Rutgers 82, Illinois 73 Postgame

[Orangetool]

Really a bad look for coach to ask "what would you like me to do?" at the presser.
All the talk of fighting, playing hard, fighting, parking lot, fighting, Pizza Hut, fighting , streetball, fighting.

It's become a tiresome one note song to me. It makes him look rather limited.

How much better he would look if he said instead " We will work harder to scheme better when someone is hurt, someone is sick, ice cold, foul trouble etc.

 

[Grandpa]

Some coach will probably decide that analytics say that we need to shoot more 3s.

I heard that Iowa football fans are making fun of our assistants.

I'm excited for the 10 new guys that Brad will run out there next year, plus maybe DGL.

Why do people say that Brad's teams play tough defense? Reputation? It's nothing I've seen the last 2 years.

What happened to get old and stay old?

Sarcasm generally is based on truth, just exaggerated somewhat.

 

[LvilleILL1]

Team is in a huge funk, no way around it. If they can turn it around will all depend on Kasparas now. Next four games will define the season for me, have to go 3-1 or 4-0 to restore hope with the fanbase. Like I said earlier, one eye towards building it for next year as well

 

[BalloonsTheElephant]

Brad and Tyler every time we pass it to Morez or Tomi for an easy basket after starting 1/10 from 3 again

 

[racinghoss]

Totally agree ... Harmon and Quincy played great roles as well ...

We were OLD and guys knew their ROLES ...

And what did Brad do ??? Abandon getting old and staying old and went young AGAIN ... After it already didn't work once ...

He did what he could, and put together a bunch of talent. But, he has failed to coach them up...

 

[RollChief]

Just so it’s mentioned, we went from being the 11th most D-1 experienced team last year to the 298th this year.

 

[Keisersose]

Our front court ain't the problem right now. I like Dain but we upgraded the front court from last year. The guards are really hurting us

The front court isn’t a problem? The front court that has only an injured/sick Tomi and Morez who has to regularly has to sit because of fouls?

Two “bigs” on the entire roster.

 

[Spokane Illini]

Minny is a MUST win now, Go 3 of 6 on UCLA, MSU, MI, Duke, WI, and Purdue and BEAT Iowa we end the year at 20-11. That seems like a realistic expectation. Anything less leaves us on the bubble or an 11 seed play-in.

 

[Heisenbobble]

I have zero faith that this staff will improve the roster. They don't scheme for the talent/skills of their players. And this sad end to this season won't help with recruiting, anyway.

 

[LvilleILL1]

The front court isn’t a problem? The front court that has only an injured/sick Tomi and Morez who has to regularly has to sit because of fouls?

Two “bigs” on the entire roster.

Oh I agree, when they are hurt it's a problem. Need another big to back those guys up in the offseason (Maybe Jason can do that-they have liked some of the progression but I think they add someone as well)

 

[RollChief]

Team is in a huge funk, no way around it. If they can turn it around will all depend on Kasparas now. Next four games will define the season for me, have to go 3-1 or 4-0 to restore hope with the fanbase. Like I said earlier, one eye towards building it for next year as well

 

[TrahNeb]

Boswell, Tomi, Morez, Will (tbd draft), DGL, one of Tre or Ty.

Need to add a stud guard (older most likely)

Shooting around that lineup (one or two guys for that role)

Athletic wing (Sarr)

Backup big to help out when Tomi and Morez are in foul trouble

Odds we get 3/6 back I think are low in this era.

 

[jumpingjack]

Give me Javon Small, Jonathan Powell, and Hansberry any day of the week ... Heck I will even take Buck back ... At least he has the freaking fire in his belly !!!!

I rock his autograph every chance I get because that's the effort that I cheer for. Some of these guys get it, some certainly don't. But that was a statement game on how NOT to win on the offensive end.

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

LOL

No one has a freaking clue what path he's going down.

After last years team and his comments about the benefits of being "old", I'm surprised they went as young as they did. We forget that Ivisic and KJ are really just freshmen, same with Riley and Johnson. All of those guys get a TON of minutes and he's out his eggs in that basket. This shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[LvilleILL1]

Odds we get 3/6 back I think are low in this era.

When Brad wants guys back badly, he usually gets them back. I think at least 4 and maybe 5 or 6.

 

[Keisersose]

The other thing you can do against that defense is post the s%$t out of that defender who just hangs in the paint. Unfortunately, we don’t have bigs who like to catch back to the basket and score.

Great info here.

We started to post Tomi. Then he got hurt.

 

[Hingle McCringleberry]

How the F did we hire Hamer in the first place, he was a team Manager at Vanderbilt and never even played college ball. Good god

He went from Team Mgr at Vanderbilt, to WNBA video coordinator (1 yr) , then to the Lakers for 2 yrs as a Scout (who does this kid know to pull that move), and then we get so lucky to scoop him up. Awful.

 

[IlliniCaboose]

If we're good shooters why don't we shoot good?

 

[jumpingjack]

Brad and Tyler every time we pass it to Morez or Tomi for an easy basket after starting 1/10 from 3 again

Inexplicable.

 

[RollChief]

When Brad wants guys back badly, he usually gets them back. I think at least 4 and maybe 5 or 6.

TBH really hoping for Tomi back. Proven grit and honestly just seems like he’s got good energy.

 

[Grandpa]

Brad is the reason that there are 10 new players. Yeah, that is a screw up.

 

[BalloonsTheElephant]

It looked like 2023 was the outlier year. Now it's looking like 2024 was the outlier.

I will have lost all confidence in Brad as a coach if Hamer, Tyler, and Kwa aren't moved to new roles after this year. I think Tyler and Hamer were moved into the newly created 4th and 5th assistant roles, but just kinda moved up when others left.

We are squandering the most talented assortment of players we've had in a long time. Teams found our weakness and we have zero counter lunch, but continue to shoot bad threes.

 

[goillini316]

This just makes me down right sad. The apparent lack of effort across the board is plain pitiful. The coaching drama, Tre's mystery flu, KJ's embarrassing play, whether injury related or not....

 

[NickOfTime]

When Brad wants guys back badly, he usually gets them back. I think at least 4 and maybe 5 or 6.

I assume after what @DB11Headband said, Will Riley is headed to the league after the season... Is it the same for KJ? NBA typically goes for potential over production (see Dosunmu, Ayo in round 2) but he's looked rough these past few games. Maybe the analytics bear out KJ's approach but he's not passing the eye test the last couple of games

 

[BretMyBeachHouse]

After last years team and his comments about the benefits of being "old", I'm surprised they went as young as they did. We forget that Ivisic and KJ are really just freshmen, same with Riley and Johnson. All of those guys get a TON of minutes and he's out his eggs in that basket. This shouldn't be a surprise.

What shouldn't be a surprise? Our performance? We look crappier than I expected at this point, but at the beginning of the year I wasn't buying the optimism.

But he owns the roster construction here. This was a combination of his choice and perhaps his inability to land some of the more veteran players he wanted, although if it had been Storr it might actually be worse.

I'm nowhere close to firing Underwood. But my tolerance for the apologists and pollyannas is at its end.