ginabackes00
CrazedUIFan
We did a much better job in the second half defending the screen near the top of the key. Better communication and switching. Not enough can be said about Rodgers. Such a high energy guy.
Illinois 69, Rutgers 60 Postgame
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Well Rutgers showed that they are KenPom AdjO Number 130 for a reason, and Illinois showed that they are KenPom AdjD Number 15 for a reason.
If Epps, Rodgers and Harris are all 4-year players at ILLINOIS, then the future is very bright. All the COVID eligible 20th-year seniors nationwide will be gone by then. That would make for a very excellent Senior core one day.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
My thoughts exactly. Rutgers has a great deal of talent, they're active on defense (McConnell's D is stifling), move the ball well, and Pikiell is a fantastic coach. That 10-minute stretch in the 2H when the boys shut them down completely (and was that a 19-0 run we had during that time?) was as impressive an interval as I've seen from any team this season.
Dain feasted down low. Ty was a monster. CoHawk nearly had a double-double and looked great. Sencire was a catalyst. I'm well impressed at Epps' consistent ability to penetrate and pick just the right place on the glass to place the ball, elude the defender's reach, and score.
Really proud of the way the guys put the hammer down in the 2H. Huge win. Now go to PSU and take care of the ball.
Punesguy
- Ft. Collins, CO
One of the most important, yet sloppiest wins against a strong opponent that I can remember for some time. Great to see Dain gain more confidence, Rodgers is in beast mode, Shannon finally woke up (sort of) but the biggest "Oh Crap" moment for the rest of the BIG is that Coleman realized at 6'10" he can take guys off the dribble and hit the 6-10' jumper. If he continues to utilize that ability, the Illini will not only get into the 2nd weekend but he will hear his name called during the NBA draft!
Yes put me in the category of one of those who still considers the officiating severely lacking even though we won. Most consistent part of this season is that the officiating is not going to be good.
wish that we could move beyond the issue of officiating whether good or bad...
frozenrope9190
- Aurora, IL
No need to apologize. This is how I'm seeing your post, though. In the first half we started slow on our shots against one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA, and as a result we were "slow, lazy, and low IQ" (ie, stupid.) In the second half, where we outscored them by 13, including a 19-0 run over 10 minutes, we 'did what we had to do'. This was a ranked team we played, that beat Purdue, and we beat them going away.
Of course, we're inconsistent at times and turn the ball over a lot and miss a lot of 3's. We're also 8-2 in our last 10 Big Ten games and have consistently played better in the 2nd half. It feels like in your posts that the other team doesn't exist, that everything the Illini do is in a vacuum. If you're looking for a coasting double digit victory from the opening tip until the end of the game, you're going to be disappointed a lot, and be unfair to the team you're watching.
Shooting to many 3s?
Tacomallini
- Washington State
Thought that was legal in IL now. Also, I know nothing
But once, just once, can we have one of those?
Puff puff no pass? Is that what you are indicating was the rule broken?
Don’t forget Dain has at least 2 if not 3 too right? Dain along with Epps are gonna be all B10 guys down the road
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He’s not playing worse
Tacomallini
- Washington State
Honestly I have no idea, but that’s often been the euphemism with collegiate player suspensions in the past. See Jones, Tevian. No clue what RJ did, just wanted a cheap joke opportunity
That was fun.
Not for shooting...
Shooting to many 3s?
For missing too many...
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