Anyone heard what shootaround times are for Wednesday? I work downtown Houston, so I’ll be there.
Pregame: Illinois vs Houston, Thursday, March 26th, 9:05pm CT, TBS
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Lolol I was tired, I meant east coast
This game is going to come down to who out coaches who IMO- contrasting styles but very evenly matched analytically so it’s going to take Tyler and Cam to scheme up the right actions and coverages to let us play to our advantage
Our advantages will be on the offensive glass- they are not a great defensive rebounding team, so we need to win the glass by a healthy margin. They will take away our driving ability and get up on our guards so we can’t rely on just our pick and pop- I think we’ll have to pound it inside on post ups to Tomi, who will have an advantage on the inside, how effective he is on post-ups will dictate a lot
They play three very athletic 6-4 guards. Sharp is their three point shooter who shoots six a game at a 40% clip so I think we put Kylan on him. Fleming wants to get to midrange and to the rim, he doesn’t shoot many threes. We need to defend the rim well given they have the athletes to drive past us on the perimeter without screens, so our help and rotations will need to be better than typical this game.
Both teams play at a slow pace so it will come down to who executes better. If we get 40% of misses back and have fewer than 10 turnovers I think we win. We just need to outscore them IMO and not foul them. Coaching adjustments throughout based on what’s not working will make the difference in this one - I think it will be a chess match
Our advantages will be on the offensive glass- they are not a great defensive rebounding team, so we need to win the glass by a healthy margin. They will take away our driving ability and get up on our guards so we can’t rely on just our pick and pop- I think we’ll have to pound it inside on post ups to Tomi, who will have an advantage on the inside, how effective he is on post-ups will dictate a lot
They play three very athletic 6-4 guards. Sharp is their three point shooter who shoots six a game at a 40% clip so I think we put Kylan on him. Fleming wants to get to midrange and to the rim, he doesn’t shoot many threes. We need to defend the rim well given they have the athletes to drive past us on the perimeter without screens, so our help and rotations will need to be better than typical this game.
Both teams play at a slow pace so it will come down to who executes better. If we get 40% of misses back and have fewer than 10 turnovers I think we win. We just need to outscore them IMO and not foul them. Coaching adjustments throughout based on what’s not working will make the difference in this one - I think it will be a chess match
but could houston have stopped the Zvomahawk?
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
On the flip side, I hate living in the Eastern time zone for the same reason at the extremity. The tip will be, at best, around 10:15 p.m. The game will end around 12:45. I will take at least an hour to shed the adrenaline high (win or lose). I will fall asleep by 2 a.m. if I'm lucky. Just like Iowa State two years ago nearly to the day.
And Friday I have to get up at 7 a.m. for a weekend trip. I will be absolutely wrecked.
OTOH, it's a high-class problem. We're in the S16 in an epic matchup. Anyway, I'll probably blow the entire Thursday evening, first watching the Corn Bowl that precedes our game.
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Will Nebby/Iowa fans stay back and support fellow B1G team?
This would be more like illinois at parkland
I do think this partially comes down to how it’s officiated. IIRC, in that EE game Houston was super physical and basically mugging ball handlers, screener, etc. If they are allowed excessive contact that could be hard to overcome.
Ref it correctly, according to the rulebook lol, and that stuff won’t fly. But seems that is more the exception than the rule these days.
Ref it correctly, according to the rulebook lol, and that stuff won’t fly. But seems that is more the exception than the rule these days.
Will Nebby/Iowa fans stay back and support fellow B1G team? That would be huge. Last time we went to final four both Michigan state and Illini fans supported both teams
It will be interesting if Iowa or Nebraska fans join forces with us. Could make it more of a 50/50 crowd.
Chad Fleck
- Eureka, IL
What an opportunity that awaits Illinois and its fan base if it can get past this game.
A game that will be discussed forever, especially on the losing side.
Whether it be Iowa or Nebraska, a conference game to go to the Final 4.
I hope even more than before that the boys can get past Houston now.
A game that will be discussed forever, especially on the losing side.
Whether it be Iowa or Nebraska, a conference game to go to the Final 4.
I hope even more than before that the boys can get past Houston now.
Illinir1
- Camdenton, MO
Brian Barnhart and Deon Thomas streamed and synced using the Varsity Network app is a much better listening experience.
i was in such a celebratory mood that i hit a cigar after that one (also in eastern time zone)
how i got to work the next day i'll never know
If Iowa loses, I can’t imagine their fans backing the Illini. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or something like that.
Not sure about how Nebraska fans feel about us. The winner will pull for the Illini because they don’t want to play Houston in Houston. Just a guess.
Not sure about how Nebraska fans feel about us. The winner will pull for the Illini because they don’t want to play Houston in Houston. Just a guess.
2 things...
1) there will be a bunch of B1G fans in the building, who will Iowa/Nebraska fans rooting for? I'm sure they will buy a lion's share of the random seats...but a fair bit of the stadium will be held for the 3 other teams
2) This team has had some of our best games on the road & too many stinkers at home
But by all means, Houston will be a battle on any court
MDchicago
- Lake Norman NC
Here's the game plan AI recommended to optimize Illini chance of winning. Makes sense to me.
Offensive Game Plan: Embrace Illinois’ natural controlled pace and elite half-court efficiency to generate high-quality shots and second-chance opportunities. Illinois’ historic No. 2 offense (131.6 adj. OE on KenPom — one of the most efficient in KenPom history) is built for patient ball movement, screening, and spacing — not volume or transition chaos.
Stick exactly to the team’s typical adjusted tempo (~65.6) rather than pushing the pace. This keeps Illinois out of the “fast-opponent” bucket where Houston performs above its norm 67% of the time (per Haslametrics); slower foes like the Illini see Houston outperform expectations only 22% of the time.
Key execution principles:
Defensive Game Plan: Match Houston’s physicality, dominate the glass, and force inefficient half-court shots.Illinois’ defense (No. 24 adj. DE) must mirror Houston’s trademark toughness while neutralizing their rebounding and transition threats:
Offensive Game Plan: Embrace Illinois’ natural controlled pace and elite half-court efficiency to generate high-quality shots and second-chance opportunities. Illinois’ historic No. 2 offense (131.6 adj. OE on KenPom — one of the most efficient in KenPom history) is built for patient ball movement, screening, and spacing — not volume or transition chaos.
Stick exactly to the team’s typical adjusted tempo (~65.6) rather than pushing the pace. This keeps Illinois out of the “fast-opponent” bucket where Houston performs above its norm 67% of the time (per Haslametrics); slower foes like the Illini see Houston outperform expectations only 22% of the time.
Key execution principles:
- Motion offense and ball reversal — Use Keaton Wagler as the primary creator to drive and kick to Andrej Stojakovic and the stretch 7-footers (Tomislav Ivišić and brother). Attack with high ball screens and reversal to create open 3s and inside-out opportunities — Illinois’ bread-and-butter for maintaining elite eFG%.
- Aggressive offensive rebounding — Crash relentlessly with the size/depth advantage (Ivišićs, David Mirkovic). Illinois ranks elite in offensive rebound percentage; extra possessions here generate points without raising tempo. Houston is not the defensive-rebounding monster of past years. Their clear cracks on the defensive glass (30%+ opponent OR% allowed), rim-specific rebounding, and foul-prone frontcourt give Illinois a genuine edge on the boards.
- Selective transition only — Push only on live-ball steals or long rebounds. Prioritize ball security and shot quality over extra possessions — every possession carries massive weight in this low-possession grind.
- Draw fouls and attack the paint — Force Houston’s defense to rotate and get to the line to disrupt their rhythm. When Tugler gets into foul trouble (a frequent issue in physical games), Houston’s offensive rebound rate drops sharply from elite to merely average.
Defensive Game Plan: Match Houston’s physicality, dominate the glass, and force inefficient half-court shots.Illinois’ defense (No. 24 adj. DE) must mirror Houston’s trademark toughness while neutralizing their rebounding and transition threats:
- Physical point-of-attack pressure — Harass Kingston Flemings, Emanuel Sharp, and Milos Uzan with length (Wagler, Stojakovic, Kylan Boswell). Limit drives, passing lanes, and easy buckets — stay disciplined in man-to-man or selective switching.
- Elite defensive rebounding priority — Box out aggressively with the frontcourt size advantage. Deny Houston second-chance points and offensive rebounds (a massive part of their identity) — this is the single biggest key to victory according to every major preview.
- Contest without fouling; protect the rim — Use the 7-footers to contest 3s and midrange while rotating for rim protection. Force contested, low-efficiency shots in the half-court.
- Sustain intensity for 40 minutes — Leverage deeper bench and Underwood’s “just let it rip” postseason mentality. Match Houston’s discipline and physical “mud” style from the opening tip.
- Rebounding war (offensive for Illinois, defensive overall) — Illinois’ size edge here is the clearest path to extra possessions and momentum swings.
- Shooting variance — If the Illini shoot near season norms from 3, their offense can overwhelm even Houston’s elite defense.
- Pace and turnovers — Stay deliberate and low-turnover; make Houston beat you in a structured, low-possession game they normally dominate — except against teams that execute exactly like this.
- Aggressive offensive crashing + using length to contest rim shots and draw fouls on Cenac/Tugler is the highest-upside way to generate extra possessions and swing the game. Rebounding is the single biggest statistical vulnerability Illinois can target to neutralize Houston’s elite defense.
I would certainly think so. Can't imagine either want to play Houston in Houston.
I’m calling it now. Ben Humrichous will win this game 
I vote yes on making "Zvomahawk" a thing.
Many losing fans won’t stick around for the late game and if they do I can’t imagine they will be cheering hard for either team. In ‘05 for the FF our students wore green reversible shirts supporting MSU and their students wore the same and flipped them to orange for our late game. I don’t see the same thing happening in Houston given it’s two big ten teams playing before us.
Thinking the same thing...I see Ben or Jake hitting some big 3'sI’m calling it now. Ben Humrichous will win this game
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