Game Thread: Illinois vs UConn

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#801      
Juju
Ugh. I completely forgot this was a late-morning game, just turned the game on a few mins ago expecting to see at least a semi-close game, and we're back in the 2024 Elite Eight game. Always nice to see progress...🤦
 
#803      
stlrunner
CleverHandle1 said:
I take it Petro isn't playing because he can't play defense.

The whole team struggles playing defense, so BU might as well put him in
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He hasn't exactly been lighting it up offensively today though, either. Sure...he's quick and it looks more fun, but he's 0-3 from the field with 2 turnovers and 2 personal fouls. But he's a complete mess on defense, and you gotta get stops to come back from this deficit.
 
#804      
IllinoisGrad0609
This should be the last time the national media gives Illinois any attention for the foreseeable future.
This team is nowhere close to a top 15 team.
 
#805      
RML
I do think that nba line messes our guys up. Have we tried one yet from the COLLEGE line?

(Maybe we should put that pro line down in the sfc the week before we play in an arena that has line.)
 
#807      
Second place is 1st loser
CoachHooleyHoo said:
Teams have found our Achilles heel on D…running high pick/curl and we’re just getting torched every time a team runs that. Was Crocker really much of an upgrade?
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No, he wasn't and not his fault. Hamer took the defensive heat last year and it wasn't his fault then. Unless they 100% commit to a zone, we'll pretty much Iowa on steroids with our recruiting philosophy.

It's the recruiting. We're going to be saying these exact same things next week in Nashville. It's just a different caliber of athletes that we're playing against.

The mental mistakes are frustrating. The rest of it is just their guys being better than our guys.
 
#809      
CDRUSN
There's likely more Sasquatch sightings today than made Illini threes. This offense is ponderous man, ponderous.

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#810      
IlliniRon
Poor 6-9 Mirk is looking like he’s 6-2 today. Has no chance to finish at the rim.
 
#813      
FloridaMan
OrangeBlue98 said:
The Alabama game and this game have to make one thing clear. You just can't run out a bunch of skilled, unathletic guys in major college basketball and expect to contend for a Final Four. I'm all in favor of having skill. We saw what happened with Houston last year when they finally met a team that was skilled. But this roster construction isn't going to work. Even Florida, who has a similar mindset to Illinois when it comes to roster construction, had a significant advantage in athletic ability with their bigs and with Clayton.

At some point, you have to be able to compete athletically enough to at least mitigate that issue and allow your skill to take over.
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Yep. We have a team full of complimentary skilled players with no tough, athletic dogs (Lee may fall in this category, but is a FR). Can't win at this level with a team constructed like this.
 
#815      
CleverHandle1
stlrunner said:
He hasn't exactly been lighting it up offensively today though, either. Sure...he's quick and it looks more fun, but he's 0-3 from the field with 2 turnovers and 2 personal fouls. But he's a complete mess on defense, and you gotta get stops to come back from this deficit.
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Did you type "stops?"

Have you seen the Alabama and now this game? Stops? LOL!!!!
 
#820      
HailtotheChief
Fighter of the Nightman said:
UConn is better than we are, but they’re BEGGING us to make this a real game … and we’re refusing, lol. Hit open threes!!!!
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I am not sure how much"better" they are but they are home and today they are making 3s when they get good looks from three. We are not. I think our guys are capable of making these shot but they haven't today. Also, Tomi needs to wake up and get going . The NBA stuff can stop for now.
 
#821      
NarrowJ
TheodoreRex said:
Even watch the sidelines during the game- Hurley standing up, directing, communicating, yelling.. Brad, sitting sulking.. pacing looking like a sad puppy dog. Brad talks a big game about being tough.. tough this, tough that... Just completely out toughed against bama and Uconn. Over it.
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Guess you’ve never seen Dan Hurley when he’s losing

As sore of a loser as there ever was
 
#823      
Pikeillinifan
TheodoreRex said:
Even watch the sidelines during the game- Hurley standing up, directing, communicating, yelling.. Brad, sitting sulking.. pacing looking like a sad puppy dog. Brad talks a big game about being tough.. tough this, tough that... Just completely out toughed against bama and Uconn. Over it.
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There really is no in-game coaching or adjustments.

But we've seen this enough to know this is how it is, and will be. Maybe we get lucky in the tourney and go on a heater. We won't get to a Final Four with superior coaching; we need a couple of guys to get hot late in the year to do anything.
 
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