Week of 2/12 Games Thread

[LvilleILL]

Yeah I mean that's lovely, but it's a completely fresh sheet of paper and Purdue can add transfers too, following on from the previous comment.

But anyway I'm personally torn. It's obviously the right thing competitively for Illinois to load up on vets in the portal again and I'm sure we will and I'm confident we'll do well. But like, this is terrible for college basketball and the rotating cast of mercenaries is making me care less? It also really seems like we can't go on like this forever?

Just win BU and ignore everything else, but this sucks for the sport of college basketball.

I think we return a lot of talent as well to be honest. Ty, Luke, Amani, and DGL all I am confident in going forward. Sencire by everything that I have heard could be playing a significant role right now, so I am very confident he will be good if he ends up staying. Adding a lot of talent in both Morez and Jase as well. Some of these guys may take some time getting used to new roles, but they are talented

Lot to play out, but I don't think it's a 100% set in stone that Coleman or Marcus are gone as well

I have said I think we add 4 transfers, and I think 2 of those will probably be multi year guys and 2 will be 5th years. Lot to play out

I do think we will be very good next year again. As good? That depends. The year after, Ty's senior year, is the year I would circle as a fan. Jeremiah is just the tip of the iceberg in that class. I think we land a couple more of top 50 prospects in that class. Has a chance to be Underwood's best class

 

[ChiefGritty]

I think we return a lot of talent as well to be honest.

Besides your avatar who I am thrilled to see with another summer of development, we return no one who BU appears comfortable playing in crunch time.

I have said I think we add 4 transfers, and I think 2 of those will probably be multi year guys and 2 will be 5th years. Lot to play out

That would be encouraging, though I recall there being some of that chatter last year too, and multi year guys are in higher demand both in terms of programs interested and prices paid. If push comes to shove and you're maximizing for improving the 2024-25 roster, you're going to end up with one and dones as we did this year.

Again, I trust BU to win and I trust BU to maximize the rules and incentives on offer in the sport as they exist.

But those rules and incentives are killing said sport.

 

[fatboyslim]

Besides your avatar who I am thrilled to see with another summer of development, we return no one who BU appears comfortable playing in crunch time.

Why does this matter right now? Trusting a player right now over next year are two completely different things. Players grow and develop with experience. Also Goode and Harmon have played plenty of crunch time minutes. Can we worry about the rest of this year first before talking about next year.

 

[LvilleILL]

Besides your avatar who I am thrilled to see with another summer of development, we return no one who BU appears comfortable playing in crunch time.

2 of them are freshman. They both are very talented players and I expect them to take a big step forward

 

[CentralILLini]

I have 100% confidence in the staff to bring in some high level dawgs. Going to have a lot of momentum going into next year imo.

 

[rtbritt]

Does anyone know a site that has shot charts for free? I’m curious what Edey’s looks like. I acknowledge his impact to the game due to size, but it seems like he’s useless on offense unless he catches the ball within 7’ of the basket. He doesn’t move without the ball aside from the basic pick and roll action.

These are his Player of the Week Highlights, and it’s simply being big and being next to the basket in every single one.

He seems to often post just inside the FT line, and is pretty unstoppable even when he gets it there. He is so big and with a pivot, he gets pretty close to the basket.

 

[rtbritt]

If Edey leaves this year, I think we will see some separation in the coming years..... that is my expectation.....

I thought he had a chance to come back next year, but then heard no one else talking about it, so I assumed I was wrong. Can he come back next year???

 

[skyIdub]

Zero chance I let our resident contrarian diminish the second or third most exciting time in my 40 year Illinois basketball fandom.

I've watched a lot of CBB since the portal......it's as exciting as ever. Easily more parity than ever.

If it brings seasoned players like TSJ, Domask and Harmon every year? F@#k yes.

F@#k. Yes.

Because it kills the Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and UNC McDAA 5 star model that we all hated even more. Forever.

And CBB is better for it.

 

[ChiefGritty]

Why does this matter right now? Trusting a player right now over next year are two completely different things. Players grow and develop with experience. Also Goode and Harmon have played plenty of crunch time minutes. Can we worry about the rest of this year first before talking about next year.

Harmon is out of eligibility, but sure, just carrying on the conversation because someone mentioned Edey being done (though like Hawkins he can return if he wants to. I expect both of them to eagerly jump into this weak draft class).

Easily more parity than ever.

Because it kills the Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and UNC McDAA 5 star model that we all hated even more.

You aren't wrong, but there's gotta be a happy medium somewhere.

 

[zentrails]

Why does this matter right now? Trusting a player right now over next year are two completely different things. Players grow and develop with experience. Also Goode and Harmon have played plenty of crunch time minutes. Can we worry about the rest of this year first before talking about next year.

Yep anyone else remember Rich McBride's last year? He had bad feet his whole career here, but despite that became very good on D anyway, just by experience and effort. His last year, he still couldn't move very well, but he learned to anticipate and where to go so well he made up for the lack of foot speed.

 

[fatboyslim]

Harmon is out of eligibility, but sure, just carrying on the conversation because someone mentioned Edey being done (though like Hawkins he can return if he wants to. I expect both of them to eagerly jump into this weak draft class).

Regardless of who has eligibility my point still stands, worry about next year, next year. You are a panic about next year when we aren't even close to that. I can't stand when people do this when we haven't finished this year. No one has any idea what is going to happen next year.

 

[AZILL]

I've got some good news of who we're getting next year, but that's gonna have to wait

I have 0 knowledge of whom this may be. BUT, I've the utmost confidence that this staff will be on top of things. And that is where my positivity is coming from. This staff has me convinced that they know what they are doing, and how to do it.

 

[Oldskoolkoach]

I think we return a lot of talent as well to be honest. Ty, Luke, Amani, and DGL all I am confident in going forward. Sencire by everything that I have heard could be playing a significant role right now, so I am very confident he will be good if he ends up staying. Adding a lot of talent in both Morez and Jase as well. Some of these guys may take some time getting used to new roles, but they are talented

Lot to play out, but I don't think it's a 100% set in stone that Coleman or Marcus are gone as well

I have said I think we add 4 transfers, and I think 2 of those will probably be multi year guys and 2 will be 5th years. Lot to play out

I do think we will be very good next year again. As good? That depends. The year after, Ty's senior year, is the year I would circle as a fan. Jeremiah is just the tip of the iceberg in that class. I think we land a couple more of top 50 prospects in that class. Has a chance to be Underwood's best class

1st time I recall the possibility of Sencire leaving. Perhaps we should have made him play this year

 

[alaskaillini]

Again, I trust BU to win and I trust BU to maximize the rules and incentives on offer in the sport as they exist.

But those rules and incentives are killing said sport.

Not so sure I completely agree. Even with the portal, hiring one year mercenaries is not necessarily going to be the way to a winning program. As we saw last year, chemistry is important and getting the best guys in the portal guarantees nothing. I think what this year shows in that you need to develop your stars/leaders in-house, and then find complementary pieces in the portal as needed. If TSJ had not been here last year, I don't think we are remotely as good as we have been.
In the future, I think Ty and Sincere will be leaders but complementary pieces. Like Amani and DGL from a talent standpoint, but haven't seen enough to know how they will fit. Morez and Jeremiah could be stars, but odds are it will not be immediate. We have at least a short term need for a couple of established high level players next year or two.
While it isn't a rule, this makes the NCAA more like it used to be when freshmen weren't allowed to play. Their focus should be on where they can get the best development or, alternatively, where they can get the most tick to be noticed by bigger programs (which used to be junior college). This puts a lot of pressure on young players (and their advisors) to make a good choice for them based upon their goals and needs/circumstances. Are they in it for the education, the NIL, or the development into an NBA/professional player. Seems to me that the calculation is going to be different for every player and an very inexact science. It will take years for this entire process to become well-understood by the participants.
From an Illinois fans perspective, BU did well this year after a relative disaster last year. And ultimately, I think we still get to root for program guys like Hawkins - and maybe Ty, Sincere, etc. going forward. Since he came back for a second year, I think TSJ deserves some fan appreciation for his loyalty as well.
My major concern was that the haves would overwhelm the have nots, creating a situation where mid-major programs couldn't compete with the better P5 programs in the regular season or the NCAA tournament. But if anything, last season showed that this is not a major concern for the tourney, and the problems ranked teams are having beating teams on the road, it seems that you could make the argument that it has leveled the playing court somewhat.
Maybe things will change in the future as programs learn to manipulate the system, but I don't think NIL is killing college basketball at the present time. It seems to be making it more interesting.

 

[illini0440]

1st time I recall the possibility of Sencire leaving. Perhaps we should have made him play this year

Don’t think Buck is leaving. And you can’t just force a kid to play who wants to redshirt.

 

[JSpence]

You aren't wrong, but there's gotta be a happy medium somewhere.

Are we far off from that right now? We're in an era with a single unwaivered transfer and no "salary cap". Future moves are very likely to result in more player freedom, which is a benefit to those journeymen at the net expense of everyone else.

This could be the happiest we'll be with things.

 

[illinifan1987]

I've got some good news of who we're getting next year, but that's gonna have to wait

 

[DeonThomas]

I think we return a lot of talent as well to be honest. Ty, Luke, Amani, and DGL all I am confident in going forward. Sencire by everything that I have heard could be playing a significant role right now, so I am very confident he will be good if he ends up staying. Adding a lot of talent in both Morez and Jase as well. Some of these guys may take some time getting used to new roles, but they are talented

Lot to play out, but I don't think it's a 100% set in stone that Coleman or Marcus are gone as well

I have said I think we add 4 transfers, and I think 2 of those will probably be multi year guys and 2 will be 5th years. Lot to play out

I do think we will be very good next year again. As good? That depends. The year after, Ty's senior year, is the year I would circle as a fan. Jeremiah is just the tip of the iceberg in that class. I think we land a couple more of top 50 prospects in that class. Has a chance to be Underwood's best class

While Coleman still has a year of eligibility, I strongly believe he's "shot his way" into the first two rounds of the NBA draft later this year. His improved shot from long distance is geometrically better than last season! Kudos to him for the all hard work he put in during the off-season!!!

 

[phats22]

He seems to often camp just inside the FT line, and is pretty unstoppable even when he gets it there. He is so big and with a pivot, he gets pretty close to the basket.

Fify

 

[WhiteHorseWings]

So FAU loses again and falls out of the rankings. What is our best win this year?

Purdue and @Wisconsin

 

[LvilleILL]

While Coleman still has a year of eligibility, I strongly believe he's "shot his way" into the first two rounds of the NBA draft later this year. His improved shot from long distance is geometrically better than last season! Kudos to him for the all hard work he put in during the off-season!!!

I would agree with you as well. Still could see there being a world where he comes back though. In the end, the best bet is him going to the nba this year

 

[aaeismacgychel]

Yeah I mean that's lovely, but it's a completely fresh sheet of paper and Purdue can add transfers too, following on from the previous comment.

But anyway I'm personally torn. It's obviously the right thing competitively for Illinois to load up on vets in the portal again and I'm sure we will and I'm confident we'll do well. But like, this is terrible for college basketball and the rotating cast of mercenaries is making me care less? It also really seems like we can't go on like this forever?

Just win BU and ignore everything else, but this sucks for the sport of college basketball.

I can't say I like what the portal era has done for college basketball either even if I do think it has benefitted us more than almost all teams out there, and I too have questions on the sustainability of relying on it. That said, I actually am extremely optimistic about our for sure core next year. While I am more than a bit worried about the severity of Amani's back injury, if we consider him to be healthy next year, the trio of Ty, Amani, and Morez, while young seems incredibly incredibly strong and talented. I think every team in the B10 would kill to have a starting lineup featuring those players. The question is going to be guards. Jase may turn out great, but he's sight unseen at this time. DGL, I really don't know- he needs 15lbs of muscle and a midrange J in my opinion to be effective and we'll see if he can get there. Sincere, I love with all my heart, but I'm far from 100% on him staying if we do what I think we do this offseason. So, as of now, I think it will all come down to the portal. If we were to get a high end shooting PG and an elite slashing wing, I think that team could be very very good. I also think the team in 2 years could very well be a legit national championship contender. The way Ty is progressing, I really wouldn't bet against him taking the Evan Turner leap. I think we have a lot going for us with a very strong foundation going forward despite all the players we're losing after this season, but how we portal will affect how far we take a step back next season. If we portal very well though, I think there is an argument that step back could be fairly minimal.

That said, I'll still dream of the Sencire unicorn, where he comes out like a demon on meth with a scoring touch averaging 10pts and 5stls a game, while holding the opponent's best player to under 5pts every single night, until that dream is taken from me. If Ty and Sencire both learn and get the body control to finish this offseason, I don't know any team that will want to face them.

 

[pruman91]

Zero chance I let our resident contrarian diminish the second or third most exciting time in my 40 year Illinois basketball fandom.

I've watched a lot of CBB since the portal......it's as exciting as ever. Easily more parity than ever.

If it brings seasoned players like TSJ, Domask and Harmon every year? F@#k yes.

F@#k. Yes.

Because it kills the Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and UNC McDAA 5 star model that we all hated even more. Forever.

And CBB is better for it.

F@#k yeah !!!!!

 

[WyattEarp]

I’ve seen that study before, but I don’t buy the conclusion that a smaller ball doesn’t make it easier to shoot. It takes years to build muscle memory for shooters- if you introduce a smaller ball to a portion of players for just a season it’s not surprising shooting % may have dipped while they are getting used to a smaller and lighter ball- but if you give more time it’s absolutely an advantage - it’s the same size hoop so you have more margin for error need less effort to shoot, etc

I agree with you that the adjustment time to the ball …in just the single season is a variable that seems to not be accounted for…(so not perfect science) It would be interesting to see this variable better controlled over a longer timeframe.

Yes. the extra space in the rim for the smaller ball is a reality…and potentially helpful. And, yes the lighter
ball is clearly an asset shooting from long range. You can hoist up more shots-quicker…I mean it’s lighter…it stands to reason. You can also handle it easier…and get into triple threat quicker. But this study seems to NOT really be negating any of that. It even seems to corroborate much of that.

It seems to be saying at a certain point, it levels out…and the benefits of having the lighter ball don’t really offer a significant change in say…a typical 2 pt shot or free throw. I can believe that part…
I hate splitting hairs and making it about semantics. But, I don’t think they’re saying it isn’t physically “easier” to shoot. They’re saying the “accuracy” isn’t affected much.
Certainly not like you would think, at least.

Does a slightly lighter baseball bat enable you to be more accurate at making contact? Maybe/Maybe not… Well it’s certainly easier to get around. But is that enough to overwhelmingly make a difference in your batting average?I am not so sure.

How about a large bowling ball vs a smaller bowling ball? Maybe somewhat. Maybe not...I dunno…
A lot more there to consider there I think.

 

[Saturdaze]

He seems to often post just inside the FT line, and is pretty unstoppable even when he gets it there. He is so big and with a pivot, he gets pretty close to the basket.

I agree, he’s unstoppable when he gets the ball deep. I haven’t watched every Purdue game by any means but it seems he does two things consistently on offense.

1. Post up on the low block right at the second dash or whatever it’s called for the FT rebounders which is right at 7’ if I remember correctly. If there‘s help D he’ll look to pass it out to a shooter. Sometimes he’ll fake the pass to delay or discourage the help. If he doesn’t pass he is at most one dribble then baby hook, or dunk.

2. Basic pick and roll but it seems like he looks more to crashing the glass then getting the pass. When he crashes the glass off the pick and roll he commits an offensive foul almost every time clearing space.

He doesn’t seem to do anything else, really. He has no mid range game. He doesn’t move without the ball.