They knew the 3 was open, so there wasnt a lot of urgency or quickness moving the ball on offense. They adjusted, just not until late in 2nd half.
Tennessee 86, Illinois 79 Postgame
Same, we really shoulda made a deeper run. I hope that 2nd round loss haunts daddy Brad, we had the talent to be an elite 8/F4 teamm
Coleman needed to see a couple go in. IMO we didnt shoot desperation 3's, Tenn was giving up the line, so we knew we had that shot at any given time. We were too hesitant to get inside.
Ty actually handles the ball better but wonder why they never use Harmon. Thought he could handle the ball.
Harmon is kind of loose with the ball but still can be effective off the dribble. Maybe not the guy you want running point though.
Agreed
Teams with quick guards who can shoot are going to present a problem
Our lack of consistent 3 point shooting is a concern
The fact that we play in a conference where if you do not play intense defense every night you lose is a plus come tournament time.
35% from the floor and 25% from behind the arc just seemed to take the wind out of our sails against TN.
There is an article on SB Nation that basically says Shannon didn't show up in prime time. I take exception to that. Tennessee's game plan was to mug him, grab him, hold him to keep him from getting his shot up. They did that to a certain extent. He still scored 22 points which is 1 more than the Vols superstar Knecth who had 21 mostly open shots. Shannon didn't have his usual game but to say he didn't shine in primetime is a joke. He got to the foul line 11 times and made all 11 shots. He was fouled and mauled several other times but the refs swallowed the whistle. No doubt TJS is one of the top players in the country that isn't connected to Duke, NC or Kansas.
and his teammates
10 years ago I would agree with you, but now a big part is who wants to continue into the tournament. I thought Alabama was the best team but then they start to see what is after teh NCAA (NBA$$$) and the tourney isn't the focal point. I think Purdue had a similiar issues two years ago when they had Ivey and that talent.
Also the tourney is about 4+ months away, Ty is getting better. So far only one team has been able to expose us at the PG, it wasn't Kansas, FAU, Marquette. We have plenty of 3 point shooters that Ty doesn't have to be one of them. Possibly Moretti could have filled in some of the gaps yesterday. So yes we don't have a true PG in the mode of Derrick Rose who is athletic, big, athletic, can shoot, defend and score. But we have a collection of players from guard to center who can typically bring the ball up.
That being said if we had Ray J, not sure we lose any games so far if there isn't any impact to this team excellent cohesion so far.
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Despite the loss, we're inching closer to being in elite company. On Kenpom, we're now 22 in AdjO and 15 in AdjD. There are usually about 4 to 6 teams per year that end the season in the top 20 in both categories. And one of those teams almost always goes on to win the national championship.
Usually, the national champ is top 5 in either offense or defense. Often they're top 10 in both. So, we have work to do to get to that tier. But my point is, and to steal some words from Brad Underwood, "We're good. We're really good. We're really good."
Usually, the national champ is top 5 in either offense or defense. Often they're top 10 in both. So, we have work to do to get to that tier. But my point is, and to steal some words from Brad Underwood, "We're good. We're really good. We're really good."
Honestly… the only difference on the court was they out toughed us for some rebounds that killed us, especially on that quick run they had at the beginning of the second half. This was an ELITE & connected team on the defensive end that we played. They really filled gaps and prevented Domask from feeling comfortable posting or TJ driving. Only thing I’d change scheme wise was letting Amani get some run. He plays hard and is in the right spot a lot. Think he might have snagged one or two of those defensive boards we couldn’t keep…. It’s very very hard to win when we play 8 on 5. I absolutely hate using that as an excuse but the officiating was pretty awful, happens all the time in Knoxville. The crowd there is viscious, refs want to get home safe. There’s a reason Tennessee has the home record they do and why their losses this year are away from home… we get this team on a neutral or at home I think we win all of them. Proud of this group for not giving up. Even with their tough defense, we got tons of open looks. Tired legs, lots of travel… I love this team. With the way the rest of the league has shown…. Think this group could go into selection Sunday with 25+ wins, which is what I predicted going into the year. Let’s get a top 4 seed, continue to grow, stay together.. and I like our chances against anyone. We’re 2-2 against top 20 teams including Kansas, we haven’t been blown out, we can play and beat anyone. I think Illinois teams in the past could say the same but also say we can lose to anyone… this team is too big, deep and talented to lose to anyone. Think we avoid all the head scratchers this year and really feel good about our group in March. Let’s keep it rolling fellas!!
"The error many make is that the shooting from the arc comes from 5 guys who are 6'6" to 6' 10" which is not the traditional backcour to do with their heights."
I don't care if they're 5'6 or 7'6. You have to have the skills to play the spot.
Ray J, Boswell, etc. But we didn't get them so we have to make the best of what we got.
MDchicago
- Lake Norman NC
Do think that this team has a high ceiling but it could be even higher with one more piece. Without taking anything away from our guys at all, it is still frustrating to see two of the top 7 KenPom teams (Arizona, Baylor) with starting PGs from Champaign and Plainfield.
I say that in the sense of why don't the stars ever align perfectly rather than a criticism of our staff who identified and offered them and gave it their best shot...
Plus I think we had some fatigue. Massive road trip at Rutgers at MSG then head down to Knoxville. Not to mention all tough opponents and/or venues. I like that we hung tough. Not concerned with that loss at all. Let’s get the next four and head to Purdue 11-2 ranked about 11.
Our coach doesn’t adjust in game with any effectiveness. 2020-Loyola is a great example, same play with Krutwig killing us over and over yet no adjustment. This year-Tyler Kolek, taking the ball up the court every time and either driving for a layup or an easy assist-no box in one, no pick him up on the press, nada. This game-Barnes adjusted at halftime-he saw where we were weak and ran plays for those Euro style guards. Us-hero ball over and over with your 5 man bricking 3s. Look at underwood’s tourney history (it’s laughable). This is not to the coach who’s going to take us to the promised land. He brought us back but it’s going to be someone else to bring us to the next level. We need to wake up to this reality as a fan base. It’s good to be a homer but not to the point of ignorance-that hurts the team.
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GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
Ah. This old trope again. So he didn't adjust second half against Rutgers? Or against FAU? How about a couple years ago against Northwestern when we were getting crushed and then we ran them out of the building in the second half? What about all the second half/late game comebacks last year? Were those not adjustments? There are many more examples. Or does it only work when it suits your tired narrative?
What coach at Illinois has done what you say?
This is spot on. Nobody can score thirty in a college game if the opponents' defense wants to shut you down. In the case of Shannon, the obvious tact is to overplay the help to keep him from driving and make him shoot deep threes. Wbe he does not hit threes, he can be held to >15 and has to make FTs to get that. But on any night, this team has 6 players that can score, and hit for 20+. They all need to be confident and ready
The thought that a player does not show up and struggles to score is often categorically wrong....as is any observation that Shannon did not do his job last night. He had to work his tail off to score 22 we should be grateful he did....on both ends.
I expect that as Q and MD get comfortable they will become more consistent scorers. They are both skilled and conscious team players who are trying to score to help their team win and not to "get theirs".
The biggest must is that DD needs to get more minutes, score when he is in without turnovers and missed defensive plays, and be the player he dreams he can be. We all....and I mean ALL....want and pray for that to happen.
As for Ty, unfortunately, in his PG role he is seldom in position to use his offensive strengths to score, but I would like to see him try to drive to the rim and score 2 - 5 times a game. He also gets kudos for the hard work he has done from the line paying off.
The bottom line is that if this team is to get better, they can. The improvement needs to come in confidence, working on weaknesses, and getting better at team defense. I see it happening. Go Illini!!!!
Good morning Mr. Phil Jackson/Pat Riley. So good to know you have all the answers.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
I knew this was this guy's first post before I clicked on his name.