You seem to be one of those that loves being the "resident level head" and it just isn't the right game to do that. This game was hot garbage on the officiating, it just was. It's not the determinative thing that resulted in the loss, but to do the thing where you're the cool basketball guy that can love the Illini and be so objective at the same time is just a little tired. This was a horribly officiated game. Brad will get a fine for what he did, and I'd bet he'd pay double to never see this crew again.
Objective is not good? Not sure if you follow the game threads, but it's a roller coaster of emotions, where the eye is no longer on the ball.
This team is really not hard to disect.
They are a live by the three, die by the three team. When it's going good, it's going really good, but when it goes bad, it goes really bad. Water seeks it's level.
When you play that way, you can jump out to big leads, but you can cough them up quickly and you can get back in the game quickly.
When you hoist up 25 threes, you're taking the refs off the hook. There's no call to be made. When that's the offense, it leads urself to long droughts and free throw disparities.
Then, we're a sub par free throw shooting team. We miss the front end, don't get the second shot, which is basically a turnover.
After 27 games, this is what they are. They're undersized at the guard position and they're undersized in the post, with Williams, at 6'3" trying to body up against the other teams best post player. It's their DNA.
Think about how many games that we had a double digit lead in and lose because of all of the above:
Marquette(Neutral)
Cincinnati(Neutral)
Arizona(Home)
Purdue(Road)-That might have only been 9.
Ohio State(Home)
Now, games where they had a double digit lead, blew it, but held on.
Michigan (Home)
Northwestern(Home)
Iowa(Road)
Maryland(Home)
Michigan State(Road)
That's 10 games off the top of my head where the three pointer pushed them out to a lead, then the absence of it coughed the same lead up.
They've also gotten blown out in a couple because they went ice cold throughout.
I understand the frustration with the refs. I was also frustrated. Kofi got hosed on his 5th and Frazier was clearly fouled at the end. I get it. That said, today was how they've been all year. The roller coaster comes with it, as does the frustration. The refs clearly played a part in some very, very key moments.
Yes, I do try to be objective. However, facts are facts and trends are trends. Ayo stopped a lot of these runs last year with the ability to get to the rim and finish and he had a great midrange jumper. That would break the 7-0 run before it turned into 16-2.
It is what it is, like it or not. Fingers crossed that in March, they have a hot streak in them.