Illini Basketball 2021-2022

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#176      
+1000%. I think this team, as is, will be lucky to make the Sweet 16. We just get bogged down when our outside shots aren't falling because we have no one that can penetrate and create. Not to mention, Trent is the only high-level ball handler on the court.

Get Curbelo back and in top form by the tournament and a Final Four is realistically possible.
Hopefully he's watching plenty film and seeing where he can improve. He was not playing well before the concussion. If he learns to not over dribble and limit turnovers we definitely can be a FF squad.
 
#178      
I think Hutch would have provided a lot of what the team is lacking, offensively.
IDK, maybe he wasn’t healthy, but hutch really seemed lost earlier this year. Poor kid can’t catch a break. From what I saw, I don’t know that he would have been a huge help
 
#181      

BMoreIllini

Baltimore, MD
Love holding down the top spot all alone. Hopefully maintaining this spot motivates the guys on Monday.
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#182      
We're in good hands.
Wow
View attachment 14363
Love to see will need him to help fill in the massive hole Frazier will leave next season. Will desperately need ball handing and shooting. Hopefully Epps can help with that too but tough to count on freshman Are we assuming we'll never see Hutch again?
 
#184      

BMoreIllini

Baltimore, MD
I understand that 5 of our 6 B1G games have been against teams in the bottom 6 of the standings, but even so, we have an average margin of victory in B1G games of 16.5. Half of those games have been on the road, which we've seen can easily result in some upsets. We're winning the conference games that we are supposed to, and doing so handily (even if Mich and Neb were a bit ugly). I don't think you can say that about any other teams in the B1G right now.
 
#185      
I understand that 5 of our 6 B1G games have been against teams in the bottom 6 of the standings, but even so, we have an average margin of victory in B1G games of 16.5. Half of those games have been on the road, which we've seen can easily result in some upsets. We're winning the conference games that we are supposed to, and doing so handily (even if Mich and Neb were a bit ugly). I don't think you can say that about any other teams in the B1G right now.
True, another way to say it is that we haven't played 6 of the next 7 teams directly below us in the standings. Beat Purdue and we can add some separation from the rest of the pack because the schedule gets tougher in next stretch of games. It is hard to imagine not coming out of without a few losses.
 
#186      
True, another way to say it is that we haven't played 6 of the next 7 teams directly below us in the standings. Beat Purdue and we can add some separation from the rest of the pack because the schedule gets tougher in next stretch of games. It is hard to imagine not coming out of without a few losses.
I agree, the next 7 games are all tough!!! I'd take 5-2 out of that stretch. We'll be favored in most games and most teams won't be playing to save their season yet. Setting at 11-2 in mid February would have us at probably a #2 seed (with Curbelo back).
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#189      
True, another way to say it is that we haven't played 6 of the next 7 teams directly below us in the standings. Beat Purdue and we can add some separation from the rest of the pack because the schedule gets tougher in next stretch of games. It is hard to imagine not coming out of without a few losses.
No one is running the B10 gauntlet undefeated. Conference champ could have 5 or 6 losses.
 
#191      
IDK, maybe he wasn’t healthy, but hutch really seemed lost earlier this year. Poor kid can’t catch a break. From what I saw, I don’t know that he would have been a huge help
I don't disagree necessarily but I think he would have gotten better the more he played as the season progressed. But that is mere speculation.
 
#192      
The Big10 is not a superb conference this year. We've developed quickly into these tiers:

BIG10 Title contenders:
PUR (we can greatly damage their chances with a "W" on Monday)
ILL
MSU
WIS
OSU

Other NCAA Tourney teams:
IND
IOWA

Not-so-Good NCAA Bubble teams:
RUT
MICH
PSU

Bad Teams:
MD
MIN
NW
NEB

If I were to guess, I'm thinking Rutgers or Michigan gets hot and becomes the 8th conference bid to the big dance in March.
We know its balanced conference....when a Bad team (NW) beats title contender MSU on the road.

On that game....Maybe it was Christie's mom's NW Karma (she played for NW in late 90s).
 
#193      
Wanted to say this and landed it here. Having been an avid Illini hoops fan for 65 years, I have seen some kids play who I truly impressed me with their growth, dedication to succeed, determination to win, all while displaying admirable character. However, my GOAT who gets the trophy is Kofi. After seeing him play in high school, I was colored unimpressed. Watching him as a frosh, I was convinced that he had a ceiling no one could see...and expected that ceiling would never be approached. As a soph, his strength and conditioning were astonishing, his contributions as a teammate wonderful, but still he simply did not understand the game. This year, however, so many good things have appeared in his play that I am wondering if he can someday become an NBA All-Star. His willingness and growing recognition to get the ball to an open shooter when doubled is growing, his touch around the basket is improving to a high level, his free throw shooting is becoming mechanically and statistically quite acceptable, and his interviews delightful. Now I wonder and even think it is possible that this amazing young man could someday be money with a soft jumper from 15 ft. in. His improvement is simply astonishing. A well earned tip of the cap to an all-time Illini great.
 
#194      
I've been a little confused by the Ken Pom site of late, as his statistical methods project Illinois winning the B1G with a 15-5 record and no one else better than 13-7. Yet Purdue is ranked #5 in the country on his site. How can that be?

So, I looked at the conference only standings and it is much more apparent.
There is only ONE TEAM in the B1G playing as well in conference as they did pre-conference.
You know who it is, they wear orange and blue !!
Off
Effic
Def
Effic
Conf
Net
Season
Net
1​
Illinois116.291.924.324.4
2​
Mich St.107.196.910.218.8
3​
Purdue110.6100.79.926.4
4​
Indiana100.394.06.318.3
5​
Ohio St.107.4102.64.819.1
6​
Wisc104.5101.53.018.1
7​
Mich106.1105.40.716.9
8​
Rutgers101.2101.9(0.7)8.7
9​
Iowa110.3112.0(1.7)19.0
10​
Penn St.102.4105.2(2.8)10.7
11​
NW101.7105.6(3.9)13.3
12​
MD100.1106.7(6.6)9.8
13​
Minn99.5110.5(11.0)9.6
14​
Neb92.1118.2(26.1)0.3

I find this astonishing.
 
#195      
No one is running the B10 gauntlet undefeated. Conference champ could have 5 or 6 losses.

Yeah, I think our record is deceptive --it's so early in the race. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled with how well they've played, but it's VERY early. If you consider the most dangerous teams to be Purdue, MSU, Illini, Wiscy, tOSU, Iowa, Indiana, all of which are top-30 in Kenpom, and adding any games outside those teams that have been lost, then by that measure,

Illinois is only 1-0 with 8 to play
MSU is 0-1, with 8 to play
Purdue is 1-2, with 7 to play
tOSU is 1-2 with 5 to play
Wiscy is 4-1 with 5 to play

Wiscy is arguably in the strongest position.
 
#196      
Yeah, I think our record is deceptive --it's so early in the race. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled with how well they've played, but it's VERY early. If you consider the most dangerous teams to be Purdue, MSU, Illini, Wiscy, tOSU, Iowa, Indiana, all of which are top-30 in Kenpom, and adding any games outside those teams that have been lost, then by that measure,

Illinois is only 1-0 with 8 to play
MSU is 0-1, with 8 to play
Purdue is 1-2, with 7 to play
tOSU is 1-2 with 5 to play
Wiscy is 4-1 with 5 to play

Wiscy is arguably in the strongest position.
Good analysis. Thanks
 
#197      

DeonThomas

South Carolina
I've been a little confused by the Ken Pom site of late, as his statistical methods project Illinois winning the B1G with a 15-5 record and no one else better than 13-7. Yet Purdue is ranked #5 in the country on his site. How can that be?

So, I looked at the conference only standings and it is much more apparent.
There is only ONE TEAM in the B1G playing as well in conference as they did pre-conference.
You know who it is, they wear orange and blue !!
Off
Effic
Def
Effic
Conf
Net
Season
Net
1​
Illinois116.291.924.324.4
2​
Mich St.107.196.910.218.8
3​
Purdue110.6100.79.926.4
4​
Indiana100.394.06.318.3
5​
Ohio St.107.4102.64.819.1
6​
Wisc104.5101.53.018.1
7​
Mich106.1105.40.716.9
8​
Rutgers101.2101.9(0.7)8.7
9​
Iowa110.3112.0(1.7)19.0
10​
Penn St.102.4105.2(2.8)10.7
11​
NW101.7105.6(3.9)13.3
12​
MD100.1106.7(6.6)9.8
13​
Minn99.5110.5(11.0)9.6
14​
Neb92.1118.2(26.1)0.3

I find this astonishing.
The KenPom "rankings" don't include prognostications of future games. Rather, they reflect performance to-date. I think he does a great job. KemPom is my go-to resource.
 
#199      
I know we haven’t played the best teams yet, but our margin of victory is impressive in league games. We have an average margin of victory of 16.5 points in our six wins with all but one win in double digits.
 
#200      
Suspect that Dain and Omar would be able to play together as Dain can handle the ball and shoot. Don’t believe you can lose 5 starters (assuming Kofi and Jake are gone) and still be as good. However, everyone wrote off Whisky this year and they came back better. BU is still going to have some pieces next year and some interesting ones. How about a lineup of Dain, Omar, Hawk, Belo, and any of the current frosh? Don’t believe BU will write it off as a noncompete year.
 
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