Illini Basketball 2026-2027

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#454      
Until we beat UCONN, anything close goes to UCONN.
Sheesh, glad I do not subscribe to this defeatist 'we can never beat or be as good as UConn' attitude
I don't think the OP claimed we can never beat UCONN.

It's that we shouldn't be ranked ahead of them preseason, assuming the quality of team is close, until we beat them.
 
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#457      
Can this 7 man team beat Brad's 2017 team?

Probably.
Pick the top 7 and let’s brawl!

Tracy Abrams
LeBron Black
Jaylon Tate
Malcolm Hill
Maverick Morgan
Aaron Jordan
Mike Thorne Jr.
DJ Williams
Kipper Nichols
Clayton Jones
Te’jon Lucas
Jalen Coleman Lands
Michael Finke
Alex Austin
 
#458      
Pick the top 7 and let’s brawl!

Tracy Abrams
LeBron Black
Jaylon Tate
Malcolm Hill
Maverick Morgan
Aaron Jordan
Mike Thorne Jr.
DJ Williams
Kipper Nichols
Clayton Jones
Te’jon Lucas
Jalen Coleman Lands
Michael Finke
Alex Austin
That was Groce's last team. I guess 17-18, Brad's first:
7899.jpg


Black vs Zens 17
Frazier vs Coleman 26
Nichols vs Vaaks 26
Finke vs Davis 17 likely close
Jordan vs Morillo 26
Smith vs Williams 17
Alstork vs Brown probably 17?

17 definitely has the advantage in the paint. 26 backcourt would feast.
 
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#460      
we shouldn't be ranked ahead of them preseason, assuming the quality of team is close, until we beat them.

It’s just the opposite of what I’ve seen so far in various rankings that have come out- Illinois and UConn are both at or near the top, close to one another in the rankings, yet with Illinois typically ahead of them.
 
#462      
I don't think the OP claimed we can never beat UCONN.

It's that we shouldn't be ranked ahead of them preseason, assuming the quality of team is close, until we beat them.
Two things:

1. Last season’s results have no bearing on next season’s pre-season rankings. Texas finished last year at #38 in Torvik but they’re preseason #14 in Torvik. Because some teams lose pieces, while other teams retain and add pieces.

2. Head to head results don’t always make one team better than another. Match ups and small sample sizes impact that. Wisconsin had the same record against us last year as UConn. Does that mean Wisconsin should be ranked ahead of us pre-season next year too?
 
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#463      
2. Head to head results don’t always make one team better than another. Match ups and small sample sizes impact that. Wisconsin had the same record against us last year as UConn. Does that mean Wisconsin should be ranked ahead of us pre-season next year too?
Which is why I said "assuming the quality of team is close."

It's like the ND vs MIAMI argument for the last CFP spot. When teams are in super close proximity, it should be a determining factor.

.....

I do think #1 is a fair argument; however, both teams lost, retained, and added pieces. It all comes out to a very close call between the two squads (as far as preseason).
 
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#466      
I can see Coleman and Vaacks doing pretty close to 64m between them. Can Andrej play SG for 5 minutes, giving Jake 5 more minutes at SF?
I don't. Max I see is 60.

Coleman 28; Vaaks 32.

For whatever reason people love inflating our player's minutes (just to realize there's only so many to distribute in the first place).
 
#474      
Two things:

1. Last season’s results have no bearing on next season’s pre-season rankings. Texas finished last year at #38 in Torvik but they’re preseason #14 in Torvik. Because some teams lose pieces, while other teams retain and add pieces.

2. Head to head results don’t always make one team better than another. Match ups and small sample sizes impact that. Wisconsin had the same record against us last year as UConn. Does that mean Wisconsin should be ranked ahead of us pre-season next year too?
I agree. UConn was better than us last year (and almost every year since late 90s). It's irrelevant for upcoming season. Like us and Michigan. Up to last year we had a pretty long winning streak against them - Brad owned them. That didn't matter for last season. They beat us and they were clearly the better team.

That's not saying UConn won't be good next year. I think they'll be right around our range. That is, somewhere between 3 and 6 (after FL and Duke). We can ceretainly beat them.
 
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