Game Thread: Illinois vs Kentucky

[logjam]

No point in boxing out when they are shooting 90%

Name doesn't check...

 

[Homecoming 2019]

Their bigs cant shoot, and we don't hedge brea on the screen. Why?

We are guarding amari williams like he's Nikola Jokic

 

[foby]

I’m tired of getting embarrassed.

Said about half the teams in this year's tourney

 

[curtmoss]

It’s very disappointing that this team couldn’t come out with more fire and focus. Kentucky can shoot but their defends isn’t that great. We just handed the ball 12 times.

 

[RockfordIllini]

Pope is a good coach. He’s running actions to attack our PnR and drop coverage. Brea is coming off wide open getting whatever shot he wants. Wunderkind is at a loss.

Let’s see if we can rally but I hope we get a different D coordinator next year.

 

[ChiIllini75]

Absolute dog … Bring me freaking Samarrippas ….

Honest question, if he has a better defensive mind, will he listen mid-game to change? The lack of adjustments in game is a through line at least as back as the Loyola game.

Is it the wrong defensive coaches, BU unwillingness to change on the fly or some combination?

 

[Ryllini]

We can blame Hamer all we want, but the decision to continue the drop starts and stops with Brad. I love Brad, but if anyone here doesn’t believe he has intimate knowledge with how to run a defense and how ours is currently being played, you are fooling yourself.

 

[poor dirt farmer]

I'm tired of hearing about how this garbage is some 23 year old assistant's fault grade school girls play with more grit and effort on defense than this. Secondly when evaluating players it's easy to see this group has next to no talent when it comes to defense. We desperately need new leadership the only time we should ever talk about the assistant coaches is when we're talking about recruiting. Otherwise I could care less who they even are.

 

[fightingducks]

Listen I know a lot of people are complaining about the coaching decisions, but how many other teams have assistant coaches who wear tights?

That’s gotta count for something, right?

 

[WeWillWhen]

Defensive scheme just makes it way way too easy for UK.

 

[Gregjacksonfan]

The players went to Brad 10 games ago and said they hated drop coverage and we went away Fri it and had success. Absolutely maddening. Guards lick their lips when they see how we defend high picks.

 

[The Sprouting Divot]

Can we please just get knocked out the tourney in a close, hard-fought game for once? These humiliating losses to end the season are crushing me.

We hardly did that among any of our 12 losses this season - why start now?

 

[AndyKaufmanstutor]

Every Kentucky possession is the same. Their big man sets a screen out front. Our guard gets caught behind their guard and their hits a 3 or a mid-range jumper. Groundhog game. Do something different!!!!

 

[Rooftop]

Really isn’t a huge surprise is it? We’ve seen signs of these kind of games by our Illini for several months now.

 

[FoundersClub]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1903945937199735257

 

[PasadenaIllini]

Would you come back to get coached by Tyler and Hamer? To get guys to return, we need some convincing changes.

 

[Se Il Illini]

Didja hear Barkley at the break?

Yes. It was roundly criticized. The comment was you have to guard the ball.

 

[aaeismacgychel]

Apparently Kentucky only shooting 66% this half. Seems like it should be higher

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

Honest question, if he has a better defensive mind, will he listen mid-game to change? The lack of adjustments in game is a through line at least as back as the Loyola game.

Is it the wrong defensive coaches, BU unwillingness to change on the fly or some combination?

Combo …

 

[FleetFeetIllini]

I can’t watch another possession of drop coverage in my life. Coaching staff needs to fix the defense this offseason. Getting picked apart possession by possession.

Drop is getting absolutely torched. Needed to start hedging on Brea a long time ago. Too late now.

 

[chief]

the defense is abysmal and the coaches act like they know what they are doing, its obvious that our lack of hedging the ball screen and dropping way back is just giving a team with a big lead a ton of easy shots

 

[poor dirt farmer]

Has Sean signed anything yet?

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

Really isn’t a huge surprise is it? We’ve seen signs of these kind of games by our Illini for several months now.

Yep …

 

[jrum48]

Didja hear Barkley at the break?

Yes! In fact Kenny pointed it out and Charles in fact said that Illinois played the two worst ways to defense that action!!

 

[illinifan1987]

Welp, at least we tried. Very up and down season but we still won a tourney game. If Hamer isn't gone shortly after this game...