A couple of our guys just can’t guard at this level.
Rutgers 82, Illinois 73 Postgame
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Reminds me of a certain scene from Spaceballs lol.
If you want to pick at the offense, I can buy to laying into the coach.
That said, we are losing games because of turnovers, mindless plays, guys ball watching, effort.....
When is the last time that you've seen a Brad Underwood team play defense like that? These players, though talented, have no bite to them. They don't have one guy who holds the others accountable. Not one.
This isn't 8th grade, where the coach has to hold their hands. When you see a team that plays well at home and falters on the road.....100 time of of 100 times it's a leadership issue.
This group is soft. It is. He coaches his teams to be nasty, tough, punch you in the mouth, refuse to lose, etc.....and this team, outside of DGL, hasn't adopted his personality. You can be super talented, but if you don't make winning plays and you don't leave skin on the floor..... doesn't matter.
I have been thinking about this too, for the last couple of months. College head coaches have for generations been GMs of their programs, with no real in-season oversight.
Is that a realistic model for a professional basketball operation in 2025 and going forward?
Is that a realistic model for a professional basketball operation in 2025 and going forward?
Go watch the John grove era and then come back and tell me you still want to fire Brad. Get a !!!!ing clue.
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
I totally see this as well. However, when you cobble together a team like this, young, foreign, transfers.....you have to install the culture of Trent, Ayo, DMFW...etc.
That is 100% on this coaching staff.
As has been said by those close to the program, and pretty easily observed for long stretches of games, we have an X's and O's problem. When the coach says "go shoot a 3 within 7 seconds" and your shooters are hot, you get Oregon, PSU...and the coach looks like a genius.
When the shooters go Antarctic.....there has to be a system that provides offensive flow, and defensive cohesion. We don't have that for 10 to 20 minutes per game. We have been held together to some extent by the best freshman rebounder we've seen in ages, and stretches of fire by Riley, DGL, and Boswell.
In between that we are literally unwatchable.
SuperMetroid
- Evanston
It’s so frustrating watching it happen game after game and we never seem to make any adjustments. That’s all they did the last 6 minutes to bury us tonight. Throw in an incompetent ref crew and it’s a free throw parade
I noticed that too. I hope it means something.
He's not gonna do that; never has, never will like most coaches. And for good reason, because it doesn't work at this level. We simply need players that play hard for 40 minutes; or a coaching staff that can motivate them to do so. It is bottom line an effort issue because we have seen iin stretches that they can play good defense. Why we are not seeing it at this point in the season leads me to believe there is some off court issue that is derailing this season.
Yep, my biggest worry about this team this past offseason. Reverting back to being super young and new with not enough retention from our previous roster for leadership.
Indy Illini Fan we don’t make the tournament you think Josh makes a move? Who would be the candidates for the job? Anyone that you know of interested in it? Also would OA stay?
So.. is Ivisic ankle ok?? I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s out again
Contested 2s? Most of Rutgers' points came from Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper in the first half. Those two combined for 28 of Rutgers's 37 first-half points. They are not your average college players. Both are lottery picks come June. Tip your cap to them and move on.
I'd advise watching the Lou Henson era. Not a loser like Groce.
If I was a player and walked out to warm up and the coach had leggings on ... I would never take him seriously again ... But that's just me ...
This team definitely needs a guy like TY. I know he can't shoot, but as we all know, it's all the other tangibles. Imagine TY, Tomas and Morez on the offensive glass. Defensively, we'd be better, too.
Agreed. What is this "get young and have higher ceiling narrative"? Like, what are we even talking about at this point?
Last year's team was totally capable of winning the whole thing. Have no clue of this "ceiling" narrative, but we were way more capable of a march run and winning overall. Get old and stay old. This team doesn't have winning DNA.
Now.... in all fairness, you won't get another TSJ.
You really wanted Brad to turn down KJ, WR, MJ, and TI just to "get old"?
And you mean more old players like Ben, Tre, and Kylan?
This, will keep us from making any runs this year. No way we make a run if we can't defend, and from what I see, unless we make a change, we cannot defend the pick and roll. We go over the top out by the half court line, its insane idiotic!
A.J. Redd?
KJ is clearly not right. But we're far too tall and far too athletic to ever lose to a team like Rutgers. Far too many wasted possessions and too many lost hustle plays are dangerous territory when you're on the road against a lottery pick. No excuses. Ben is 6'9 - post him. They can't drop when Tomi is in the game. Same with Will.
illiniswish09
- Northwest Suburbs
JFC manIf I was a player and walked out to warm up and the coach had leggings on ... I would never take him seriously again ... But that's just me ...
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