Illini Basketball 2021-2022

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#76      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
Love Curbelo. I still think he has to show a legit threat from 3 to get to the first round...so I'm gonna be stingy and stay with my 3 year then lottery pick!

But if he accelerates that by a year...we are going to be really....really hard to beat.
 
#79      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
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That's nice to see but too bad that we have to wait until the end of the season for it.
 
#80      
Love Curbelo. I still think he has to show a legit threat from 3 to get to the first round...so I'm gonna be stingy and stay with my 3 year then lottery pick!

But if he accelerates that by a year...we are going to be really....really hard to beat.
Don't know what the NBA wants height wise, but yeah, Curbelo with a 3 point shot of at least 30% would be nearly unstoppable at our level, IMO. Hopefully he improved that in the off-season
 
#82      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It took some time for Brad Underwood to come to grips with Illinois’ second-round loss to Loyola in last season’s NCAA Tournament. It took even longer for Illinois’ head coach to rewatch it.
Underwood, while sitting in the press room Friday at State Farm Center, knew he couldn’t make it through the Illini’s media day and first day of practice without addressing that 71-58 loss.
“You know, I’ve just literally watched the last game, the Loyola game, just literally watched it,” Underwood said. “It’s taken me a while to kind of process that, but the only way I know how to do it is let’s get back in the (NCAA Tournament) and go do it again.

“You look around the history of college basketball, every great program has had a hiccup, has had a game that, man, it’s unexplainable. But I think that’s what’s driving our guys and helping motivate them.”

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I'm ready for the season to begin and continue on in the rise of Illini pride once again............................
 
#88      

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It took some time for Brad Underwood to come to grips with Illinois’ second-round loss to Loyola in last season’s NCAA Tournament. It took even longer for Illinois’ head coach to rewatch it.
Underwood, while sitting in the press room Friday at State Farm Center, knew he couldn’t make it through the Illini’s media day and first day of practice without addressing that 71-58 loss.
“You know, I’ve just literally watched the last game, the Loyola game, just literally watched it,” Underwood said. “It’s taken me a while to kind of process that, but the only way I know how to do it is let’s get back in the (NCAA Tournament) and go do it again.

“You look around the history of college basketball, every great program has had a hiccup, has had a game that, man, it’s unexplainable. But I think that’s what’s driving our guys and helping motivate them.”

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I'm ready for the season to begin and continue on in the rise of Illini pride once again............................

I realize this is a very well-trod topic but as a huge BU fan I am disappointed to see he's just getting around to watching that game. Lessons learned from that game should accounted for in the strategy as early as possible.
 
#90      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
I realize this is a very well-trod topic but as a huge BU fan I am disappointed to see he's just getting around to watching that game. Lessons learned from that game should accounted for in the strategy as early as possible.

If only we had had Nick Irvin on staff.

Seriously, if this is the nit we have to pick, we should be counting our blessings.
 
#92      
Why wouldn't Coach Underwood play the freshmen??
Think about this for just a second "if you don't play the freshmen". (That is the true question..)
So let's walk through that question below?? I would like to hear everyone's take....

"How will the program look next year if they don't play the freshmen this year?? (except blowout games) because you have to much veteran experience (that will be leaving after this year)
 
#93      
Why wouldn't Coach Underwood play the freshmen??
Think about this for just a second "if you don't play the freshmen". (That is the true question..)
So let's walk through that question below?? I would like to hear everyone's take....

"How will the program look next year if they don't play the freshmen this year?? (except blowout games) because you have to much veteran experience (that will be leaving after this year)
Brad is going to play to win. Our veteran players give us a very high floor. The best 7-8 guys are going to get the Lion's share of the minutes. It is certainly possible that one or more of the freshmen will be in that group, but they are going to be at a disadvantage being new to the system. Brad has a short leash for defensive mistakes. It will be a challenge to keep everyone happy, but its a good problem to have.
Hopefully, the guys that aren't in the rotation keep the big picture in mind. This roster will look very different this time next year. It is very well within the realm of possibility that a guy who barley plays this season is a starter next year.
 
#94      
He's saying he watched it just before the press conference, not that it was the first time.
Tons of time have transpired between this article and now, but those prior press remarks lend credence to sp's interpretation of BU's remarks.

Seriously, if this is the nit we have to pick, we should be counting our blessings.
Everything is relative, of course, but I'd say it's pretty warranted to want your head coach to review what caused such a lopsided defeat on the biggest of stages. Just like you'd want him to assess what's happening on the court in real time and adjust/counter. All the more important to do the former when the latter didn't happen. Not nitpicky in the slightest.
 
#95      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
Everything is relative, of course, but I'd say it's pretty warranted to want your head coach to review what caused such a lopsided defeat on the biggest of stages. Just like you'd want him to assess what's happening on the court in real time and adjust/counter. All the more important to do the former when the latter didn't happen. Not nitpicky in the slightest.

Not to be nitpicky, but I was using nit as synonym for criticism.

FWLIW, I think Underwood stubbed his toe, big time, with Loyola.
 
#96      

Epsilon

M tipping over
Pdx
Brad is going to play to win. Our veteran players give us a very high floor. The best 7-8 guys are going to get the Lion's share of the minutes. It is certainly possible that one or more of the freshmen will be in that group, but they are going to be at a disadvantage being new to the system. Brad has a short leash for defensive mistakes. It will be a challenge to keep everyone happy, but its a good problem to have.
Hopefully, the guys that aren't in the rotation keep the big picture in mind. This roster will look very different this time next year. It is very well within the realm of possibility that a guy who barley plays this season is a starter next year.
I would also like to add that even if someone is not playing many active minutes while they are learning the system, they are getting high quality practice time going up against high caliber talent that do know the system. As long as everyone is pulling together and looking out for the future by helping them along, that’s a win-win. How many minutes of practice are there for every game minute? I bet it’s a fair amount. It’s not sexy but it matters - a lot. Also, everyone needs to be ready when the next man up is needed. I also believe that as the season wears on and everyone becomes familiar with the system, the playing field is significantly leveled. If a freshman has the talent and is willing to put in the work, it will work itself out. BU has been willing to play freshman before and I don’t see any reason that will change.
 
#97      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
He's saying he watched it just before the press conference, not that it was the first time.
JMHO , but I believe he is really saying he watched it for the first time before media day....He has stated in numerous pressers that he hasn't watched the game and that is how I took it.........Literally has that meaning , to me at least , that he hadn't ever before watched the game.......Doesn't mean anything other than it hurt him so bad , but he knew there would be questions about that game and wanted to be prepared......I remember seeing him say " I haven't watched it yet " many times....

Now you might know for a fact that he has , but I'll take BU at his word.....
 
#98      
I found the BU not watching the game to be a tad jarring at first. At the same time, it was crap and he can have one of his 300K assistants do that heavy lift. I'm presuming some number of organization people have watched it to get necessary action items for players.
 
#99      
JMHO , but I believe he is really saying he watched it for the first time before media day....He has stated in numerous pressers that he hasn't watched the game and that is how I took it.........Literally has that meaning , to me at least , that he hadn't ever before watched the game.......Doesn't mean anything other than it hurt him so bad , but he knew there would be questions about that game and wanted to be prepared......I remember seeing him say " I haven't watched it yet " many times....

Now you might know for a fact that he has , but I'll take BU at his word.....
You are right, I remember him saying this now, so there's a chance this is his first time. I don't blame him for having not watched it yet, I'm sure he knows every detail of how it went down while experiencing it first hand. Practice just started, I'm sure he will address it with his staff and determine ways to counter it soon enough as like I said he probably hasn't had too many moments these past few months where he hasn't thought about that game.
 
#100      
Not to be nitpicky, but I was using nit as synonym for criticism.

FWLIW, I think Underwood stubbed his toe, big time, with Loyola.
I don’t think Ayo was himself that game (maybe still banged up from a serious concussion and some hits to the head in the BTT), and whomever had the scout let Loyola dictate the pace of the game inexplicably.

That said, Brad is right that ALL big programs that have cut down the nets have had inexplicable, awful losses in the tourney and bounced back. Duke/Belmont? Kansas/Northern Iowa? NOVA/[insert a number of second round losses when a 1 or 2 seed in last decade], etc.

The pain from the Loyola loss is magnified, in my view, because it was the first dance in a long while and previous 1 seeds had deep runs. Brad will have us dancing every year, and it’s that sustained success that gives you a chance to break through. Hopefully it happens; I haven’t felt this good about the program’s year-over-year potential in forever.
 
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