Texas Tech 84, Illinois 78 Postgame

[ejam21]

Be honest: it’s just the shooting.

…..

Tomi shot 35.7% from 3pt in 2025.

Last year, that percentage dropped to 31.3%.

If he shoots 35% again, I don’t think anyone will be complaining.

….

Z is the same thing. He shot 37.6% at Arkansas.

Last year he was 28%. But most of all, he’s 3 for his last 39.

I think everyone will love Z if he replicates his Arkansas percentage.

Outside shooting for tomi has regressed, he's gotten much better on converting around the riim and two pointers in general. FIrst year with us he was 62% (still decent). Last year and this year so far he's converting twos at 73% clip.

For reference, kofi his last year was a 59% on twos

 

[Rap47]

Like I said we still need his defense and rebounding.

I wonder if he has been told to not clog the lane on someon driving to the lane. He did that same thing in the 2nd half last night when Vaaks drove and Z went to right corner and missed a hurried three. It is puzzling to me that they can't figure a way to get him the ball down low when he is 85% when shooting there.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

As others have pointed out, the environment there is night and day from SFC. I hope we eventually get a home crowd like that (our neutral site crowds tend to be really good).

https://twitter.com/x/status/2121042758362366253

I know Brad is known for certain absurd hyperboles, but it definitely looked that way on TV.

No excuse for missing that many FTs, but MAN it did not look like a friendly place to step up and shoot a FT.

 

[Rap47]

We are supposedly one of the tallest team in the ountry, but 7 footers are not an advantage 20 ft. from hoop.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2121023429386109303

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

We are supposedly one of the tallest team in the ountry, but 7 footers are not an advantage 20 ft. from hoop.

They absolutely are, because of the spacing they create.

Leads to us having the best 2pt percentage in the entire country:

 

[NarrowJ]

We are supposedly one of the tallest team in the ountry, but 7 footers are not an advantage 20 ft. from hoop.

Inverts the defense, pulls rebounders/shot blockers out of the paint, which opens up driving lanes and allows our jumbo guards to rebound against 6'2 guys

Its an incredible advantage and the whole point of a 5-out offense

(though now I'll just sit here and wait for a couple people to explain how our offense actually isn't very good)

 

[wc_illini]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2121023429386109303

Who do we think he's referring to when he said "Our physicality has been atrocious. We've got guys that don't hit, don't want to hit people."?

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

I again hope the players do not read Loyalty, Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, etc…

Because I can’t imagine wanting to suit up for the Orange & Blue sometimes with how our fanbase talks about them.

This happens with every fanbase, of every major team and of every major sport in the world.

We're in a world where HS kids are being offered 7 figures, many college athletes are multimillionaires, 22 year old Euros can be considered freshmen and players can come back to school after being drafted professionally.

I don't like any of it, but I'm fairly certain that the players just laugh at it. The stuff that these kids get shouted at them on the road is nuts. Our fans do it to other teams too.

It's an era of entitlement and I don't see an end to it in this near future.

 

[NarrowJ]

This happens with every fanbase, of every major team and of every major sport in the world.

We're in a world where HS kids are being offered 7 figures, many college athletes are multimillionaires, 22 year old Euros can be considered freshmen and players can come back to school after being drafted professionally.

I don't like any of it, but I'm fairly certain that the players just laugh at it. The stuff that these kids get shouted at them on the road is nuts. Our fans do it to other teams too.

It's an era of entitlement and I don't see an end to it in this near future.

There are Cub fans exist that talk mad stuff about PCA

Its wild out there

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

There are Cub fans exist that talk mad stuff about PCA

Its wild out there

It's really sad. I'm still bothered about the things that were said about Ben H. The kid, doing one of his sermons, stated that he knows many people hate him. That really, really bothered me.

I was in Milwaukee for the tournament game against Kentucky. His parents and family were getting heckled. I said something and they thanked me. It's just uncalled for. The kid came back, bless him, and had a great year for us last year. It was crickets.

I see the path being paved for Vaaks and it's already getting under my skin.

It is wild out there. Total agreement.

 

[LarryGotFouled]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2121042758362366253

I know Brad is known for certain absurd hyperboles, but it definitely looked that way on TV.

No excuse for missing that many FTs, but MAN it did not look like a friendly place to step up and shoot a FT.

I was there. It was definitely loud and the crowd was reacting to everything. I’ve also seen Illinois games at Mackey and thought that was more hostile. Didn’t like the crowd’s reaction to Quinton’s injury. From where I was it sounded like mostly the students doing it but

 

[Scoregasm]

Who do we think he's referring to when he said "Our physicality has been atrocious. We've got guys that don't hit, don't want to hit people."?

Everyone.

 

[MULEDOG35]

Inverts the defense, pulls rebounders/shot blockers out of the paint, which opens up driving lanes and allows our jumbo guards to rebound against 6'2 guys

Its an incredible advantage and the whole point of a 5-out offense

(though now I'll just sit here and wait for a couple people to explain how our offense actually isn't very good)

 

[nmillini]

I was there. It was definitely loud and the crowd was reacting to everything. I’ve also seen Illinois games at Mackey and thought that was more hostile. Didn’t like the crowd’s reaction to Quinton’s injury. From where I was it sounded like mostly the students doing it but

I was also there, standing behind the student section, and it was all them, rowdy and effectual, but completely classless.

 

[wc_illini]

Everyone.

Haha, maybe

Regardless, I'm glad our coach thinks our performance (and toughness) was unacceptable. And if he does, then perhaps some fan angst was justified all along.

 

[EmpoweredIllini]

We are supposedly one of the tallest team in the ountry, but 7 footers are not an advantage 20 ft. from hoop.

we just need to recruit a tandem of jitterbug 6’1 guards and run sets that produce contested 17 foot jumpers and some bruiser bigs that play back to the basket and spin around and dunk every possession

so simple not sure why brad hasn’t thought of it

/s

 

[NarrowJ]

Haha, maybe

Regardless, I'm glad our coach thinks our performance (and toughness) was unacceptable. And if he does, then perhaps some fan angst was justified all along.

We got out rebounded 43-32 by a much smaller team. Thats an effort statistic. Pissed me off.

8-19 from the free throw line? Thats a focus statistic. Also pissed me off.

I forget how many (live ball) turnovers, too many. That’s a carelessness statistic. Pissed me off more than anything else.

Who said being upset about those things weren’t justified? The stuff people push back on is when it gets brought up as ongoing issues when it’s the 3rd game of the season and we were top 10 in the freaking country in all three of those exact same statistics the year prior.

This team is missing its best player and best teammate/leader. I think there’s a ton of great basketball in front of us.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

Regardless, I'm glad our coach thinks our performance (and toughness) was unacceptable. And if he does, then perhaps some fan angst was justified all along.

I thought our toughness was great.

You don’t just erase a 20pt halftime deficit, in a hostile environment, without having toughness.

It was a 1pt game with 5 minutes left. There were plenty of chances to land the knockout blow.

….

You just CANNOT shoot 8-19 from the FT line.

You can be the toughest team known to man, but if you shoot that poorly on free throws, you’ll lose games you shouldn’t be losing.

….

It’s also silly to equate and associate “toughness” with FT shooting.

Iowa State is known for being one of “toughest” programs in the country. They’ve had a top 10 defense every season under Otz (top 5 last year).

Yet, this is where they ranked in FT percentage last season:

They shot horribly in the tournament against Tennessee, and lost.

….

Coaches and fans can analyze the micro details all they want, but we were never going to win that game shooting so poorly from the FT line.

Credit to Tech’s crowd, they brought it.

Our guys just didn’t make them.

 

[63 Split]

It's really sad. I'm still bothered about the things that were said about Ben H. The kid, doing one of his sermons, stated that he knows many people hate him. That really, really bothered me.

I was in Milwaukee for the tournament game against Kentucky. His parents and family were getting heckled. I said something and they thanked me. It's just uncalled for. The kid came back, bless him, and had a great year for us last year. It was crickets.

I see the path being paved for Vaaks and it's already getting under my skin.

It is wild out there. Total agreement.

We’re only 3 games in and already seem to be establishing this years piñata. BH was it a few years ago and the sticks were relentless - it’s sad to know he could feel it. We are fans and fans have a right to criticize …but I hope we are measured enough not to create a piñata this year. We have too much to look forward to.

 

[mysterio2525]

We got out rebounded 43-32 by a much smaller team. Thats an effort statistic. Pissed me off.

8-19 from the free throw line? Thats a focus statistic. Also pissed me off.

I forget how many (live ball) turnovers, too many. That’s a carelessness statistic. Pissed me off more than anything else.

Who said being upset about those things weren’t justified? The stuff people push back on is when it gets brought up as ongoing issues when it’s the 3rd game of the season and we were top 10 in the freaking country in all three of those exact same statistics the year prior.

This team is missing its best player and best teammate/leader. I think there’s a ton of great basketball in front of us.

walked in thinking we were the man.
then we were like ohhh they are serious
then got scared we don't belong
oh !!!! I can't get embarrassed
I'm better then this
f that i better than this
I want to win
oh I at least I tried (this is where things were lost)

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

Here’s what MLT noticed about Vaaks’s free throws:

26:35