Illini Women's Basketball

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#3      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
Glad that she doesn't feel "done" yet. This 2022-23 team brought some real joy to watching basketball.
Ya know , after watching this NCAA tourney and the regular season and watching the women's season , I think I enjoyed the purity of the women and the beauty of seeing plays mademoiselle than the hacking gull bore contact that the men's game has been reduced to.
....

I'm hooked on WBB now and will gladly fork over the coin for BTN + next season

Some serious auto incorrect in my original post from my.mobile

Ugh another geico " yard sale" commercial
 
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#4      
The picture in the article in Dan’s post shows how vertically challenged Bostic is compared to the other players. Unless she is intentionally stooping over she can’t be more than 6’0” tall, which makes her accomplishments this year all the more amazing.
 
#6      

chiefini

Rockford, Illinois
This is very interesting. An emphasis on energy and gestures for encouragement made for an Illini women’s team that was cohesive, fought consistently hard, cared for each other, and had fun, leading to a truly special and successful season. Now if the men’s team had placed an emphasis on energy and gestures of encouragement, could it have made a difference???
 
#7      

Goillinikobd

Southeastern US
After our loss, was wondering if MS Univ was underseeded. Today, they are hanging in there with ND, a 3 seed
 
#8      
The picture in the article in Dan’s post shows how vertically challenged Bostic is compared to the other players. Unless she is intentionally stooping over she can’t be more than 6’0” tall, which makes her accomplishments this year all the more amazing.
Look at some of the other girls in the back row. Dewey is listed at 6'2". Lopes and Hill are 6'3". All 3 tower over Bostic I think your 6' is right on the money.
 
#14      
I don't understand the term "the hooks are in."

There are 80 minutes to be divided between two "bigs." 27 minutes per game for each should be enough. A little competition for playing time is a good thing. This year demonstrated having someone available when players are injured is something we need. All in all, Micheaux would be a welcome addition. Of course, having a couple of players who stand 6'4" would also be welcome.
 
#15      
Not sure how you'd want me to say it? The set the hook, they hope they can real her in? The staff is extremely interested. The 6'-6'2"s dont have to play at the 5. They staff is still looking for a Big Big, the Purdue transfer big is just in the "shes alright" level of players they are working on.
If you haven't been around, Bostic has a decent 3. She could be a legit 3 and d like Shoop-Hill, her first year here didn't showcase that, because she was required to create looks instead of getting spot ups.
 
#16      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
Not sure how you'd want me to say it? The set the hook, they hope they can real her in? The staff is extremely interested. The 6'-6'2"s dont have to play at the 5. They staff is still looking for a Big Big, the Purdue transfer big is just in the "shes alright" level of players they are working on.
If you haven't been around, Bostic has a decent 3. She could be a legit 3 and d like Shoop-Hill, her first year here didn't showcase that, because she was required to create looks instead of getting spot ups.
Reel ?........................just tryin to be reel , you know ??
 
#18      
Illinois had 13 players on scholarship this season and 15 are available. The only thing we know of now is that Lopes is leaving and have two recruits coming in.

Leaves 1 scholarship to add a post player for now....

Think anyone transfers out?
 
#19      
I don't see either Ndour or Taponen working their way into the playing rotation next year, particularly if Green is able to bring viable options to the roster. If they couldn't get playing time last year given our size issues, they certainly won't be able to get it in the future. With two top notch guards coming in I don't see Rhodes getting much playing time next year. I don't know if Green is the kind of coach who encourages players at the bottom of the roster to seek opportunities elsewhere. I also don't know if Ndour can transfer without a special waiver. All in all, I would not be surprised if a number of these four were not on the roster next year.

Dewey seemed to make good progress towards the end of the year and could reasonably expect playing time in the future.

Camille Jackson is a big question mark. I don't know if she was hampered by injuries or was not able to make the transition to the college game. I was surprised she played in the tournament game against Rutgers, as I had sort of assumed she was taking a redshirt year because of her early season injury.

Jada Peebles has played four years but has a covid year available. Peebles started her junior year but lost starter status this year. She plays the same position as our two incoming freshmen and may lose playing time to them. I wouldn't be shocked if she decided to graduate and/or move on. I would not be surprised if she returns. She seems to be an excellent teammate.

In sum, it would not shock me to see as many as six otherwise eligible players leave the program in one way or another.
 
#20      

Champaign Toast

Fan since Kiwane Garris
I don't see either Ndour or Taponen working their way into the playing rotation next year, particularly if Green is able to bring viable options to the roster. If they couldn't get playing time last year given our size issues, they certainly won't be able to get it in the future. With two top notch guards coming in I don't see Rhodes getting much playing time next year. I don't know if Green is the kind of coach who encourages players at the bottom of the roster to seek opportunities elsewhere. I also don't know if Ndour can transfer without a special waiver. All in all, I would not be surprised if a number of these four were not on the roster next year.

Dewey seemed to make good progress towards the end of the year and could reasonably expect playing time in the future.

Camille Jackson is a big question mark. I don't know if she was hampered by injuries or was not able to make the transition to the college game. I was surprised she played in the tournament game against Rutgers, as I had sort of assumed she was taking a redshirt year because of her early season injury.

Jada Peebles has played four years but has a covid year available. Peebles started her junior year but lost starter status this year. She plays the same position as our two incoming freshmen and may lose playing time to them. I wouldn't be shocked if she decided to graduate and/or move on. I would not be surprised if she returns. She seems to be an excellent teammate.

In sum, it would not shock me to see as many as six otherwise eligible players leave the program in one way or another.

Peebles expressed prior to the end of the season her intent to return next year. Could that change? I guess.

I try to be optimistic about players improving over the offseason. If they will, we can't count out today any of those players who played scant minutes this year, finding more next and will contributing. I'm thinking of Rhodes, for example. Maybe she will be a stout competitor to Jackson, Oden, and the first-years Dolan and Allen. Ndour... Taponen... I really don't know what to expect from either. Their height is what it is. Can they play high D1 ball?

I, too, was impressed by Dewey in those appearances late in the season. I thought she showed good instincts and skills. She looked competent hitting a three. Perhaps limited speed, quickness, jumping, and physicality lessened her impact in rebounding and interior scoring? I wonder what offseason workouts could do in those areas.

I'm full of anticipation, waiting to see if we land an impact transfer big. Minnesota's Rose Michaux was a stud against us. Other names I see in the portal today include:
6'5" Lauren Ware (Arizona) - coming off year missed to injury, but solid reputation on the court.
6'3" Meg Newman (Arizona State) - footage I've seen shows a player with great athleticism who doesn't get the most out of her talents, not making the best situational decisions or playing a bit too fast. Raw potential is evident, though. Indiana native.
6'4" Ila Lane (UCSB) - led Big West Conference in field goal %, rebounding, and double-doubles.
6'3" Tadassa Brown (Clemson) - may have redshirted? High school footage shows an athletic, physical big who scores at 3 levels. May just need opportunity? Michigan native.
6'2" Ajulu Thatha (Southern Illinois Edwardsville) - averaged 14/9.
6'4" Amauri Williams (Vanderbilt) - top recruit dismissed from team in December
6'5" Sakima Walker (Northwest Florida State JUCO) - averaged 20/8 for the juco team this past season, but game footage didn't impress me.
 
#21      
Article that came out in the last day....quotes below are what Coach Green and Bostic said in part of it. Good stuff!





“Now I have a crystal clear vision of what we need to get better at, and believe me, we’re going to work on it every single day, some of the things that have been — you know, the things that are glaring, and we’re going to attack those, and we’re going to be better for it,” Green said. “It helps me because I know now. I know what each of these guys needs to improve on. I know what we need to improve on collectively. And that knowledge is power, and we’re going to attack those relentlessly in the offseason.”


“It will be great because this summer we won’t have to spend all of our practices just working on the basic fundamentals of basketball,” Bostic said. “We can really kind of pick and choose what we work on, like kind of critique some of our games and stuff. I think just kind of being here and being able to do this is great.”
 
#25      
Could make sense. She will be a junior next year and was behind four other guards this year. All of those guards will likely be back next year and three the following year. With two new freshmen guards coming in there won't be a lot of playing time for her. With a 15 player roster there will likely be attrition each year. It doesn't help that the entire coaching staff that recruited her is now gone.
 
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