When was the last time we were ranked ahead of Duke in the pre season poll. We should be ranked ahead of Wisconsin.
It doesn’t matter, with the surplus of guards we have the opportunity is at the 4. In theory, on offense 3/4 is the same. On defense & rebounding we need help at the 4.Supposedly he's got an offensive skill set to play the 3 with a good outside shot and the ability to slash to the hoop. If he's got the quickness to defend an opposing 3 he'd also be a great mismatch.
No second team? I’d take my chances with Gill, Battle/Powell, Head, Augustine/Hamilton, Bardo against that 5. Might not be better, but would be more than competitive.Trying to ascertain how much our orange lens are affecting our judgement of the talent on this team I took the starters from 1988-89 and 2004-05 and made a lineup. Result was Dee, Deron, Ayo, Nick, and Kofi. No one else made the second team. I am sure others will have different opinions and our frosh might be considered very differently by time they leave. Hopefully the rest will be considered differently by the end of the season. (Did think Nick Anderson would be great as the 4th guard.)
My point was no current players would make the second team not that there were not other great players on those squads. Is there any player you just named who you wouldn’t love to have on this team?No second team? I’d take my chances with Gill, Battle/Powell, Head, Augustine/Hamilton, Bardo against that 5. Might not be better, but would be more than competitive.
The orange lens is real. Very real. But i think we're so starved for success that it's really understandable. As to your point - it makes you think. We're excited that we've got a deep team. But I feel like ONE star can take a team pretty far - see: Ja Morant. Having two legit NBA prospects in your starting 5 is Kentucky/Duke territory. They compete for a final four almost every year - they expect it. We don't, so we're wildly exuberant just to have the conversation. Keep the Kool-Aid coming.Trying to ascertain how much our orange lens are affecting our judgement of the talent on this team I took the starters from 1988-89 and 2004-05 and made a lineup. Result was Dee, Deron, Ayo, Nick, and Kofi. No one else made the second team. I am sure others will have different opinions and our frosh might be considered very differently by time they leave. Hopefully the rest will be considered differently by the end of the season. (Did think Nick Anderson would be great as the 4th guard.)
Trying to ascertain how much our orange lens are affecting our judgement of the talent on this team I took the starters from 1988-89 and 2004-05 and made a lineup. Result was Dee, Deron, Ayo, Nick, and Kofi. No one else made the second team. I am sure others will have different opinions and our frosh might be considered very differently by time they leave. Hopefully the rest will be considered differently by the end of the season. (Did think Nick Anderson would be great as the 4th guard.)
Ok, so that makes more sense and is more than fair. In fact I would say I confirmed your view with my choices. Both of those teams have the benefit of hindsight and they were good enough to take us to the final four. For us to be as good as those teams, we probably need a couple of Trent, Curbello, Miller, or someone else to be considered as worthy of at least your 2nd team at the end of the year.My point was no current players would make the second team not that there were not other great players on those squads. Is there any player you just named who you wouldn’t love to have on this team?
I think that based on the way we were playing going into the BTT suggests that we could have made a deep run in the tournament. Now that we have Ayo and Kofi back and presumab;y will be somewhat better year over year the big question is what is the balance of the rest of the team in losing Feliz, Griffin and Kipper and gaining Miller, Curbelo, Hutcherson, Grandison and Hawkins. If the newcomers outplay the departed then we shoul go far!Trying to ascertain how much our orange lens are affecting our judgement of the talent on this team I took the starters from 1988-89 and 2004-05 and made a lineup. Result was Dee, Deron, Ayo, Nick, and Kofi. No one else made the second team. I am sure others will have different opinions and our frosh might be considered very differently by time they leave. Hopefully the rest will be considered differently by the end of the season. (Did think Nick Anderson would be great as the 4th guard.)
Nothings been decided so as of now the schedule stands. If the football season crashes, they will start looking at basketball pretty quickly.I haven’t really been paying attention to the schedule, but is the season, as of right now, still supposed to start on time?
Even though we don’t want it pushed back, that would really be beneficial for our freshman in the weight room and the playbook.
Think there is a lot of upside possible on this team. Not discounting Giorgi being a star 4. He was asked to make a complete change in position and responsibilities last year and struggled to adapt. He was a star as a frosh and may be again. Same is true of Trent who carried the team his freshman year. Then you have Hutchison called the best athlete on the team and Grandison who some thought would have started last year if eligible. Then you add three frosh who seem extremely talented. My orange colored glasses have extremely fine vision, thank you.I think that based on the way we were playing going into the BTT suggests that we could have made a deep run in the tournament. Now that we have Ayo and Kofi back and presumab;y will be somewhat better year over year the big question is what is the balance of the rest of the team in losing Feliz, Griffin and Kipper and gaining Miller, Curbelo, Hutcherson, Grandison and Hawkins. If the newcomers outplay the departed then we shoul go far!
The comparison of these teams is always fun, and I have enjoyed the banter on WDWS comparing 05 and 89 when there has been nothing else to talk about. Frankly I would not yet put Ayo head of Battle or Gill, although we can be optimistic about this year. Kofi is maybe a stronger pick, but only because those teams all lacked a true 5. But for those teams' style, I'm not sure I would put Kofi ahead of Augie or Hamilton, but you could certainly make the case.
89 and 05 were not deep teams. If they were 89 would not have missed Kendall Gill in the middle of the year, and would not have suffered when Lowell was hobbled. Would have been nice in 05 to have been able to throw some more bodies onto May. Next years team could be deeper. So optimistically, we have two super stars, and will be deep. Certainly some more threats will help. I think you have to put Trent in there, he showed us he can play offense his freshman year, and last year worked on D. I think Miller will have his moments. The real wild cards in my opinion are the transfers, Grandison and Hutcherson. If Trent, Grandison and Hutcherson need to be game planned against, we will be more than OK.
An Illini team that is more similar to what I think this team will be than the two final four teams is the 01 team.
View attachment 6247
Legit team, number 1 NCAA seed
This years team is MUCH more talented at the back end. Melton, Mast, Cross, Thomas, even Jerrance wouldn't sniff the floor this year, ever. Smith would play about 5 minutes a game, if that.The comparison of these teams is always fun, and I have enjoyed the banter on WDWS comparing 05 and 89 when there has been nothing else to talk about. Frankly I would not yet put Ayo head of Battle or Gill, although we can be optimistic about this year. Kofi is maybe a stronger pick, but only because those teams all lacked a true 5. But for those teams' style, I'm not sure I would put Kofi ahead of Augie or Hamilton, but you could certainly make the case.
89 and 05 were not deep teams. If they were 89 would not have missed Kendall Gill in the middle of the year, and would not have suffered when Lowell was hobbled. Would have been nice in 05 to have been able to throw some more bodies onto May. Next years team could be deeper. So optimistically, we have two super stars, and will be deep. Certainly some more threats will help. I think you have to put Trent in there, he showed us he can play offense his freshman year, and last year worked on D. I think Miller will have his moments. The real wild cards in my opinion are the transfers, Grandison and Hutcherson. If Trent, Grandison and Hutcherson need to be game planned against, we will be more than OK.
An Illini team that is more similar to what I think this team will be than the two final four teams is the 01 team.
View attachment 6247
Legit team, number 1 NCAA seed, lost to Arizona in the rubber game of the season series in the regional final, and got Billy his dream job. This team goes REALLY, REALLY deep. Hopefully we will again. Kofi looks good against the final four teams, but how many minutes does he pull from Griffin and Cook as a soph. And Ayo would certainly play, but how again how many minutes would he pull form Bradford, Frank and Serg. And then somehow you have to deal with Arch, Krup and Lucas (see above comment about throwing some bodies onto May). Hopefully by the end of the year we see how this years team compares with this classic, one of the great Illinois teams that is lost in the 89 v. 05 debate. If our guys step up to where you could see playing time with this bunch, we will be just fine.
The comparison of these teams is always fun, and I have enjoyed the banter on WDWS comparing 05 and 89 when there has been nothing else to talk about. Frankly I would not yet put Ayo head of Battle or Gill, although we can be optimistic about this year. Kofi is maybe a stronger pick, but only because those teams all lacked a true 5. But for those teams' style, I'm not sure I would put Kofi ahead of Augie or Hamilton, but you could certainly make the case.
89 and 05 were not deep teams. If they were 89 would not have missed Kendall Gill in the middle of the year, and would not have suffered when Lowell was hobbled. Would have been nice in 05 to have been able to throw some more bodies onto May. Next years team could be deeper. So optimistically, we have two super stars, and will be deep. Certainly some more threats will help. I think you have to put Trent in there, he showed us he can play offense his freshman year, and last year worked on D. I think Miller will have his moments. The real wild cards in my opinion are the transfers, Grandison and Hutcherson. If Trent, Grandison and Hutcherson need to be game planned against, we will be more than OK.
An Illini team that is more similar to what I think this team will be than the two final four teams is the 01 team.
View attachment 6247
Legit team, number 1 NCAA seed, lost to Arizona in the rubber game of the season series in the regional final, and got Billy his dream job. This team goes REALLY, REALLY deep. Hopefully we will again. Kofi looks good against the final four teams, but how many minutes does he pull from Griffin and Cook as a soph. And Ayo would certainly play, but how again how many minutes would he pull form Bradford, Frank and Serg. And then somehow you have to deal with Arch, Krup and Lucas (see above comment about throwing some bodies onto May). Hopefully by the end of the year we see how this years team compares with this classic, one of the great Illinois teams that is lost in the 89 v. 05 debate. If our guys step up to where you could see playing time with this bunch, we will be just fine.
Tough to compare groups and eras, but from a college perspective, I keep thinking Kofi is much, much better for our roster than we might give him credit if we're looking at draft projections. He may have doubters there, but he's oh so good at the college level. Teams that had the personnel and game planned for him had success limiting his offensive game, but that was against a freshman. I expect he'll be even more of a load this season. He has a special combination of defensive skills, smart play, and physicality. The strides he made in his first year as an Illini were astonishing --never would have imagined his transformation.
I keep coming back to our outside shooting though. Illinois was dead last in the conference, and we lost AG, our best 3pt shooter. It's such a big part of the college game, and I go back and forth on whether we can overcome that.
Tough to compare groups and eras, but from a college perspective, I keep thinking Kofi is much, much better for our roster than we might give him credit if we're looking at draft projections. He may have doubters there, but he's oh so good at the college level. Teams that had the personnel and game planned for him had success limiting his offensive game, but that was against a freshman. I expect he'll be even more of a load this season. He has a special combination of defensive skills, smart play, and physicality. The strides he made in his first year as an Illini were astonishing --never would have imagined his transformation.
I keep coming back to our outside shooting though. Illinois was dead last in the conference, and we lost AG, our best 3pt shooter. It's such a big part of the college game, and I go back and forth on whether we can overcome that.