Pregame: Illinois vs Northwestern, Tuesday, January 2nd, 8:00pm CT, BTN

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#26      
jimbo72
illiram said:
I got jumped on for saying we are still a final 4 caliber team, but I truly feel this way. A few years back we were one-dimensional with Ayo, and Loyola took us down since everyone was looking for Ayo to do something. If we can have that many players stepping up in double figures, we are going to be hard to beat. Would we rather do this with TSJ? Of course. But this gives Harmon, DGL, Dainja, etc a chance to shine. Instead of looking to TSJ, everyone will be looking for their shot. To me that makes us a dangerous team.

Illinois 87
Kitties 68
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Agree đź’Ż,. Luke looked a little banged up and shot poorly. Domask has been shooting poorly since Tennessee. Need both of them to start making shots and we are still cooking with gasoline! Pretty awesome team ball.
 
#27      
kyillinifan
I see NW trying to establish Nicholson down low. Rodgers will guard Booie. But they can’t let Barnhiezer go off. They haven’t seen a def like ours. Maybe Pu.
 
#29      
727ill
kyillinifan said:
I see NW trying to establish Nicholson down low. Rodgers will guard Booie. But they can’t let Barnhiezer go off. They haven’t seen a def like ours. Maybe Pu.
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Their Princeton transfer Langborg is the X-factor..have to shut him off. He can really get buckets and is going to take a lot of tough ones.
 
#31      
DeonThomas
Three of the next four games at home. A great opportunity to get off to a really, really strong conference start.

Unpopular take:
Unfortunately, I have a bad vibe. I feel like we're going to go ice cold from the field. TSJ, like both Ayo and Feliz before him, always had a way to get to the hoop for a layup, a 5 footer, or to the foul line for easy points. It's the equivalent of having an Ace on your MLB pitching staff to halt long droughts.

I don't yet see that ability with this shortened roster. Plus, we may just be looking ahead to Purdue.

69 NW
63 Illini
 
#32      
doowink
DeonThomas said:
Three of the next four games at home. A great opportunity to get off to a really, really strong conference start.

Unpopular take:
Unfortunately, I have a bad vibe. I feel like we're going to go ice cold from the field. TSJ, like both Ayo and Feliz before him, always had a way to get to the hoop for a layup, a 5 footer, or to the foul line for easy points. It's the equivalent of having an Ace on your MLB pitching staff to halt long droughts.

I don't yet see that ability with this shortened roster. Plus, we may just be looking ahead to Purdue.

69 NW
63 Illini
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Hope your Unpopular take is wrong....
Season 8 Hope GIF by THE NEXT STEP

Ill 74 NW 60
 
#33      
Illini in Italy
DeonThomas said:
Three of the next four games at home. A great opportunity to get off to a really, really strong conference start.

Unpopular take:
Unfortunately, I have a bad vibe. I feel like we're going to go ice cold from the field. TSJ, like both Ayo and Feliz before him, always had a way to get to the hoop for a layup, a 5 footer, or to the foul line for easy points. It's the equivalent of having an Ace on your MLB pitching staff to halt long droughts.

I don't yet see that ability with this shortened roster. Plus, we may just be looking ahead to Purdue.

69 NW
63 Illini
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I'll take the opposite position -

IL 82
NW 67
 
#34      
lstewart53x3
DeonThomas said:
Three of the next four games at home. A great opportunity to get off to a really, really strong conference start.

Unpopular take:
Unfortunately, I have a bad vibe. I feel like we're going to go ice cold from the field. TSJ, like both Ayo and Feliz before him, always had a way to get to the hoop for a layup, a 5 footer, or to the foul line for easy points. It's the equivalent of having an Ace on your MLB pitching staff to halt long droughts.

I don't yet see that ability with this shortened roster. Plus, we may just be looking ahead to Purdue.

69 NW
63 Illini
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Situations like this tend to bring teams closer together. I see:

74 Illini
66 NW
 
#35      
Illinicpa14
kyillinifan said:
I see NW trying to establish Nicholson down low. Rodgers will guard Booie. But they can’t let Barnhiezer go off. They haven’t seen a def like ours. Maybe Pu.
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Nicholson takes 3-4 shots a game and has one game in double figures. Did nothing against the same exact matchups last year in their 2 games.
 
#36      
RockfordIllini
To me biggest key for us in this game will be if we can play the connected, ball movement centered offense we’ve sometimes seen, such as Rutgers, Mizzou or last game or if we try and play the iso, booty ball offense we’ve sometimes seen, such as FAU, Tennessee or Marquette.

If we get stuck in the iso offense, we play right into NW’s hands as they trap the post extremely well.

The Bouie matchup also scares me without TJ but if Ty can stay in front of him I like our chances.

Think we squeak one out 71-67.
 
#38      
Retro62
Honestly, I feel like this is one of those games where we get a 10 point lead and the rest of the game consists of NW occasionally cutting it to four before we stretch is out to ten again. Then we end up winning by four or five because a NW players hits a three at the last second.
 
#40      
AnnaMay
ptgrd23 said:
This will be excellent test for our team. I think our defense and passing is better than last year even without TSJ. My X factor is Dain. NW has nobody who can stop him.
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NW made Dain look awful last year. I expect him to not do much this game and Coleman will be the X Factor pulling Nicholson out away from the basket.
 
#41      
Illini 993
Did anyone else notice the difference between DD and CH in sealing their defenders to get post entry pass? It seemed like DD was very good, and was able to receive it most of the time. CH not so much. That would be an area that CH could really improve this team. On BooB, I wonder if he has played a team that switches as often as the Illini? Who would gain the advantage with that? I am assuming it would be the Illini D, but I'm not great in figuring out advantages/disadvantages in different situations.
 
#44      
Retro62
As frustrated with team as we were last year, imagine if this happened without guys like Harmon, Guerrier, and Domask being added to the team…Underwood saved us from going into a downward spiral with those additions.
 
#45      
hoopsfan47
What this game will come down to in my view is:
1. Who out-hustles the other for the 50-50 balls?
2. Who hits shots?
3. Can the Illini keep turnovers to single digits and that stat to a min. of -2 or better?

Expecting that NW will foul DD and Ty often around the hoop...will they convert FTs or will the opportunity turn into a 2 miss blunder/turnover? Ty has really improved his FT tech...i.e. keeping his eyes in a tight, vertical cylinder while getting much more consistent in his length and speed of lift along with consistent arc. The result is a pretty consistent delivery....and I really, really like it (a tip of the hat to Pru). DD is still very inconsistent with those fundamentals but seems to be working on it hard. At least he is not moving his head back 8 in. during his lift and release which will always produce a flat arc.

This game is extremely important for many reasons and I do not expect our guys to come out and wander around for 15 min. BU has his "old" team and they know better....but who knows if the gnomes will be guarding the rim on a cold night in Jan....we have seen it 1000 times or more so keep your fingers crossed! Love these guys...they deserve a win and I am looking for a big Illini crowd to push them to victory...Illinois...var-si-ty. The rest of the team, all good shooters, has seemed to become more consistent at the line...likely as a result of tons of practice leading to confidence.

Of course, this is Illinois basketball, and the basketball gods are generally opposed to Illini success (and don't call me paranoid...it is a proven fact the world is in a conspiracy against all Illini teams...pure fact.) It is up to us, Illini nation, to beat those surly, unbelieving hoops gods into submission!!! Go Illini!!! ;)
 
#47      
john1952
DeonThomas said:
Three of the next four games at home. A great opportunity to get off to a really, really strong conference start.

Unpopular take:
Unfortunately, I have a bad vibe. I feel like we're going to go ice cold from the field. TSJ, like both Ayo and Feliz before him, always had a way to get to the hoop for a layup, a 5 footer, or to the foul line for easy points. It's the equivalent of having an Ace on your MLB pitching staff to halt long droughts.

I don't yet see that ability with this shortened roster. Plus, we may just be looking ahead to Purdue.

69 NW
63 Illini
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To compesate for the loss of Shannon I think we need to have another great rebounding game and a good 3 point shooting game.
It we do well in these areas again I think we come out on top.
Agree, without Shannon I do not think we will see many transition points against Big 10 defenses.
 
#49      
hoopsfan47
Case in point relative to shooting. Stanford has Arizona down by 19 pts with 14 min. left by shooting 68% from the arc. That's right....5-6 Stanford!!! It happens every week of every season. That is why the games get played.
 
#50      
BRucks
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