Agree these marquee non-conference games are “nice-to-have” on an individual level, but collectively, you really want to get a solid Q1 win before league play to pad the resume. I’m not saying the opportunities won’t be there in the Big Ten this year, but if we go into conference play with our best win being Syracuse or Missouri, we’re going to have an uphill battle for seeding in March. Expecting this team to get better as the year progresses, but significant non-con wins is something we’ve lacked in the BU era, and it’d be great to end that this year, starting in Vegas. I don’t see us beating Texas, but who knows.
Pregame: Illinois vs UCLA, Friday, November 18th, 8:30pm CT, ESPNU
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Agree these marquee non-conference games are “nice-to-have” on an individual level, but collectively, you really want to get a solid Q1 win before league play to pad the resume. I’m not saying the opportunities won’t be there in the Big Ten this year, but if we go into conference play with our best win being Syracuse or Missouri, we’re going to have an uphill battle for seeding in March. Expecting this team to get better as the year progresses, but significant non-con wins is something we’ve lacked in the BU era, and it’d be great to end that this year, starting in Vegas. I don’t see us beating Texas, but who knows.
Illinois is even unabashedly promoting that “fact.”
MustangWally
- Mayfield
At the gate at O'Hare. Waiting to board.
I have concluded :
1.) Mitch Cronin is a realist
2.) Mitch hates Michigan too
3.) Mitch Cronin now has moved up several
slots on my list of reasonably tolerable foes
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For me, the most interesting portion of these games will be how our defense holds up. We’ve left a lot of wide open shooters in our first few games, but definitely caused havoc. If it plays to potential I definitely see us hanging with any team out there. I think the switching needs to slow down a bit but it’s still too early to make major adjustments.
Again, think this is the least stressed I’ll be watching Illini basketball for quite some time. Really no expectations for these games.
Again, think this is the least stressed I’ll be watching Illini basketball for quite some time. Really no expectations for these games.
Connor could jump out of the gym. And he usually did! Will never forget that team as my intro to college basketball.
Always get the Dawsons mixed up.
MustangWally
- Mayfield
Finally on the plane. Josh seated a few rows in front of us . . . flying coach.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yeah, if we lose to Syracuse, I will be very alarmed. We simply have too much talent, IMO, to be dropping a home game to a team that lost to Colgate by double digits on their own court ... Leaving off the obvious extreme scenarios like going undefeated or really coming up short, I would rate our results before the New Year as follows:
HUGE Success: 12-1 (2-0) with our only loss to #5 Baylor (after beating #8 UCLA!) or #11 Texas ... in other words, we either go 2-0 in Vegas or we go 1-1 and beat Texas!
Excellent: 11-2 (2-0) with a 1-1 record in Vegas (beating UCLA) and losing to Texas
Very, Very Good: 11-2 (2-0) with a 1-1 record in Vegas (beating presumably #16 Virginia) and losing to Texas
Pretty Good: 10-3 (1-1) where we manage to go 1-1 in Vegas (picking up at least one ranked win), lose to Texas and slip up in our first conference road game at Maryland ... they for some reason own us, and we'll rebound!
Going worse than 10-3 would be a pretty serious underachievement, IMO, and we absolutely cannot afford home losses to Syracuse or Penn State (or likely even a neutral court loss to Mizzou) if we want to be a serious NCAAT threat ... which usually requires a good seed.
Hope you are right. Maybe I overestimate UCLA but I think Illinois will have a hard time with their guards. Jaylen Clark, Tyger Campbell, David Singleton and Amari Bailey will be a handful for our young guards. And Jaquez and score with the best of them. We shall see.
I see this as a huge weekend for Coleman. So far hasn't lived up to billing. This team making noise requires him to step up against top teams.
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
I would have though he’d be in the director’s chair…Finally on the plane. Josh seated a few rows in front of us . . . flying coach.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
IMO it’s going to boil down to how BU manages these games/matchups. Can he put his players in a position to succeed. We have all the talent on paper. BU needs to maximize. Doesn’t seem to do that in big games of recent memory. ILL!
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I could not disagree with this take any more.
Sure 2-2 in the NCAA tournament the past two years. The two losses sting. Loyola should have been a win. Houston - we were outmanned.
That’s one big game. Loyola.
Excluding that, of course we have lost some games…..as does EVERY team and EVERY coach.
But to say it rests on how BU manages the game…..we have all the talent on paper….needs to maximize and doesn’t seem to do that in big games…. ???
Most BIG wins over the past three years …. BIG champs, BIG tourney champs …..half of those wins are BIG games vs top 25 teams. Most of the others are BIG games with half of them on the road at BIG schools where any team is challenged to win. Border war……big wins.
Sure, second round exit two years in a row. Get over it.
BU has resurrected this program and we are on a trajectory as a national power and national destination for basketball.
Of our current 9 player rotation only 2 of them are returning players. We are playing the #8 team in the country on a neutral court, followed by either #5 or #16. They have talent as well.
A win this weekend will be great. Two would be incredible. But no wins this weekend, although disappointing, will still provide valuable learnings and teaching moments for this staff for a team that has played just three games together.
Honestly, just not a good take….
What I will take is what this team will end up becoming. Oh, and I will take BU all day every day to lead this program.
I L L . . .
Dain’s potential improvement over the rest of the season has me really intrigued. He’s already far exceeding my expectations from having so little game experience these last couple years. Add to that his dramatic improvements in strength/stamina/weight loss, etc. since January, I wonder how much better conditioned he will be in another 3 or 4 months. It doesn’t take much imagination to see him as one of the Big Ten’s breakout players by March.
WTF? We don’t have all the talent on paper. Good, maybe very good talent, but there are plenty of teams with more. And UCLA is one of them.
Brad has assembled a very talented team. The 2021 #1 seed team had only 2 NBA prospects Ayo and Kofi (Andre and Adam are TBD). The rest of team as much as I love them were overperforming role players.
Our 2023 team although lacking in AA status of Ayo and Kofi is much deeper with NBA prospects. We have great length, athleticism, and skill. Thru my orange colored glasses I see at least 4 NBA prospects vs 2 we had in 2021
TSJ - already proven
Skyy - has not used 50% of his ability yet - still waiting for him to take over a game like Ayo
Dain - averaging a double double in his first 3 games. Imagine if he got into Kofi shape.
Coleman - great athleticism, can he show up all the time
TBD but showing great promise due to athleticism
RJ
Jayden
Still witholding judgement
Mayers
Sencire -maybe should be in TBD
Luke
Is it Friday yet - I can't wait to see this team tested.
On the other hand I am going to turn on TV Saturday at 9 am pst with trepidation. Hoping football team snaps out of its funk and the defense can stop Michigan from any big plays. No turnovers and keep it close. Anything can happen.
If Japan does not work out can Kofi come play tight end for Bret? Our tight ends do not have the athleticism of the Iowa and Purdue tight ends.
Our 2023 team although lacking in AA status of Ayo and Kofi is much deeper with NBA prospects. We have great length, athleticism, and skill. Thru my orange colored glasses I see at least 4 NBA prospects vs 2 we had in 2021
TSJ - already proven
Skyy - has not used 50% of his ability yet - still waiting for him to take over a game like Ayo
Dain - averaging a double double in his first 3 games. Imagine if he got into Kofi shape.
Coleman - great athleticism, can he show up all the time
TBD but showing great promise due to athleticism
RJ
Jayden
Still witholding judgement
Mayers
Sencire -maybe should be in TBD
Luke
Is it Friday yet - I can't wait to see this team tested.
On the other hand I am going to turn on TV Saturday at 9 am pst with trepidation. Hoping football team snaps out of its funk and the defense can stop Michigan from any big plays. No turnovers and keep it close. Anything can happen.
If Japan does not work out can Kofi come play tight end for Bret? Our tight ends do not have the athleticism of the Iowa and Purdue tight ends.
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Illini_1979
- Oregon
1. I've always wondered why are the "cla" lower-case? Shouldn't they be upper case?
2. Give that man an iron for his shirt.
Some people only look at points. Glad our coach doesn’t. RJ also has been playing terrific defense.
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Our team is essentially all top 100 4 stars with maybe one borderline 5 star (Skyy)
UCLA is better than that? (asking, don't know anything about UCLA's team)
We need more experience overall, of course, but on paper that seems pretty good to me.
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