Did you ever see Kofi come out on defense past the free throw line? Jokic shot 38% from 3-point range this year. (35% career). That's just the first issue...
Illini Basketball 2023-2024
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The narrative, at least in my Illini mind, would change significantly if we had a Sweet 16 in either of those two seasons. I’ve been on the second weekend or bust mantra since Ayo and that sadly feels like ages ago. Brad is elite, we know diss.
Love all the other thoughts and outlook in here, Rockford.
Bigtex
- DFW
like i said maybe I missed the extension this year.
Brad Underwood signs contract extension until 2027
CHAMPAIGN (WCIA) — Coming off one of the best Illinois Men’s Basketball seasons in more than a decade, head coach Brad Underwood has been rewarded with an extension until the 2026-27 se…
www.wcia.com
Brad Underwood nets extension, raise
CHAMPAIGN (WCIA) — Illinois basketball coach Brad Underwood isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon, agreeing to a one-year extension and $500,000 per year raise that will keep him the Illin…
www.wcia.com
following 2020, 2021, 2022 but nothing following 2023
like i said maybe I missed the extension this year.
Brad Underwood signs contract extension until 2027
CHAMPAIGN (WCIA) — Coming off one of the best Illinois Men’s Basketball seasons in more than a decade, head coach Brad Underwood has been rewarded with an extension until the 2026-27 se…Brad Underwood nets extension, raise
CHAMPAIGN (WCIA) — Illinois basketball coach Brad Underwood isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon, agreeing to a one-year extension and $500,000 per year raise that will keep him the Illin…
following 2020, 2021, 2022 but nothing following 2023
Why would he get another extension after the season we just had?
I mean probably but he is currently doing that to everyone.
I currently only see two ways to guard Jokic. You find an absurdly strong smaller guy that's way quicker than him and you deny him the ball.
Or you get someone that's just as big and strong as him and bang with him while not helping off shooters. Basically nobody has an centers big enough to do this anymore though. Steven Adams is probably the big that's done the best job on him and I don't think it's a coincidence that's hes big enough and strong enough to matchup 1 on 1.
There are probably better picks than Kofi but he's someone that's big enough and strong enough that came to mind. I'm not saying he's going to stop Jokic from getting his but could be a role to simply bang with him for 10 minutes or so and try to pick up some fouls, wear him down.
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
Men's Bracketology: The fact that UConn even has a chance to three-peat is amazing
The last time anyone saw an NCAA basketball three-peat the heroes were John Wooden, Bill Walton and the UCLA Bruins. Enter the current UConn Huskies.
www.espn.com
When you watch any sport over the years you notice that some players rack up great stats during the season but seem to fade in the post-season. This also seems to be the case with some coaches as well.
I mentioned this last March after the Illini wash-out. De Paul had a great run of teams in the late ‘70s-early ‘80s period. Except for one season when they went deep into the tournament, they had chronic early wash-outs. Coach Meyer was a beloved grandfatherly figure in those days who piled up the regular-season wins but seemed unable to produce in the Dance. Talented teams going home way too early.
There has been an echo of this lately with the Illini. Coach Underwood is a sharper, more energetic coach than Meyer was then. But Brad has not been able to find the secret sauce to lead the Illini to tournament success. Some of that is solely on the players. But any coach would have to have a share as well.
Coach Underwood is a great asset to the Illini program who honors the great Illini tradition and is someone who knows how hungry the fan base is. This is the big challenge ahead of his at this point. It’s not just about winning another Big Ten title. It’s about carrying the program to the tournament success that everyone craves.
It will be interesting to see what the recent Dance showings of the Illini have taught him personally and professionally and what he does to get this program to the next level of tournament success.
This matters greatly to Illini Nation. And it matters to Coach and his personal legacy.
AyoDos11
- Southern Illinois
If we get the PG situation straightened out this team will be pretty darn good. It's time for me to pull out the orange kool-aid from the fridge.
If anyone has Michigan in any sort of postseason tournament, even mentioning them, they need to never have another sports prediction of any kind.Another tourney projection, another 5 seed. And this time, it's by your favorite bracketologist to hate. Oh, and yup, no Michigan to be seen.Men's Bracketology: The fact that UConn even has a chance to three-peat is amazing
The last time anyone saw an NCAA basketball three-peat the heroes were John Wooden, Bill Walton and the UCLA Bruins. Enter the current UConn Huskies.www.espn.com
No doubt about it-there needs to be one taken this year. Especially with all of the talent/experience that we got and is coming back
I beg you, please think of the children.
It would be nice to have a mature, polished point guard who could seamlessly step right in.
Meanwhile we have a well paid head coach and assistants who are skilled at developing and utilizing talent. We also have a top notch support staff.
Unless there are more roster changes, perhaps Fletcher and Johnson can put some good weight on Moretti and / or Gibbs-Lawhorn.
Maybe Williams will be healthy and eligible.
There's the point guard by committee option with various guys bringing the ball up and creating different looks. We also have guys with the size and skills to turn opponents' pressure into our transition opportunities.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
Not so bold prediction: this will be Juwan's last season coaching at scUM. Book it.
Absolutely. Especially considering everyone we’re losing after this year… Shannon, Hawkins, all the new fifth year guys. Gonna be starting over, and that’ll be a lot more painful if we suffer a first round exit…
Firm believer that the 2019-20 team would’ve made a run & ultimately losing out on that experience hurt us the following year. No excuse for the Loyola loss but they were factually severely underseeded based on all advanced metrics, in-state opponent & Ayo had his worst game of his career. Houston in 2022 was a terrible match up as well, another team extremely underseeded, a 5 seed that was a 1 or 2 & they proved it. Arkansas last year was one of the 16 most talented teams in the country…. now, to your point, we have yet to make that next step. Some of it was tough luck & draws but to be on that level that isn’t an excuse. I think this coming season if we don’t get to a second weekend then Brad is on the ultimate hot seat in 2024-25, I think he gets there. Chance on losing Morez would be dumb, he’s a lottery pick.
Using wins and losses as a metric rewards weak schedules. I think that the NCAA seed, and/or a final, metric based, ranking are more appropriate. I'm not sure what metric system to advocate since you can end up quite high on KP by playing hard competition and losing every game by a few points.
We all know that Coach K, Self, and Calapari are all total underachievers because of the talent they have yet don't win the title that much percentage wise. What is it 5 for K, 2 for Self and is it 1 or 2 for Calapari? 
Big Jack
- Decatur
I'm gonna tell your father
Things were already running poorly in the chemistry department.
So, Skyy leaving was too little too late to change much.
It was definitely better, but time was needed.
Big Jack
- Decatur
Say it ain't so.
We all know that Coach K, Self, and Calapari are all total underachievers because of the talent they have yet don't win the title that much percentage wise. What is it 5 for K, 2 for Self and is it 1 or 2 for Calapari?
I understand that you're being facetious, but no one is suggesting that a reasonable bar for expectations is NCAA championships. Making the second weekend has been suggested, and just for comparison those three above have combined for 55 sweet 16's (26, 14 and 15 respectively). Brad making 1 would be nice.
I shudder to think how many on the board would react if Rick Barnes were our coach. Top 5 paid guy with post season washouts the norm.
At least his team made the Sweet 16. *shrug*
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