foby
- Bonnaroo Land
Hear me out... Just beat Arkansas and Kansas and the road to the national championship gets a LOT easier.
Hear me out... Just beat Arkansas and Kansas and the road to the national championship gets a LOT easier.
Wow, I just looked at this again, and we have not scored over 80 points in the NCAA Tournament since the Arizona comeback (90-89 win in OT). We have not even broken 60 points in 6 of our last 7 NCAA games, with the only exception being our 2021 First Round matchup with Drexel as a #1 seed...Loyola-Chicago had something to do with that...*sigh*
Wow. That is kinda depressing.Wow, I just looked at this again, and we have not scored over 80 points in the NCAA Tournament since the Arizona comeback (90-89 win in OT). We have not even broken 60 points in 6 of our last 7 NCAA games, with the only exception being our 2021 First Round matchup with Drexel as a #1 seed...
Wow. That is kinda depressing.
Upset Arkansas and Kansas and we have easy path to FF. UConn then either UCLA or Gonzaga.
We beat UCLA and Texas who are equivalent to Kansas. This Illini team has high ceiling.
I think there is some truth to this, but if we look at the past two seasons the other teams have scouted us well and completely taken us out of our game offensively.Wow, I just looked at this again, and we have not scored over 80 points in the NCAA Tournament since the Arizona comeback (90-89 win in OT). We have not even broken 60 points in 6 of our last 7 NCAA games, with the only exception being our 2021 First Round matchup with Drexel as a #1 seed...
I know defenses clamp up during the Tournament, but I am not sure it can be denied that we have appeared "tight" in the vast majority of our last several NCAA appearances. Here's to hoping a bit less pressure on this team this year makes that different.
I think there is some truth to this, but if we look at the past two seasons the other teams have scouted us well and completely taken us out of our game offensively.
Also, while losing games always sucks, one's level of pessimism for this team will depend A LOT on what you think of the Big Ten. If you accept the narrative that no one is that good in our league, yeah ... we have just lost to quite a few of them. However, there is a positive spin to be had for our results in the last month or so:
1) 3-point loss at #4 seed Indiana without our best player.
2) Take care of business vs. Minnesota at home (with a fun last second-three so we don't win by more, of course).
3) Beat #7 seed Northwestern at home.
4) Lose a road game at OSU in one of our worst games. However, that same OSU team was CLEARLY getting a lot better, and they would go on to win 5 of their final 7 games, with 4 of those wins being over teams going to the NCAA Tournament. They finally ran out of gas vs. #1 seed Purdue.
5) Defeat a Michigan team at home that had just won three in a row and 6 out of their last 8.
6) Lose at #1 seed Purdue in a very close game in the toughest environment in the conference and one of the toughest in the nation.
7) Lose a close game to a PSU team that had won 8 of its last nine games (!!!), with SIX of those being over NCAA Tournament teams, before finally falling by TWO to #1 seed Purdue.
Again, if you think all of those teams (except maybe Purdue) are just mediocre, fine ... I get the pessimism. But even just taking perspective that PSU is currently primed for an upset run paints a much rosier picture for "where we stand." I was frustrated we couldn't close out PSU, but did we really play badly? I'd argue no. We definitely didn't play badly in the second half of the Purdue game or most of the Michigan game. There is a coherent argument to be made that we have actually been playing decent basketball over the last three games and it might do us some good to get out of the Big Ten.
EDIT:
This worked a lot better as a response to your post than just adding it on to my original one! I agree, and I am hoping this type of team will be different. Loyola was just a disaster, but whereas last year our offense was almost ENTIRELY set up to succeed against our Big Ten foes, you could argue this year it's exactly the opposite. I am really hoping that is the case, anyway.
I don't mind the 3's if they're good shots. Not contested or Steph Curry range 3's. Take open smart shots. Know the time and place when taking those shots. Just play smart, fundamentally sound basketball! Do the little things and leave it all on the floor. Give maximum effort and let the chips fall where they may. I believe they'll end in victory!If we settle for a bunch of 3's which I'm sure Arkansas will be glad to let us take, it will be a long day. Unless we get lucky and they uncharacteristically go in.
This is vomit-inducingWe have not even broken 60 points in 6 of our last 7 NCAA games, with the only exception being our 2021 First Round matchup with Drexel as a #1 seed...
Agreed. We should shoot most of our threes off of drive and kicks for maximum efficiency.I don't mind the 3's if they're good shots. Not contested or Steph Curry range 3's. Take open smart shots. Know the time and place when taking those shots. Just play smart, fundamentally sound basketball! Do the little things and leave it all on the floor. Give maximum effort and let the chips fall where they may. I believe they'll end in victory!
Absolutely. Driving under control of course. I think TSJ could get about 6 or 7 assist this game on those exact types of plays. And Coleman needs to get in that paint more to rebound and get second chance points. Just please don't get any silly unnecessary fouls.Agreed. We should shoot most of our threes off of drive and kicks for maximum efficiency.
Might be for a "session"? 2 or 4 games that day.The link in the thread says 105 each. Is that right? I live in Iowa and would love to go but wow!
Yes in the open court. In the half court, I gotta say I've been closing my eyes when he drives. Probably selective memory, but it seems to me that he's been turning it over on those as much as he's been scoring. I keep hoping for more drives AND DISHES.This game has Terrence Shannon written all over it. Get. Down. Hill.
While I am sure there will be a TON of tickets bought up by Kansas fans (teams that are a #1 seed tend to energize their fans to travel a bit more than #9 seeds...), I think there will be a pretty good Illini showing. Also, should we be fortunate enough to be in a Sweet Sixteen, I expect DROVES of Illini fans in Vegas, tough probably not as dominant as the November tournament.we need a vegas like turnout!!
... we have appeared "tight" in the vast majority of our last several NCAA appearances. Here's to hoping a bit less pressure on this team this year makes that different.
good god, why did you post this? even so, why did i read this?Wow, I just looked at this again, and we have not scored over 80 points in the NCAA Tournament since the Arizona comeback (90-89 win in OT). We have not even broken 60 points in 6 of our last 7 NCAA games, with the only exception being our 2021 First Round matchup with Drexel as a #1 seed...
I know defenses clamp up during the Tournament, but I am not sure it can be denied that we have appeared "tight" in the vast majority of our last several NCAA appearances. Here's to hoping a bit less pressure on this team this year makes that different.