Game Thread: Illinois vs Northwestern

[DB11Headband]

Buie is out scoring the entire team and he still is getting open shots and is not getting trapped... Why?

Pride

 

[PNWIllini]

Can a journalist in the post game please ask Brad why he never goes zone when his defense is struggling like it is.

They’re hitting 50% from 3 and you want zone?

 

[PassingBy]

View attachment 23630

Good thing they aren't shooting well

Who are "they"?

 

[WeWillWhen]

Poor game plan, terrible execution. Yuck.

 

[illinigiant80]

Great news! HGTV is running an episode of how to properly watch paint dry if anyone is interested.

Paints actually drying in my bathroom right now. More exciting!

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

For a ‘defensive-minded’ team, we’ve given up more career nights to opponents this year than in the last few combined. We’re lacking that Trent/DMFW complete lock-down defender.

We specifically struggle with aggressive, scoring guards. Like you said, we've seen this before. I pointed out the importance of Epps tonight. He's really been a no show on both ends, BUT he's a freshman getting take to school by a Senior. That's been the common theme.

 

[Bigtex]

Problem is Illini can’t handle perimeter pressure, so no flow to the offense and they’re left with off-balanced 3s.

Can’t handle double team in the post either

 

[Dragons89]

How in the world did this group defeat Texas and UCLA

Didn’t TSJ go off from 3 against Texas….look it up. 8 of 9 or something like that. Air ball city since.

 

[USAFILLINI]

What are you hoping Underwood can do? He can't play for them. Turnovers, missed free throws, missing uncontested threes, not fighting through screens....as a coach, you can put them in a position to succeed, but ultimately the players need to execute. It's really that simple.

When 20% of the teams you play have a player go off for a record it’s fair to say there’s a coaching deficiency there

 

[Manual3for4peat]

When 20% of the teams you play have a player go off for a record it’s fair to say there’s a coaching deficiency there

Again. How has he won more games than anyone else in the league the last four years while being so dumb?

 

[TonyClifton]

Didn’t TSJ go off from 3 against Texas….look it up. 8 of 9 or something like that. Air ball city since.

That was UCLA

 

[EyeoftheIllini]

And yet, who has won more games the last four years in the big ten?

Shhhhhh. Don’t you know if team plays well it is all the players, and if team plays poorly it is Brad getting out coached.

 

[Illini8420]

The blueprint to beating us is simple: launch threes and then let us shoot threes

 

[BlindLoyalty]

How in the world did this group defeat Texas and UCLA

1 missed FT and 8/9 from 3.

 

[Illini 25]

Poor shooting undisciplined team against a very good defense in NW. Horrible recipe for success.

 

[IlliniMike_Aurora]

Our head coach is NOT a defensive genius by any means. How many opposing players have had career games against us?

Add to that:
- Lack of 3-point shooting
- Miserable FT shooting
- Turnovers

WOW. I'm a realist, and I'm officially now in "Wait til Next Year" mode.

Your first line says it all _ thank you

 

[bavanga3]

Buie is out scoring the entire team and he still is getting open shots and is not getting trapped... Why?

Because Underwood's mentality is let their best player beat you. Burns him every time and he doesn't like to adjust. Aboslute stubborn season momentum killing type of mentality. No coaches on any level of sports subacribes to that logic.

 

[EyeoftheIllini]

Can’t handle double team in the post either

Yep, the un perfect storm.

 

[FlotownIllini]

*peeks at the box score one last time*

Wow, that's impressive. I wish it were in a good way. This year was one wild experiment, eh, folks?

Gotta hope that the right lessons are being learned from the results of this experiment.

 

[Manual3for4peat]

Shhhhhh. Don’t you know if team plays well it is all the players, and if team plays poorly it is Brad getting out coached.

So frustrating after the two guys we just had and where we were that our fanbase can be this way. Smdh.

 

[WyattEarp]

BU is a good evaluator of Rae T. But I don’t agree with who he at an he gets out coached too often

Ya lost me?

 

[InDaAZ]

On a positive note, we are outshooting them on twos, 60% to 24%

 

[BashCtIllini]

this team clearly has no confidence to shoot the 3, probably because they're horrible at it. But when you pass up good looks within the flow of the offense just to then make a move that stifles the offense, it's the scramble drill from there.

Underwood needs to bring in SHOOTERS. I don't care if they can't move, we need someone that can make an open look. I don't care how tall you are, I don't care how fast you are, or how high you can jump, can you shoot the damn ball? Can you make a damn FT?

I've just never seen a team take so many 3s and make so few

 

[azillini1]

Didn’t TSJ go off from 3 against Texas….look it up. 8 of 9 or something like that. Air ball city since.

Good 3 point shooting in 2nd half. We have rarely seen good 3 pt shooting since then

 

[Oldskoolkoach]

I guess if we hit 1 out of 10 threes in the 2nd half we can say we are on fire....