He can petition for a second redshirt if the first was due to injury, but it was not.
Illini Basketball 2018-2019
- Status
Ok...I would agree with that...I think a great deal of the time our line up will be dictated by the personnel the other team has on the floor, (more so than usual)...I think anytime we can play small (press trapping get the ball out and run style of play) that's what BU would like to do....but playing Kane, DeLaRosa, Higgs will limit our ability to play that way
Smith started struggling when he revealed that he can't shoot. His overall lack of explosiveness later in the year compounded this issue because they were able to play off and completely take away his ability to drive. With all of the struggles he had last year, if he could have made an outside shot with consistency, he would have played more, been more successful and probably wouldn't have transferred (jmo). He was best suited offensively with the ball in his hands but he wasn't a creator and struggled due to the above. So that was bad for business and he couldn't figure out a way to function off the ball and didn't have the lateral quickness to guard his position. He just really looked out of place by the end and had no idea how to play his role mentally and physically.
If a player initially redshirts, without injury, then gets injured a separate year, you're saying they cannot gain that year of eligibility back? For example, a player RS his freshman year. Right before his 5th year, he tears an ACL. You're saying they cannot petition for a second RS due to injury because the first one was non injury related?
That's correct to the best of my understanding. The only situation in which you are allowed a 6th year is when BOTH of the missed years were medical red-shirts (see Tracy Abrams). It's one of the reasons taking a red-shirt with no medical reason is risk.
I keep seeing references to Higgs playing the 5 and I don't really see him as a 5, or at least no more than Giorgi who is seldom mentioned. As I recall Underwood talked about Higgs as an inside/outside player when he committed. Seems like he's firmly in the 4 spot from a skill/size standpoint. Now with DeLaRosa being in questionable health and Samba being the only other true 5, I understand there will be some filling-in by players from other positions. And playing smaller lineups is becoming more common so I'm sure if he plays, he could get SOME time at the 5. I guess there's a lot of wait and see with this team as we have basically no established players but not expecting many minutes of Higgs at all, and not at the 5 much.
Dan
Admin
B1G schedule set to be released tomorrow, and today Jon Rothstein is leaking out the early December league matchups.
Source: Illinois will host Ohio State as part of part of the Big Ten's early season conference games in December. The game will be played in Chicago and not in Champaign. [twitter]
Source: Nebraska will host Illinois on Sunday 12/2 as part of the Big Ten's early season conference games. [twitter]
Source: Illinois will host Ohio State as part of part of the Big Ten's early season conference games in December. The game will be played in Chicago and not in Champaign. [twitter]
Source: Nebraska will host Illinois on Sunday 12/2 as part of the Big Ten's early season conference games. [twitter]
Playing tOSU in Chicago sounds like a great recipe for an unfriendly crowd and a beatdown.
It also in no way helps us with recruiting.
Higgs will not be a 5 Eva!....He is a four with some 3 skills. If Higgs ever plays the 5 for us for prolonged periods of time, we will not be fairing very well.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Not sure I agree ... the issue for us with the United Center lately was that we were mostly playing opponents that weren't going to inspire huge crowds. We are not THAT far removed from very good crowds at the UC, guys. I think it would be very stupid to just completely get rid of our presence there, and we were having trouble getting a good non-conference matchup. So, of the Big Ten foes, who is best? Let's go down the list of the other options:
Indiana - Too close to Chicago, don't want to give them the attention
Iowa - Too close to Chicago, don't want to give them the attention
Michigan - Would have been a decent pick, as well
MSU - Would have been a decent pick, as well
Minnesota - Would not have drawn the same UI crowd and would have brought fewer fans than OSU will
Nebraska - Would not have drawn the same UI crowd and would have brought fewer fans than OSU will
Northwestern - WAY too close to Chicago, and DEFINITELY don't want to give them the attention AND they would have brought fewer fans than OSU will
Penn State - Would not have drawn the same UI crowd and would have brought fewer fans than OSU will
Purdue - Too close to Chicago, don't want to give them the attention
Rutgers - Would not have drawn the same UI crowd and would have brought fewer fans than OSU will
Wisconsin - Too close to Chicago, don't want to give them the attention
IMO, our decent choices were pretty much Michigan, MSU or OSU, and OSU is the farthest from Chicago/is the least likely to outdraw us at our own home game. The United Center game should achieve three things in a perfect world:
1) Broadcast Illinois as a sort of "home team" for Chicagoland ... to do this, you need a good opponent that will inspire Illini fans to show up, as an empty arena does the opposite. You also need to not invite a team who has its own claim to Chicagoland (e.g., Northwestern), and you also can't broadcast it as a Braggin' Rights type setup where you effectively admit the other team is also a Chicagoland team like MU does for us in St. Louis (e.g., Notre Dame with a split crowd).
2) Put on a show for recruits ... to do this, you need a good opponent to draw interest. It would also be VERY, VERY nice to actually win, LOL.
3) (Re-)engage our Chicago area fans with Illini athletics. To do this, you need a good opponent that will make them want to show up, and you can't lose every year, or no one will come back.
The common theme is you want a good team that is beatable and won't outbuy Illini fans when it comes to tickets.
Finding a "perfect" opponent is hard. You can go for a win above all else vs. a Rutgers type, but nobody will show up. You can try to go for the highest attendance/most hype possible and get MSU, but you're likely going to get killed. Ohio State might be the best combination of a team that will inspire a good crowd but also one that we could beat if we are shooting lights out that night or something.
The only bad outcome for a UC game is having low attendance and losing to a bad team at the same time.
The only thing you have absolute control of is the quality of the opponent. We succeeded here, let's go try and win now.
The only thing you have absolute control of is the quality of the opponent. We succeeded here, let's go try and win now.
Unless we administer the beatdown.
TownieMatt
CU Expat
- Chicago
Jeez, Negative Nancy's in the house.
While I'd rather have no early season conference games at all, I'm excited to play a big-time opponent in Chicago again.
While I'd rather have no early season conference games at all, I'm excited to play a big-time opponent in Chicago again.
Is Ohio State going to be that good next year? In Bates-Diop and Tate they lost 2 of their top 3 scorers and their top 2 rebounders. I think they also lost Kam Williams who was a big scorer for them in NCAA tourney. I know Diop killed us last year and think Tate had a pretty good game -- and we didn't lose by much. I know they had a pretty good recruiting class, but sounds like a chance for a victory to me.
Unfortunately as wide open as we are at the 5, and as much depth as we have at the wing, I bet Higgs spends more time at the 5 this year than the 4 & it is possible he is in the rotation at the 5.
As I was saying...
Illinois has approximately 78,000 alums in Chicago and tOSU 5,500. Last year's 2 teams (UI & NW) with the largest B1G alumni base in Chicago only drew less than 8,000 to Rosemont in December.
Deleted member 631370
D
Guest
But it's a conference game. The alternative is playing the game in Champaign. Are we mandated to play a conference game in Chicago?
We are at a point in our program where every win matters, and in this case, we just lowered the chances of getting a key win by moving a home game to Chicago. Great move.
Would have liked to have had an early season Chicago game on the weekend too. ... Illinois should push to have a Chicago BIG game played during the winter break (when the Hall always seems empty) if they could. The place would be packed between students in the area and alums looking for an excuse to get away from work.How do you feel about playing on Wednesday night, December 5th?
Eh, I’d rather have an undersized guy in there with some skill rather than a true big who has no idea how to play. This is all theoretical because we know nothing about Higgs, Samba, or Giorgi. Black is also not a 5 but he played it quite a bit. If Higgs is clearly more talented than Samba and Giorgi then I would hope BU plays him at the 5 and figures out how to make it work.
I am interested to see what the attendance looks like against Ohio State. I, too, wish it were a weekend game. But midweek puts a damper on things. My early guess is 10,000 but I think that number could swing another 3,000 either way depending on how the season starts for both teams.
C'mon man...."Draymond" Higgs can play the 5 if he wants to. He is above the rim all night....just watch
Seriously, a kid that big who can spring like he does, may surprise us all.
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