Tacomallini
- Washington State
To kill the time, we should debate which current and former Illini would win in 1-on-1 challenge games. I'll see myself out.
Pregame: Illinois vs Saint Francis (Pa.), Saturday, December 18th, 12:00pm CT, BTN
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OR if you’d rather we could debate Coach Dee Brown vs Coach Fred Hoiberg coaching a charity donkey-basketball event. I’ll show myself out too.
I may be way off base, but I seem to remember Nick leaving with hard feelings.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
frozenrope9190
- Aurora, IL
And that's twice they've done this to us. Post-Marquette was a week as well. Boo.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
(I thought I posted this earlier in the day but apparently it didn't take)
You're correct on the Kruger / redshirt / NC points. May well be right about the only Illini to play on two #1 seed teams. Don't know; defer to others more knowledgeable. Good trivia question. He played on three BT champion teams (in '02, '04 and '05), which puts him in elite company
I have a stray Nick Smith memory of when the boys beat Ohio State in Columbus in '04 to win the Illini's first outright BT title in forever ('52 IIRC?) It was a one-point game that was tight to the end. Instead of celebrating at the buzzer I just remember the team, weirdly, running off the court like the hounds were about to be released onto the floor. I read later that Nick (I believe) said they all got into the locker room, it was quiet, and they just looked at each other for a moment before they realized what they'd just accomplished.
Love that anecdote. When I read his name that's what I think about.
illini55
- The Villages, FL
My memory of Nick is a visual. I was with my wife at a women’s bball game, also attended by Nick. He was sitting in an A section seat, with his legs draped over the seat in front of him. His feet almost touched the floor in the row in front of him. Long tall Nick. He looked like one of those bendable things kids play with, I’ll never forget it.
Absolutely not.
Is there a worse passer who is a senior in the big10 then DMW
DMW made an incredible pass to Plummer near the end of the Iowa game for that open jump shot in the corner.
A resounding yes!!!!
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
That's fabulous. 7'2" is a lotta length. A tough way to go through life, I'd imagine. As an undergrad in the mid-'80s I ate in the Peabody Drive Halls cafeteria daily. Olaf Blab (IU center Uwe's bro) played on the team at the time and, IIRC, lived in Weston, so I'd see him regularly. He was 7'0" and had to bend over to get through the doors.
blackdog
- Champaign
You mean the guy who is leading the team in assists per game and has a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio? I think there are a lot of worse passers.
BTW if you want a terrible depressing stat the only players on the team with a positive assist to turnover ratio are him, Frazier, Grandison, and BBV. Without Damonte the team would be averaging more turnovers than assists per game.
I once saw Manute Bol at CWRU when I was in grad school there. Looked like a walking telephone pole
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
lol. When I made that earlier post about Olaf Blab I was also thinking of Manute when I saw him play for the Sixers at a Bullets game in the early '90s. Your description is apt. I just looked him up. Listed as 7'6" and 201 lbs. I'm 21 inches shorter than him and 10 lbs. heavier. Think I could box him out with my leverage?! Nah. He'd just step over my head
I recall this on-air discussion about Olaf Blab years ago:
1st announcer: "Olaf seems to be a year away from contributing"
2nd announcer: "I think it's more like he's a year away from being a year away"
He is actually a good passer. Fundamentally sound. He also doesnt turnover the ball much.
Plummer. This team will be much, much better when he and Williams return to their natural roles.
My fondest memory of Nick Smith is maybe best saved for Loyalty After Dark. But....
I attended an Illinois basketball camp the summer before the 04-05 season. The camp is a special memory in and of itself. But like many kids there, I carried with me a Sharpie and a basketball wherever I went and when I saw a player, I'd get their autograph. Ended up getting the whole team and coaching staff to sign it.
When I went up to D-Will to have him sign it, he did so and then afterwards he told me to approach Nick Smith with only my Sharpie and ask for his autograph. When he inevitably asked what I wanted him to sign, D-Will told me to say, "These balls!" 8th grade me thought it was the funniest thing ever.
Anyway, I did as I was instructed and Nick just kind of laughed and had some choice words for Deron. Kind of got the impression he was a bit of a punching bag for some of the guys. But he was super nice in my limited interactions with him.
Sure looks like Belo is out...wasn't at practice yesterday
Something very very strange going on with Curbelo! Will we ever know?
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
I recall this on-air discussion about Olaf Blab years ago:
1st announcer: "Olaf seems to be a year away from contributing"
2nd announcer: "I think it's more like he's a year away from being a year away"
Yeah. Olaf becoming a "contributor" was like Brazil becoming a developed nation or (these days) a revolutionary breakthrough in battery technology: forever just around the corner but never quite materializing. Frankly, seeing him all those years ago on a daily basis I felt badly for him pressured to live up to his brother's performance.The longer it goes the more concerning it becomes.Something very very strange going on with Curbelo! Will we ever know?
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