Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
sounds like Shannon has planted a flag, and that's a good thing:
Illini Basketball 2022-2023
- Status
I honestly don’t know what to expect as far as ranking. We’re definitely talented enough to be ranked but I think some media will let the loss of kofi and our unknowns keep us off the list for a bit.
Sweet 16 is a pretty big hurdle to be honest, when a team makes the Sweet 16 and moves onto the new location, there is that down period between the games with almost a whole week's worth of positive coverage and good feelings. Often just that one round R32 vs. S16 is the difference between "wow, out early, embarrassing" and the feeling of a commendable season as a whole, even though it is just the difference in outcome of a single game. Unfortunately for Illinois right now, given we haven't gotten passed R32 since 2005, it's a must have to get even more positive national goodwill towards the program/coach.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
I think this tier is a bit too big, and I would say BU probably should be on the 3A tier. There are a bunch of names on this list that he has done considerably more than.Seems as good a place as any to leave this. The Athletic staffed polled a ranking of Division 1 BB coaches and BU was grouped in Tier 3.
https://theathletic.com/3619418/2022/09/28/college-basketball-best-coach-rankings-tiers/
Tier 3
COACH TEAM Randy Bennett Saint Mary's
Mike Brey Notre Dame
Hubert Davis North Carolina
Jamie Dixon TCU Greg Gard Wisconsin Anthony Grant Dayton
Chris Holtmann Ohio State
Juwan Howard Michigan
Dan Hurley UConn
James Jones Yale
Tommy Lloyd Arizona
Thad Matta Butler Fran McCaffery Iowa
Greg McDermott Creighton
Niko Medved Colorado State
Porter Moser Oklahoma
Nate Oats Alabama
Shaka Smart Marquette
Kevin Willard Maryland
Buzz Williams Texas A&M
Brad Underwood Illinois
Mike Young Virginia Tech
You nailed it. There's an incredible amount of buzz surrounding that week leading up to the second weekend. 82 teams have at least one sweet 16 since our last one. this is a terrible drought.
texillwek
🔶🔹🔸🔷
Just win and it takes care of itself
That’s fine. Let them sleep on us. Will we be B1G champs good? Eh. Will we be fun to watch? Yes. Will we win enough games to get to the Sweet 16? I really really hope so.
Ty to Epps to Shannon to Mayer
And if we do, I believe I saw a stat posted on here awhile ago that this will be the first time in the History of Illinois Basketball that we will have been ranked pre season this many times in a row. And I think that magic number was only 4.
If I am wrong, someone please correct my wrongdoing.
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I think they might be a top 25 team at the end of the day. Top 10? Color me skeptical.
I think we've been preseason top 25 three times in a row but never four. So, this could match our longest streak.
We were ranked 6 out of 7 years preseason from 99-06. The one in the middle where we weren’t raked, we finished 11th at the end of the season.
Coach talks a lot about Hawks defense. And when you look at defensive stats from last year Hawks is near the top.
Drtg #3, DWS #4, (behind only Kofi, Trent and Da'Monte), DBPM #2
2021-22 Illinois Fighting Illini Men 's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
Check out the detailed 2021-22 Illinois Fighting Illini Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
www.sports-reference.com
GallopingGhost
- Denver, CO
I don’t know if I’m reading too much into this but… I don’t know if Mayer totally fits our culture. He may have been more of a “gotta grab the best white elephant gift that’s still in the pile” kinda thing.
1. Came late during summer. I know he was finishing school but I feel like you miss some really important bonding. He also maybe could have come if he really wanted…
2. Had a snap chat story and even an interview maybe where he did say (semi jokingly) that Brad yelled too much and it hurt his feelings.
3. Now this not running hard thing.
This is total conjecture from a guy who has no inside information, but it’s just a feeling. Ill still cheer my head off for the guy. I still think he’s gonna be good for us and make a lot of plays, but is he an Every Day Guy? I think no.
I know very little about him, but watched the March madness game between Baylor and North Carolina this this year. It was an incredible game. Mayer was clearly putting it all on the floor and went out with an ankle injury. Came back 10 minutes later and kept playing through it. At the time I had no idea who he was and he stood out. Now I’m pumped to have him.
sacraig
- The desert
I think you are.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Terrence Shannon Jr. shows 'unbelievable leadership' as Illini basketball starts practice
Illinois basketball's Skyy Clark and Matthew Mayer are full-go at the start of Fighting Illini practices.
- By Anderson Kimball Decatur (Ill.) Herald & Review
- 20 hrs ago
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — With the losses of Kofi Cockburn and Trent Frazier, Illinois men’s basketball has needed some new leadership.
If the first practice was any indication, it looks like Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr. is stepping into that role.
"Terrance stopped a play today because somebody didn't run the floor hard enough," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "I didn't have to do that. He just stopped and said, 'No, no, that's not what we're doing.' And we went back and we did it again; that person ran the floor really hard this time. And that's just unbelievable leadership."
That moment and the example Shannon has set for a crop of freshmen and other newcomers earned a lofty comparison from Underwood.
"That was a Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu type move right there," Underwood said.
Shannon is a headliner of a team that features eight players who will play their first game for the Illini this season. That meant a structure change for a team that was built with pillars Cockburn, Frazier, Dosunmu and Da’Monte Williams for the past few seasons.
With no returning starters and an absence of an established center like Cockburn, this preseason involves a lot of tinkering.
“I knew last year, Kofi was getting the ball a lot and everybody else knew that,” Underwood said. “And we knew where we were getting Trent shots. The fun part about this is we’re still working through that. We’ve still gotta figure all of that out.”
Illini in OC
In. The. Alley.
If Luke doesn't guard the 2 better than that, we're in trouble. /s
Illini in OC
In. The. Alley.
This.
I recall getting our asses handed to us vs Baylor (it looked like they had 7 players on defense
) and Mayer being a big part of that. I hope I'm not mistaken.
Baylor 82-69 Illinois (Dec 2, 2020) Final Score - ESPN
Game summary of the Baylor Bears vs. Illinois Fighting Illini NCAAM game, final score 82-69, from December 2, 2020 on ESPN.
I'll have to admit, I never figured that we had a preseason top 25 only 3 times in a row. Went back and checked the 80s.
So that 87-88 year we lost Norman. A really great freshman class was becoming a great sophomore class. Nick was joining as a prop 48 sit out. Kenny Battle also arrives to play. We first show up in the polls January 5 at 9-2.
| Preseason | Final | |
| 1983-84 | NR | 6 |
| 1984-85 | 2 | 12 |
| 1985-86 | 7 | 19 |
| 1986-87 | 14 | 11 |
| 1987-88 | NR | 16 |
| 1988-89 | 9 | 3 |
| 1989-90 | 8 | 18 |
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
Mayer may not be the most athletic guy on the floor, but I'll never question his drive or his motor. He was the "glue" in the couple of Baylor games I saw the last few years and I got more than a little bit of a Lucas Johnson vibe.
Illini in Indiana
- Indiana
Lots of good replies to this already.
IMO ,"Elite" greatness requires everyone to lift their own game higher. If you play with Jordan, Brady, St. Cardinal (sorry Cub fans), ..... you are expected to lift your game to the level of the team. It is not a coached thing, its a team thing (Culture) that requires individual growth over time. Some don't make it, but the great do and I think Mayer is great.
I think this is a good thing for everyone.
GallopingGhost
- Denver, CO
No doubt that the fit can grow over time. I would love that.
- Status