Pregame: Illinois vs UConn, Friday, November 28th, 11:30am CT, FOX

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#51      
OrangeBlue98
Brosky said:
It doesn't concern me. We have a lot of depth. Nobody's going to get "worn down."
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Fair. Maybe “worn down” wasn’t the best term, but having to play defense against a scheme like UConn’s is still concerning. It takes a lot of work and communication to work through what that type of offense does. Even with depth, the mental grind of playing that type of offense can result in mental fatigue. Given we are not overly athletic, we will have to be extremely sharp on communication and awareness to combat what UConn can do.
 
#52      
NarrowJ
EmeraldCityIllini said:
Think I'm in Petrovic Hive. I get the turnover concerns, but candidly, is it that much worse than 3 consecutive missed standstill 3's?

When the offense stagnates, I'd really like to see him out there.
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Agreed

I also think Petrovic last couple games highlights how we react to single game performances --> After the LIU game, Petro had a loose handle and would be unplayable against better teams, now after the UTRGV game he is our best playmaker and must play 30+ mins, etc
 
#53      
sacraig
Illinijoe said:
110-85 UCONN
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Go Away GIF
 
#54      
ORANGEANDBLUE2011
Quick question for the insider crew: Are there chemistry/rotation issues or just overblown fan board overthinking? We don’t look as connected as I had maybe hoped.
 
#55      
RollChief
RollChief said:
Is anyone privy to UConn's current injury situation? I know Braylon Mullins has been out and Tarris Reed was dealing with an ankle, is there any other insights besides "It's a game-time decision?"

Unrelated, but KenPom has a score prediction of 79-77, favoring UConn.
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Apologies to @HensonHall71 , I should have seen his post before I asked this question.
 
#56      
lstewart53x3
ORANGEANDBLUE2011 said:
Quick question for the insider crew: Are there chemistry/rotation issues or just overblown fan board overthinking? We don’t look as connected as I had maybe hoped.
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Do you think that could maybe be because the whole team has practiced together 3 times, ever?

Tomi missed practice time.
Andrej missed practice time.
Petro missed practice time.
Lee missed practice time.

Might take a little while to fully gel.
 
#58      
grantlab
Time for BH to replace DM in the starting lineup. Feels like we’re not setting the tone defensively to start the game, and that could bury us against UConn — Brad yanked Mirk after like 2 defensive possessions + a missed boxout. I love the skill and versatility he brings on the offensive end, but I think he’s better suited as a spark plug off the bench right now. The game needs to slow down for him. We absolutely need his rebounding and passing, but I’m not sure we’re getting much from him that Ben hasn’t shown he can do consistently better.
 
#59      
Illini 993
Reed missed the first game of the season with a hamstring injury, and now is coming back from an ankle injury. This would be Mullins' first game played for UConn, and even though he was highly ranked, it might take him some time to adjust. UConn probably, just like the Illini, haven't practiced together with their full team much. I hope this factors in, because it could get ugly if not.
 
#61      
Illini2010-11
Doc I said:
I should have put this as a reply. Comcast Chicago guide has Fox switching from the game to Bears pre-game coverage at noon. Does anyone know anything about this?
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My guide shows my50 having the game in entirety. That is a sister fox Chicago network
 
#62      
NashvILLe05
My only ask…show up and play like dawgs. A lot of the chances we get in basketball against top teams and blue bloods on a national stage have gone bad in recent years. It drives the national media’s disrespect and dismissiveness towards our program. It’s also annoying living in SEC country. I want revenge for the Elite Eight blowout and to put Dan Squirrelly in his place, but just play hard tip to buzzer and let the cards fall where they may.
 
#63      
Pikeillinifan
I'm going against my head and saying 86 - 83 Illini in this one.

I think the defense tightens up a little more, we hit threes at a 35-40% rate, make our free throws, and win the rebounding battle - and most importantly, we do not start the second half asleep, like we tend to do.
 
#64      
CleverHandle1
NarrowJ said:
Since I'm typically very optimistic, I want to be sure to share my concerns with effort/focus with all of you who have the same worries.

I know UTRGV... might be hard for the guys to get worked up about playing them. But, I thought the effort and focus lacked pretty severely against Alabama also. Seemed we played moderately focused/hard versus Texas Tech, so I'll hope that UConn in MSG is a big enough test to get these guy's attention and we can return to (at least) that level.

Let's see some intensity and want-to on Friday.
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Very plausible points. The fact they may not be focused--even for Alabama in Chicago--concerns me bigly. It will be another Round 2 loss like last year. I hope I am wrong. I think BU can change things here.
 
#66      
Curbelo Fanboy
Doc I said:
I should have put this as a reply. Comcast Chicago guide has Fox switching from the game to Bears pre-game coverage at noon. Does anyone know anything about this?
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Chicago Fox 32 is covering the Bears game since it is the "home" affiliate for the Bears & allowed to do so even tho it is an Amazon broadcast. Fox in Philly is doing same. I don't know if they are putting the Illini on an alternate channel instead or just ignoring it.
 
#67      
foby
altgeld88 said:
Well, it's a near certainty that what I witness in the Garden on Friday afternoon can't possibly be worse that what I endured there last February 22nd. (And, to be fair, that team redeemed itself in my eyes a week later when we watched them crush Michigan in Crisler)

Am looking forward to seeing the boys play in person, to basking in the aura of MSG, to a thrilling game, and to an Illini win.

Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don't mind the Huskies!
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The Rolling Stones Fandom GIF
 
#68      
IlliniFan42
If the Illini game ends up there instead of the main channel, that's a pretty big fumble by Fox.
 
#73      
epkerrigan
Might be getting Uconn at the right time. 2 starters possibly coming back might be cold and not quite gelling yet.
 
#74      
RollChief
snakebit12 said:
Has a Brad Underwood coached UI team ever won a game against a high-rated opponent at a neutral site?

Asking for a friend.
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Absolutely, especially recently. Brad's been pretty good at MSG save the Duke game.

Below is all of the wins for Brad against high-rated opponents. The rating is KenPom rank at the time of the game.

Neutral Wins (by season):
2018: 46th ranked Mizzou when we were 102nd.
2023: 9th ranked UCLA in Vegas, 2nd ranked Texas at MSG
2024: 14th ranked FAU at MSG
2025: 36th ranked Arkansas
 
#75      
NarrowJ
And also Arkansas was #19 when we beat them 90-77 last year… if that counts as highly ranked

But yeah, #2 Texas, #4 Iowa St, #8 UCLA, #11 FAU, #19 Arkansas within the last 3 years

We don’t play a lot of them, but our record hasn’t been bad (unless I’m forgetting tons of losses)
 
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