Maybe we had tired legs after 3 games in what 5 - 6 days? Might explain the bad 3 pt shooting.
Illinois 87, UT Rio Grande Valley 73 Postgame
- Status
I think we get too fixated on tiny sample sizes and single game results
Everyone is aware of the shot diet/selection, coaches certainly are
People are mad they shot 10 threes, well they made 40% of them…
Someone else pointed out having the middle open allows us to shoot 75% from two as a team
Last edited:
Slow start again. I thought it was a poor effort against an outmanned Texas team that just wanted it more than we did. Opponents are stealing the ball from us over 7 times a game. Andrej and Mirk are very loose with the ball. I am still concerned about the 3-point shooting. They made 8 of 30 [ shades of last year-shoot a bunch make few] They need some outside shots to open up the middle. I think the defense continues to be non-existent. Opponents are open for too many 3's and out quick our guards to the basket. Texas beat us up on the offensive boards by 1 but took the ball away from our weak hands time and again.
I know these guys are just getting healthy, not much practice time together and it shows. There is a lot of talent and deep but will they mesh together or play street ball. I am amazed that they score 90 points a game and the shooting percentage from 3 is not good lately. They can get in the paint but the plan seems to be to see who can get to 100 first. That is a losing strategy.
I echo someone's comment about UConn going on a 30-0 run. I jus hope the Illini show up and come to play ball for 40 minutes. UConn 85-Illini 80
I know these guys are just getting healthy, not much practice time together and it shows. There is a lot of talent and deep but will they mesh together or play street ball. I am amazed that they score 90 points a game and the shooting percentage from 3 is not good lately. They can get in the paint but the plan seems to be to see who can get to 100 first. That is a losing strategy.
I echo someone's comment about UConn going on a 30-0 run. I jus hope the Illini show up and come to play ball for 40 minutes. UConn 85-Illini 80
From the UCONN basketball website: 43/112 from three in 6 games. 38.4%.
My point was our defense defending threes has not been good. Our defense in general has not been good. Until that changes, our ceiling is much lower than it appeared before the Alabama game. If we continue to play defense like that, we are in trouble against UCONN, TN, Ohio St. and getting a top seed in the tournament.
But this just isn’t correct, our 3 pt defense was under 30% prior to this game and is still 31% after it
They basically shot their season average (well, a bit under it)
Small. Sample. Sizes.
Edit: UConn is shooting 35.0% from three on the season, the number you’re using is prior to their game the other night
Last edited:
Illini in Italy
- Illini HQ, Florida Panhandle
Yeah, we ought to start handing out gummies after every game to calm some folks down
Got half of what I asked for yesterday . . .
1) √
2) √
3) X
4) √
5) X
6) X
The 30-0 run comments are silly. There are literally only 4 dudes from THAT UConn roster that dominated everybody. If you've watched them play THIS year with THIS roster, they're good, but they're not unbeatable on a neutral floor by any means.
Underwood’s realizes that you need to have athletic defensive players on the floor with Petrovic to cover for him on that end and we don’t any other than Boswell. Petrovic was also talking back to Coach Alexander last night as alluded to by Werner.
If you play Petrovic more, it means less minutes for Wagler/Boswell and Underwood simply isn’t gonna go with an All Offense No Defense lineup ever
I think FloridaMan is right. According to Torvik, our 3 point defense is ranked 124th, which sadly, is the best it's been since Trent Frazier left.
Teams tend to shoot well against us and I think it's directly related to our extraordinarily low turnover rate. We are so passive on defense. We just sit back and make teams super comfortable on the perimeter. They don't need to work that hard to protect the ball or to get a good shot and they know it.
And that's huge, IMO. They don't have to think too hard, they don't have to worry that they're going to turn the ball over and let their team down and make their coach mad. They just need to go out, relax, and play their game and they know if they're patient, they'll get a good shot.
The only thing that's saved us from going full blown Iowa the last 4 years is that our 2 point defense is typically really good.
I actually do agree with the contention about a defense that does not work to turn the other team over some.
But a 3 point defense giving up .297 or .314 or whatever it is right now: that’s really good, certainly nowhere near cringe-worthy imo. Ranking of 124/355 (or however many teams there are in D1 now) means we have a top 30 percentile-ish 3 point defense. And that’s with a lot of bad teams who are playing other bad teams in front of us, of course. Wonder where we are at in terms of power conf teams.
And Torvik also has us as the 16th best defense overall.
Last edited:
Completely uninspired effort last night..
Game was like watching a golf match, the fans were nervously monotone for most of the game. It must be something about Illinois that brings out the best in Texas Rio-Grande Valley, this game was eerily similar to the last time they played almost 4 years ago to the date. Illinois was ranked #14 at the time and it took Kofi scoring 38 points to avoid the massive upset. Thought BU's head was going to explode, lol.
Game was like watching a golf match, the fans were nervously monotone for most of the game. It must be something about Illinois that brings out the best in Texas Rio-Grande Valley, this game was eerily similar to the last time they played almost 4 years ago to the date. Illinois was ranked #14 at the time and it took Kofi scoring 38 points to avoid the massive upset. Thought BU's head was going to explode, lol.
The concern is understandable with flat performances against some mid-majors. With that said, at this point in the young season, I feel better about this team than any Illini team since...? Even going back to the Kofi teams we've passed the early eye-test in comparison. Haven't looked, but I imagine the analytics support that. Things are fine.
In the end, the Illini won, but there are concerns. If they are having these issues against this team, then how can we expect them to beat UConn? Tennessee in Nashville? Some tough Big Ten teams on the road like OSU?
I think I am going to tamper my expectations. I don't want this to be like last year's team and this year's disappointing football team.
If they beat UConn, I will be very surprised.
For me, Big Tomi needs to post up more. Yes, he can hit the three-pointer, but this team is very good at scoring two points. They'd be more effective he would just post up, back in and hit a left-handed baby hook.
I also have seen weak attempts at rebounding, especially not holding onto the ball--soft hands by some of these players. Get tougher!
Stop chucking the threes. It's getting to the point where it's exhausting for me, and they're going to lose some games because of it. Yes, they had some good looks last night, but some of those looks could've been an easy penetration to the basket for an easy layup, foul or pass to the interior.
KB needs to stop shooting useless threes. Now, if he's wide open, I get it on occasion like his game at Oregon last year. But, his strength is getting to the basket, creating fouls and either scoring or having a nice assist. That's what Petrovic did yesterday!
BU was hard on Mirk with his comments, and he's right. The honeymoon is over. Get out there and play the way you are capable of playing. You are NOT soft.
I think I am going to tamper my expectations. I don't want this to be like last year's team and this year's disappointing football team.
If they beat UConn, I will be very surprised.
For me, Big Tomi needs to post up more. Yes, he can hit the three-pointer, but this team is very good at scoring two points. They'd be more effective he would just post up, back in and hit a left-handed baby hook.
I also have seen weak attempts at rebounding, especially not holding onto the ball--soft hands by some of these players. Get tougher!
Stop chucking the threes. It's getting to the point where it's exhausting for me, and they're going to lose some games because of it. Yes, they had some good looks last night, but some of those looks could've been an easy penetration to the basket for an easy layup, foul or pass to the interior.
KB needs to stop shooting useless threes. Now, if he's wide open, I get it on occasion like his game at Oregon last year. But, his strength is getting to the basket, creating fouls and either scoring or having a nice assist. That's what Petrovic did yesterday!
BU was hard on Mirk with his comments, and he's right. The honeymoon is over. Get out there and play the way you are capable of playing. You are NOT soft.
MustangWally
- Mayfield
A couple things from this game.
If this was to prepare us for an NCAA tournament weekend, it wasn't a very good look.
Z closes out worse than Groce on elite point guards. He takes an extra hop and it's read every single time and he gets blown by. It's like a YMCA youth basketball skill.
If this was to prepare us for an NCAA tournament weekend, it wasn't a very good look.
Z closes out worse than Groce on elite point guards. He takes an extra hop and it's read every single time and he gets blown by. It's like a YMCA youth basketball skill.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
I am sure that you are statistically correct. It doesn't look that way when I watch.I actually do agree with the contention about a defense that does not work to turn the other team over some.
But a 3 point defense giving up .297 or .314 or whatever it is right now: that’s really good, certainly nowhere near cringe-worthy imo. Ranking of 124/355 (or however many teams there are in D1 now) means we have a top 30 percentile-ish 3 point defense. And that’s with a lot of bad teams who are playing other bad teams in front of us, of course. Wonder where we are at in terms of power conf teams.
And Torvik also has us as the 16th best defense overall.
I agree and I'll take all of these metrics and statistics with a block of salt for another month or so
Since we're all tossing our thoughts out, here are a few that have been nagging me that jumped out again tonight:
Our rebounding is fine statistically, but we do not seize them decisively and tend to have them knocked out of our hands, etc. Need to get tougher, and in Mirk's case less theatrics to get a call (that could probably stand for his game in general
)
Wagler is awesome for a freshman, but the drives to nowhere grind possessions to a halt even when they don't end in a highly contested mid-range J. He isn't getting to the rim on his drives, so perhaps keep the rock moving.
Mirk in general seems to have no plan once he begins backing down and as we face more size/athleticism he will need to keep them honest with a reliable scoring move to loosen up passing lanes for his tremendous vision to kick in.
It's been mentioned about posting the twins, but I just want them to be able to abuse the littles after a switch. Right now I can't recall much if any success punishing a switch.
All the athleticism stuff is a given, not much to be done aside from Crocker cooking up some schemes to alleviate the issues. Zone at the moment does not appear to be it. Last night and against Alabama we gave up nothing but easy looks in zone.
Our rebounding is fine statistically, but we do not seize them decisively and tend to have them knocked out of our hands, etc. Need to get tougher, and in Mirk's case less theatrics to get a call (that could probably stand for his game in general
)Wagler is awesome for a freshman, but the drives to nowhere grind possessions to a halt even when they don't end in a highly contested mid-range J. He isn't getting to the rim on his drives, so perhaps keep the rock moving.
Mirk in general seems to have no plan once he begins backing down and as we face more size/athleticism he will need to keep them honest with a reliable scoring move to loosen up passing lanes for his tremendous vision to kick in.
It's been mentioned about posting the twins, but I just want them to be able to abuse the littles after a switch. Right now I can't recall much if any success punishing a switch.
All the athleticism stuff is a given, not much to be done aside from Crocker cooking up some schemes to alleviate the issues. Zone at the moment does not appear to be it. Last night and against Alabama we gave up nothing but easy looks in zone.
The starters shot 18% from 3.
9 ties or lead changes, and 11 turnovers vs. just 4 forced.
They can "doo" better.
However, other than the poor shooting night which affected everyone, I'm not getting the criticisms of Wagler.
Never rushed, keeps the ball moving on offense, and has an innate ability to get to the line.
He doesn't have the court vision of Petro or the defense of Kylan yet, but I think he'll be better than both when it's all said and done.
9 ties or lead changes, and 11 turnovers vs. just 4 forced.
They can "doo" better.
However, other than the poor shooting night which affected everyone, I'm not getting the criticisms of Wagler.
Never rushed, keeps the ball moving on offense, and has an innate ability to get to the line.
He doesn't have the court vision of Petro or the defense of Kylan yet, but I think he'll be better than both when it's all said and done.
Purdue has actually had a couple of flat looking games but man oh man do they get up for the big ones.
One thing to mention is that Brad specifically said they create short turnarounds like this in the schedule in order to simulate the tournament experience. So in some ways, this result is something they want to test for. Are you good enough to get by when things aren't going well? Are you focused enough to keep playing hard against a lesser opponent? We could see the tired legs. They got wide open looks and missed a lot of them short. But they failed on the effort piece. We were beaten on the offensive glass by a smaller opponent. That cannot happen.
I don't think "when its all said and done" is this year though, so we can't make lineup decisions on his potential. He obviously should be a huge part of the rotation, but I think you put the best players on the court.
Is this a team whose identity is to play to the level of their competition?
- Status