Pregame: Illinois at USC, Wednesday, February 18th, 9:00pm CT, BTN

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Dan

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Illinois at USC
Wednesday, February 18th
9:00pm CT
BTN
 
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Ncaa Basketball GIF by Fighting Illini Athletics

Andrej is licking his chops
 
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Once Andrej and Boswell are fully back, I see no reason this team can’t be a top 25 defense. Albeit probably closer to 25 than even 15, we’re pretty much the best offensive team in the country.

Would love for Andrej to be back for the west coast trip, tune up as a full squad before Michigan.

Gonna be a fun ending to this season, really trying to soak in this team. They’re special.
 
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This is a mindset game. We are better than these guys. However, we need to show up with intensity and focus. Be ready to kick !!! from the opening tip.

Show these guys last year’s humiliation and that should provide plenty of motivation.
 
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Agreed. The venom after losses around here is crazy. When we were only running with 6 without thought of him playing....I knew it was bad. When he was ruled out four hours before today's tip, I knew this was a real concern. After Brad's comments, this isn't a good/optimal situation. Much worse than initially stated.
 
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Illinois as a program is 3-7 lifetime against USC, hasn't won since 2012, and has never won at USC.
 
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I think it’s shameful those who chastised him for not playing against Wisconsin.

Hope for the best recovery.
The comments were ridiculous, though this is one of those things where you need to be practical and realistic about it.

The nature of a high ankle sprain like that is that Stojakovic COULD play, he's a tough kid, he could gut it out, and yeah, your Trent Fraziers or DaMonte Williams' probably would have. But if you keep playing on it, it's just not going to get any better (leaving aside the elevated risk of re-injury) and you're condemning yourself to playing at a lower level of explosiveness the whole rest of the year dragging around a gimpy leg.

Playing with 6 guys wasn't an option, I wish we were finding a way to play with more than 7 now, but I think Andrej and Brad are thinking about this in a way that makes sense, a fully healthy Stojakovic for the stretch run is worth a lot more than a gimpy Stojakovic right now.

And with that decision seemingly made, don't even put him on the plane to California. Rehab rehab rehab.

Illinois as a program is 3-7 lifetime against USC, hasn't won since 2012, and has never won at USC.
I'll be darned if I can remember us ever playing at USC before, or at UCLA for that matter.

We beat USC in Maui in Groce's first year.
 
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Well none of these players or coaches have played against USC - so can't understand why "we're due."
 
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