holding out hope he can get somewhat caught up in the 3 games after Zona but before conference season.
Does he give an edge for the home team? Or is it as if it was played on a neutral court?
64-52 OT win, Rayvonte went off in OT
Illinois fans have a “bad feeling” when the boys are up 30 and the opposition makes a contested three to cut it to 27 with four minutes left. The Weber and Groce years have conditioned us to expect collapse, perpetual close games, and no joy.
Arizona looks great. But, for all of the Rutgers game and a good chunk of the Iowa game, so did we. We also have the single greatest mismatch in college basketball, he’s moving the ball, and is far from a plodder—he’s a great athlete. No one has, or will, have an answer for him.
Arizona looks great. But, for all of the Rutgers game and a good chunk of the Iowa game, so did we. We also have the single greatest mismatch in college basketball, he’s moving the ball, and is far from a plodder—he’s a great athlete. No one has, or will, have an answer for him.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I do expect the atmosphere to be fantastic, though! I know we would have had plenty of sellouts last year, but the fact we sold out two home games (Arizona and Michigan) right after tickets went on sale really speaks to fans buying back in! Just for fun, here are the sellouts we’ve had under Brad and Co.:
2018: 1
• Sunday 2/18: W 72-66 vs. Nebraska
2019: 1
• Saturday 2/23: L 83-76 vs. Penn State
2020: 5
• Thursday 1/30: W 59-51 vs. Minnesota (ILL ranked #19)
• Friday 2/7: L 75-66 vs. #9 Maryland (ILL ranked #20) … I was there, we blew it.
• Tuesday 2/11: L 70-69 vs. Michigan State (ILL ranked #22)
• Sunday 3/1: W 67-66 vs. Indiana
• Sunday 3/8: W 78-76 vs. #18 Iowa (ILL ranked #23)
And we have two already this year! One observation is that it’s hard to sell out a 15,500+ seat arena in this day and age. Another is that our fans are super underrated … give us the tiniest reason to believe, and tens of thousands of us are jumping right back in!
2018: 1
• Sunday 2/18: W 72-66 vs. Nebraska
2019: 1
• Saturday 2/23: L 83-76 vs. Penn State
2020: 5
• Thursday 1/30: W 59-51 vs. Minnesota (ILL ranked #19)
• Friday 2/7: L 75-66 vs. #9 Maryland (ILL ranked #20) … I was there, we blew it.
• Tuesday 2/11: L 70-69 vs. Michigan State (ILL ranked #22)
• Sunday 3/1: W 67-66 vs. Indiana
• Sunday 3/8: W 78-76 vs. #18 Iowa (ILL ranked #23)
And we have two already this year! One observation is that it’s hard to sell out a 15,500+ seat arena in this day and age. Another is that our fans are super underrated … give us the tiniest reason to believe, and tens of thousands of us are jumping right back in!
I don't think we win this one. But I also don't think a loss will hurt us. Those losses have already come and gone.
Without a healthy Belo operating the PnR, we're relegated to shooting threes and making basic post entry passes to Kof.. which has been a good formula of late but I dont think it gets it done against AZ.
What I would like to see regardless of outcome, is our team impose its style of play onto another team. Going back to the LUC loss we really struggle against teams who play intense pressure D. We get sped up and make poor decisions and seem unable to play the style of game we want to play. AZ is going to be the same kind of game unless we're able to dictate the tempo more. I'm not advocating for Bo Ryan ball, but being decisive and moving the ball with purpose will go a long way.
Without a healthy Belo operating the PnR, we're relegated to shooting threes and making basic post entry passes to Kof.. which has been a good formula of late but I dont think it gets it done against AZ.
What I would like to see regardless of outcome, is our team impose its style of play onto another team. Going back to the LUC loss we really struggle against teams who play intense pressure D. We get sped up and make poor decisions and seem unable to play the style of game we want to play. AZ is going to be the same kind of game unless we're able to dictate the tempo more. I'm not advocating for Bo Ryan ball, but being decisive and moving the ball with purpose will go a long way.
I am too, was very excited when I saw video 2 years ago. The kid has had some TERRIBLE luck! Hopefully the next 3 we can get some solid tick for him and see what happens. He started a few games ago I think, which tells you what he has shown in practice, but games are just different.
I don't think we will see that big of uptick in the high ball screen when/if Belo comes back. We don't move hardly at all offensively when we run the high ball screen compared to the sets we are running now. You say we are regulated to shooting 3s like its a bad thing and we are settling for them, these are designs BU and staff call throughout the game to get our shooters good looks or to get Kofi the ball down low with less help from the defense cause they have to worry about our shooters on the wings/corners. Most of what BU calls throughout the game are counters to how the other team have defended certain sets previously in the game or on film. Also look at the ball movement in the half court without Belo and running the high ball screen.....it's much improved and very efficient.
Statistically, these two teams are very close. That despite all the mix-n-match 5 we have had to put on the floor, not practice at full strength, etc
Also took a look at the highlights on YT (of AZ games)
IMHO, IF we run our offense (includes make our shots) and play our defense, we win.
Based on those two assumptions:
IL: 85
AZ: 70
Also took a look at the highlights on YT (of AZ games)
IMHO, IF we run our offense (includes make our shots) and play our defense, we win.
Based on those two assumptions:
IL: 85
AZ: 70
Oh, I totally agree with everything you said. I think having the pick and roll in our bag of tricks makes us harder to guard and more drought resistant though. Even if it's a tertiary option.
PnR is the best offense if the game if the guy running it can be a threat to shoot. AC is not and hence it has not worked out this year. PnR was pretty darn effective last year because Ayo could shoot that pull up.
Exactly. The past 2 games our offense has looked really good and the shots have been falling. But there will be times when that's not happening or a stingy defense has us sputtering. In those instances it will be nice to just put the ball in Belo's hands, clear it out, and watch him and Kofi go to work. Without Belo, we don't have a guy that can do that.
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