When I read your comments, I was reminded of a similar feeling I had at the end of last season. I really liked RJ as a freshman and I thought as he returned this year, he would be phenomenal. Sadly, I don't think he matched most of our expectations. Maybe next year he'll be what many of us thought he would be this year. I sure hope so for his sake and that of the team.
Ohio State 72, Illinois 60 Postgame
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Agree with your post. Getting old seems to have gone the way of the Dodo with NIL and the new transfer rules. I hate AAU ball and this looks way too much like AAU ball to me. Guess we will know more by May as to who we have left from this years team to build on.
sacraig
- The desert
I think it's just a lack of upperclassmen leadership, to be honest. Previous BU teams have generally played with consistently high effort with only a handful of letdowns in that area. So I can't think it's a BU feature other than he's had difficulty getting through to this group of upperclassmen.
Everyone’s different, but growing up playing sports I always left it on the court with 100% and demanded the rest of the team do the same or get off the court/field. I’m good if we have a game plan and do our best to execute but just lose sometimes. What I don’t get is the lack of fire. Looking in the eyes of this team there are moments for sure, but fire in the eyes and play is a lifestyle for winners. Not sure why this team can’t just play with some tenacity every game/play. I guess we were just spoiled with the “everyday guys” of the past. Give me heart every time!
Can still be a special season, but at the very least I hope something is lit in the returning players that will learn how this team needs to be led to bring back the real “everyday guys” mentality.
I feel blessed to have missed this Train Wreck! I used the word horrible for players and coaches. We have been shooting 5 of 30 literally all year! What else can they do? Well actually a lot. The coaches put their butts on the bench when they Jack up 10-3's, when you're shooting 25% from 25' on the year. you should quit shooting from there and drive to the rim,it's that simple. I hold the coaches and players equally accountable! I wish they'd get it together because we love them I love them I love this program it's embarrassing.
Yep a leader makes the team better, holds teammates accountable, and understands the greater good concept for the team. We do not have that guy on this team upperclassman or newcomer. I think Cohawk tries to be that guy, but it appears there is some resistance from others to listen.
Absolutely! To add to this, upperclassmen that have come up and grown with the team. Very difficult to do from here on out in the transfer portal era imo. This is why guys like Frazier will always be a favorite.
sacraig
- The desert
I don't know if others resist or he's just not great at it (it's a skill, and sometimes you have to hone it).
But I think some combination of Goode, Harris, and/or Rodgers will probably take care of this role in the near future.
sacraig
- The desert
I don't think the portal will make it that much harder. We lost most of our upperclassmen to graduation or pro ball. Only one transferred. We were a very senior team last year, which means this year we were necessarily young and/or relying on newcomer upperclassmen.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
We clearly lost because of an 11am start on CBS in blue uniforms. And because Brad yells. And the refereeing conspiracy against us. And it's "so Illinois."
Sigh. We lost because players aren't following the game plan, and for whatever reason Brad isn't holding them accountable to the game plan. Unless the 5 guys on the floor work together, follow the plan, and remember the scout, we're going to continue to see these Jekyll and Hyde games. Yet life goes on.
Sigh. We lost because players aren't following the game plan, and for whatever reason Brad isn't holding them accountable to the game plan. Unless the 5 guys on the floor work together, follow the plan, and remember the scout, we're going to continue to see these Jekyll and Hyde games. Yet life goes on.
I'm rooting for Brad and this team to finish this year strong and to have success next year and beyond. I would disagree that winning at Illinois basketball is in any way a miracle, or to be viewed through that prism.
Coaching.
Coaching, coaching.
Coaching, coaching.
Several people have agreed with you that this is the most frustrating team that you can ever remember. Have you forgotten Bruce's last few seasons or John's tenure?
How about, at the very least, a Sweet Sixteen appearance?
My completely unscientific view from the outside is that Cohawk was the leader of the team as the top returning player from last year. Then you bring in a freshman and 2 senior transfers who might think they will come in and be "the man" of this team and supplant the others in this role and have NBA aspirations for next year. But none of them were an Ayo or Frank type, a star, someone so good and better, that other good players would acquiesce this role on the team to them. And with so many newcomers its not like there was a lot of time to develop any friendships or camaraderie to work this out This would be my hypothesis to the "hero ball" and trying to get your own. But then again, all I do is watch on TV.
sacraig
- The desert
At times this year I've wondered if he can't hold accountable because he wouldn't have 5 players left who aren't in the doghouse.
Our 3 pt shooting is very consistent.
I do think it's about sensitivity. I believe Mayer took offense to BU's style. As a result, BU lightened up a bit. Shannon and Epps refused to go into games.
Who's running the show? If Mayer was more like Trent, I think Illinois isn't chucking ridiculous three pointers, players aren't refusing to go into games and we aren't complaining about this "Heckyll and Jyde team.
50% 2pt, 20% 3pt. As a basic stats problem your expected return on a 2pt shot is 1pt and 3pt shot is 3/5 pt. It's like a common core math problem.
I truly don't understand how you can put up numbers like that night after night and continue to jack that many 3's. It's not like a surprise or something. We just don't really have a good percentage from 3. I'm not a coach but....seems like an obvious adjustment needs to happen.
I truly don't understand how you can put up numbers like that night after night and continue to jack that many 3's. It's not like a surprise or something. We just don't really have a good percentage from 3. I'm not a coach but....seems like an obvious adjustment needs to happen.
Maybe frustration was the wrong term. I understand your point, and everyone including me is super thankful for the job this team has done and the accomplishments you list here. No disputing we are in such a better place than we were before Brad got here, and the bar has most definitely been raised. I've said as much many times on this board. The only thing missing is success in the tournament. We have dropped a second round game to Loyola as a 1 seed in 2021, and dropped a second round game as a 4 seed, the first with both consensus All-Americans (2 of the best to ever play at IL, and those types of players have rarely ended up at IL). That is a disappointing end to both seasons given the personnel and in-season success, as well as expectations going into the tournament. It is possible to be excited and happy with the regular season success, yet still be at least somewhat disappointed (frustrated maybe) that we have only 2 NCAA wins to cap off those extremely successful years. There is still time for this team to have some success in the tournament and I hope like he&* they do, but the last several weeks do not give a lot of confidence that it will happen, even with what was widely recognized as one of the best off season additions through the transfer portal and re-tooling the team with athletes with abilities that have given us trouble in past tournaments.
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lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
This thread
Without reading this whole thread, the answer to our mediocre season is simple. We can't shoot.
We have great length, we have great athleticism, we can play defense (usually), we can rebound, however we can't shoot. We win when at least one guy is hot and they can pull us through. If everyone just plays a normal game, we have a severe lack of shooting and we loose. Pretty much simple as that.
Our top shooter is shooting 36% from 3, 31.4% as a team. If you're saying ehhh that's not so bad, well then you're wrong. We are 325th in the nation as a team from 3, 325th. That's out of a total of 363 teams. It's atrocious. But hey we're taking the 41st most 3s, so that's uhh....good?
ALL our recruiting efforts need to be on shooters.
We have great length, we have great athleticism, we can play defense (usually), we can rebound, however we can't shoot. We win when at least one guy is hot and they can pull us through. If everyone just plays a normal game, we have a severe lack of shooting and we loose. Pretty much simple as that.
Our top shooter is shooting 36% from 3, 31.4% as a team. If you're saying ehhh that's not so bad, well then you're wrong. We are 325th in the nation as a team from 3, 325th. That's out of a total of 363 teams. It's atrocious. But hey we're taking the 41st most 3s, so that's uhh....good?
ALL our recruiting efforts need to be on shooters.
I still like Brad, but that Loyola game was on him imo.
And this season it just seems like we really don't have enough offensive talent. The numbers don't lie. We don't shoot very well. And it seems like he might be trying to make up for that with strong defense. This is just the best our guys can do. Been a pretty good season all things considered. And I like this team. It really seems like they give the effort, just don't make enough baskets.
The funny thing is..we have great shooters. We just take bad shots in many cases.
MustangWally
- Mayfield
No, and yes.
The inability of a team with greater talent to defeat a lesser team falls to the most part upon coaching.
Stop telling me how elite we are or how elite they are and instruct our players so they play their best ball.
Every game, all the time.
Stop telling me how elite we are or how elite they are and instruct our players so they play their best ball.
Every game, all the time.
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