We need shooters and players with some grit and toughness. I don’t see this team going that far in the tourney with what we have. Possibly one and done again. There definitely needs to be some changes in the offseason.
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Penn State 79, Illinois 76 Postgame
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Thats the $64,000 question
Watch the game again….they did not stop feeding Hawkins. He had Pickett on him several times and Pickett was in foul trouble….Hawkins deferred multiple times to take him on. He was looking for others instead. You only do that if you can’t handle the moment. It’s the same with his free throws in crunch time. It’s what is keeping him from being a 1st round NBA selection. He is a very valuable role player in college right now. He needs another year to get mentally tougher and stronger. I’m a big fan and want to see him take that leap.
NASchamp
- Atlanta
I think what it is is that we’re a pretty emotional team. We live and die on momentum, and feeling, and crowd noise, etc. That’s why defensive stops and turnovers feed offense so well. That’s why we can make these big runs, but also why we can lose it all with a few bad shots or a silly tech.
It seems when we’re flying high with all the momentum on our side we always go for the big play. The dagger. The play that will blow the roof off the place. But it seldom happens. That why we can’t build a big lead on anyone this season. That’s why our rallies often end up short. That’s why other teams can outlast us. And that’s why we can never put together a cohesive 40 min. game.
…and this is coming from “Skyys Not Falling”
I have been noticing this lately. We seemingly have a lot of instances where we are on a run and/or are building momentum and we kick the ball out to someone for that open three pointer... and we miss, again and again. "That would have been huge" we say, but it wasn't, and the other team heads back the other way with the ball.
NASchamp
- Atlanta
What does that tell you?
Edit: I'm not upset we lost. I'm upset by the way we lost. We just totally lost Iose our heads. It sounds cliche but we just don't play as one.
Big problems:
Luke Goode and RJ Melendez were supposed to be our shooters. Goode missed too much time and Melendez lost all confidence in his shot.
Coleman Hawkins and Terrence Shannon worry too much about showing off for NBA scouts than playing smart to win.
Gave the entire keys to the Point Guard position to an overrated Freshman that got cut by Kentucky, who ended up sucking and then quitting, no backup plan. Some of us (like yours truly) mentioned we really should go after a Mid-Major Point Guard transfer, but I guess we needed to keep a scholarship open for Zacharie Perrin to enroll mid-season.
Due to no Point Guard, doesn't matter when we play bad defensive teams, our offense isn't one that knows how to take advantage because we don't really have much of a set offense.
This is an NIT team that will probably get in due to a couple wins that look increasingly more and more like flukes, and an overall weak At-Large field, but at the same time they've done enough to give the Committee reason to snub them if it comes to it.
Luke Goode and RJ Melendez were supposed to be our shooters. Goode missed too much time and Melendez lost all confidence in his shot.
Coleman Hawkins and Terrence Shannon worry too much about showing off for NBA scouts than playing smart to win.
Gave the entire keys to the Point Guard position to an overrated Freshman that got cut by Kentucky, who ended up sucking and then quitting, no backup plan. Some of us (like yours truly) mentioned we really should go after a Mid-Major Point Guard transfer, but I guess we needed to keep a scholarship open for Zacharie Perrin to enroll mid-season.
Due to no Point Guard, doesn't matter when we play bad defensive teams, our offense isn't one that knows how to take advantage because we don't really have much of a set offense.
This is an NIT team that will probably get in due to a couple wins that look increasingly more and more like flukes, and an overall weak At-Large field, but at the same time they've done enough to give the Committee reason to snub them if it comes to it.
I think I'd call this a train that sputters, stops, sputters, stops, picks up steam, sputters, stops and has a couple of wheels pop off the rails. It's the Little Engine that thinks it can, maybe, maybe not. It's not quite sure, gets 18-25 miles behind and attempts a miracle comeback.
And possibly Shannon or Coleman-time will tell on those guys.
Does that mean you won’t post anymore?
This team is a lock. Let's stop saying they can get snubbed. Wisconsin has a chance to make the tourney for crying out loud. This year has been disappointing so far yes, but they are a lock for a top 10 seed
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
You could of stopped right there........Anyone with a basic concept of BB knows that the illini this year had their flaws and it would take a masterful job by BU to get all the pieces to mesh into a consistent highly productive unit........it's real easy to enjoy the comeback's against texas and ucla , and northwestern ........easy as can be to support the team when they win.....
But , so much of this season certain so called fans took the easy way out when times got tough and the funny thing is , all the easy way out posters wanted the Illini to be tougher and smarter and play better , but no one taking the easy way out did that themselves and toughed it out and supported the Illini through thick AND thin......That is called being a bandwagon fan .......
I'm not calling ANYONE out at all..........All you have to do is browse the game threads this yeart and they out themselves out with such nonsense .....remember when you think up a post and hit reply it's there for all to see .............
There are a lot of posters who think they are cute by the level and volume of there negative posts , but in reality they are just showing mhow weak they are and I would NOT want to take the court or be in a fox hole or so many other examples of real courage , to expect these bandwagon fans to have to rely on them for anything.............
I have lived through many a down period cheering for the Illini......the slush fund fiasco was tough for me but I saw a university muddle and get through that.........too many other examples to list , but the Illini are my choice as my favorite team and i just can;t see how anyone can lower themselves to the level of hate for the team they supposedly root for......
it's another head scratching thing in life that i can't understand , but to each their own..............This place used to be a lot of fun to come and share ideas with other die hard Illini fans.........the snarkyness of our present day society has leaked into even this sanctuary of fandom and I think everyone should look in the mirror and ask themselves "" did I embarrass myself in any of my posts today........it's called a conscience (sp) and being responsible in your actions......
hey , I'm just another poster spending time here cause I want to........but the want to gets harder every day reading some of the nonsense being shoveled around these threads now.......
Everything is fine ................goodnight.............................
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
Well, Dra is quite the scorer! Amani ain’t too bad for a big.
I am very disappointed and frustrated in the loss, but by next week I'll be up for game again. I hope we win, but if we don't.... I have a lot of good memories from this season to go along with the bad. Love Illini sports, but you can't every game and some seasons are better than others.
DICKnaggie
- Champaign
It's been a disappointing season for the most part from whatever metric you want to use, but I have enjoyed it. Appreciative of all the players who came in and retooled a team with so many departures. So hard to get things to gel with all that turnover, thus the individual talent vs team output. We just really never have had a leader and that comes down to PG and veterans. Thinking Skyy was going to manage that was insane in my opinion.
Really weird that the staff was o.k. with it...and then he left. I'm hopeful that the staff gets TSJ back and brings in an older PG and at least one sharp shooter who will free TSJ and CH (he has grown so much this season!) to do their things if they stay!
Really weird that the staff was o.k. with it...and then he left. I'm hopeful that the staff gets TSJ back and brings in an older PG and at least one sharp shooter who will free TSJ and CH (he has grown so much this season!) to do their things if they stay!
Add hawkins
I don't see Matt Mayer's name in any of this?
Isn't Moretti somewhere built into this?
yes him as well
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
Is that all? Luther will write the check!
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