Pregame: Illinois vs Penn State, Thursday, March 9th, 5:30pm CT, BTN

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#51      

BTM33

B
BTM33
With how up and down this team is, I don't think we can go into any game thinking we are going to just have our way.

Penn State has shown to have our number this year. They have to guard the 3 point line and close out under control. We could win or lose by 20. I look to Brad on this one. You have seen them twice and both times they beat you up. Come out with a solid game plan, get them ready to go from the tip off and let's beat them.
 
#54      

Navy_illini

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Navy_illini
Team needs to listen to BU. What we tired last two times did not work

Honestly there really isn’t a team I would want to play in the BIG but PSU has had our number. Need to make adjustments
 
#55      

New Creation

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New Creation
Hard to beat a team 3 times. Plus we are the first game after the break. This is a good thing. I have a feeling this team is going to go on a run the next 2 weeks. We are the underdawgs moving forward. Including this game, not by seeding but the fact that they have beaten us by double digits both times.
 
#56      

Illinifan74

Illinifan74
Illinifan74
Am I wrong for wanting to win Thursday / Friday, and then lose Saturday (as long as its Maryland/Minnesota/Nebraska) - if we have to play Indiana, then we just need to win the whole thing. This gives us another two wins, and an extra day of rest before the NCAA begins.
 
#57      

grantlab

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grantlab
LvilleILL said:
Disagree. They will be fired up to beat Penn State. We could get Penn State then Northwestern which would be a fantastic draw
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Maybe I’m a bit too glass-half-empty, but I haven’t seen this team come out of the gates “fired up” to play anyone since UCLA. Maybe post-season play changes things, but show me a Big Ten game we have legitimately gotten up for from tip to finish. I’d sure hope that a Penn State team that’s kicked our teeth in lights a fire in these guys, but it didn’t really seem to do that on February 14th.
 
#58      

jrichisamazing

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jrichisamazing
Dan said:
Winner gets #2 Northwestern (Friday, 5:30pm CT)
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Great opportunity to improve our seeding if we can get past PSU. Northwestern is a 7 seed right now on the matrix. Then it's either IU or Maryland, who are 4 and 8 seeds, respectively.
 
#60      

Sutton_Place

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Sutton_Place
Lets Go Wow GIF by FaZe Clan
 
#61      

SescIllini

SescIllini
SescIllini
Would a zone work at times against PSU? Tired of them spreading the court so Pickett can go one on one. Not saying for the whole game, but to mix it up on them.
 
#62      

Illini8420

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Illini8420
SescIllini said:
Would a zone work at times against PSU? Tired of them spreading the court so Pickett can go one on one. Not saying for the whole game, but to mix it up on them.
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Im not sure zone would work because they’re a very good three point shooting team. But if I’m remembering correctly I think when we tried press out of desperation it did help us go on a little run in one of our games against them
 
#64      

FloridaMan

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FloridaMan
SescIllini said:
Would a zone work at times against PSU? Tired of them spreading the court so Pickett can go one on one. Not saying for the whole game, but to mix it up on them.
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They have too many 3 point shooters to run it. We don't need to run it anyway, just double Pickett if he backs it down to the post. Ideally, you don't let him do that every time down the floor to begin with.
 
#66      

RML

R
RML
spillini said:
They just have to bust their butts at the start and they can beat any team.
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I'm starting to think it's not a lack of effort, but slowness in getting dialed in and focussed. (Not sure if I disagree with you assessment, or am just quibbling with the wording of how characterized that assessment. Either way, it would have been nice to get a shot up before Purdue had already scored right points.)
 
#74      

WhiteHorseWings

WhiteHorseWings
WhiteHorseWings
Illinifan74 said:
Am I wrong for wanting to win Thursday / Friday, and then lose Saturday (as long as its Maryland/Minnesota/Nebraska) - if we have to play Indiana, then we just need to win the whole thing. This gives us another two wins, and an extra day of rest before the NCAA begins.
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Yes you are. Roll through PSU and NU, tough win against Hoosiers, setting up a fun final on Sunday and a 6 seed the next week
 
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