Illini Basketball 2023-2024

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#101      
The saving grace for a potentially clunky, unorganized offense this season will be A) Ty handles the role better than people are expecting, B) we are an above average shooting team, or C) Shannon goes All-American mode and puts the team on his back when/if the offense doesn't gel.
A2) DGL plays very well and or Harmon plays close to like he did in the NIT.
I really hope DGL and or Harmon do because Ty or Harris just can't be our primary ball handler down the stretch given how they shoot FTs. They may improve but its unrealistic to think they are going to more than double that percentage from last year to get close to 70 percent. DGL has a great looking, arcing shot.
 
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#102      

illini80

Forgottonia
Also we will have a fair number of good secondary playmakers. TJ and Coleman were our top 2 assist guys last year, getting almost 6 a game collectively. Domask got almost 4. Harmon almost 3. We should be a better passing team next year.
I agree. The fact that we have so many veterans gives me hope that Ty doesn’t have to shine. Everyone else should know their role and where to be which will make his job much easier. Last year was such a mess with guys just standing around watching. The freshman PG’s were not up to the task, but the others made their job more difficult.
 
#103      

Bigtex

DFW
Also we will have a fair number of good secondary playmakers. TJ and Coleman were our top 2 assist guys last year, getting almost 6 a game collectively. Domask got almost 4. Harmon almost 3. We should be a better passing team next year.
Hopefully new additions help offense flow better. TSJ and Coleman were also top 2 turnover guys last year.
 
#104      
I agree. The fact that we have so many veterans gives me hope that Ty doesn’t have to shine. Everyone else should know their role and where to be which will make his job much easier. Last year was such a mess with guys just standing around watching. The freshman PG’s were not up to the task, but the others made their job more difficult.
Well, I hope Hawk and TSJ do a not less primary ball handling. They are ok dribbling the ball but that did it too much.. Yes they had a number if assist but also a bunch of turnovers. I would be surprised if they had a good assist to turnover ratio.
 
#105      
I agree. The fact that we have so many veterans gives me hope that Ty doesn’t have to shine. Everyone else should know their role and where to be which will make his job much easier. Last year was such a mess with guys just standing around watching. The freshman PG’s were not up to the task, but the others made their job more difficult.
This.
 
#106      
The saving grace for a potentially clunky, unorganized offense this season will be A) Ty handles the role better than people are expecting, B) we are an above average shooting team, or C) Shannon goes All-American mode and puts the team on his back when/if the offense doesn't gel.
Compared to all D1 teams, we were actually a slightly above average shooting team despite the horrendous perimeter shooting. We lost 13 (16.5 if you want to include Skyy) three attempts per game from Mayer, Epps, and RJ with that group averaging 30.5% from 3. With a healthy Goode and a group of transfers that shot almost 35% collectively, I expect that alone to have a substantial impact on our offense.
 
#107      
Agreed!!! I would get mad at Coleman as much as anyone, but at times it seemed like he was turning the ball over on purpose.

Now, hear me out on this. It seems like he was passive aggressively saying. “Here!!!! Here, where I just threw that ball is where you are SUPPOSED to be!!!!” Or, “This is the passing lane YOU gave me, because you are just STANDING. So fine I’ll throw it in this passing lane!.”

Obviously, I am being somewhat facetious. But our stagnant offense was ridiculous at times.
 
#108      
Agreed!!! I would get mad at Coleman as much as anyone, but at times it seemed like he was turning the ball over on purpose.

Now, hear me out on this. It seems like he was passive aggressively saying. “Here!!!! Here, where I just threw that ball is where you are SUPPOSED to be!!!!” Or, “This is the passing lane YOU gave me, because you are just STANDING. So fine I’ll throw it in this passing lane!.”

Obviously, I am being somewhat facetious. But our stagnant offense was ridiculous at times.
As my friend would often say..."Hawkins will sometimes pass to an imaginary friend"
 
#109      
The Illini did not have a PG last year. Epps was a Combo Guard trying to play Point. Epps averaged 1.5 assists a game. Ty Rodgers averaged 1 and he was not trying to set people up, as a PG. He should be a huge upgrade in the assist department. I Love his game, he is a special talent. His hustle and desire more than makes up for any shortcomings he may have.
 
#110      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
He should be a huge upgrade in the assist department.
The thing I continually want to stress is that EVEN IF THAT IS TRUE the lack of a ballhandling, offense-initiating, opposing PG-checking guard still leaves the roster with hair-on-fire deficiencies that will leave us much much weaker than we would be with just a competent rotation option that filled that spot.

Life is too short and I've got football number fonts to worry about right now, but the 2023-24 Illini are totally, unavoidably screwed and I can't even emotionally engage with how that's been allowed to happen, it's beyond human comprehension.

His hustle and desire more than makes up for any shortcomings he may have.
Spoken like a true sports poster
 
#112      
The Illini did not have a PG last year. Epps was a Combo Guard trying to play Point. Epps averaged 1.5 assists a game. Ty Rodgers averaged 1 and he was not trying to set people up, as a PG. He should be a huge upgrade in the assist department. I Love his game, he is a special talent. His hustle and desire more than makes up for any shortcomings he may have.
1000%. Not sure why the board isn’t stoked on Ty at PG after seeing what he could do in HS and the U17 World Tournament (?) as a facilitator. This guy was in a select group of kids overseas and he’s just scratching the surface. What how much the game slows down for him next year. And he has elite level athleticism. The board is rough in their assessment of Ty in my eyes. He’s going to dominate this coming year. Book it.
 
#114      
The thing I continually want to stress is that EVEN IF THAT IS TRUE the lack of a ballhandling, offense-initiating, opposing PG-checking guard still leaves the roster with hair-on-fire deficiencies that will leave us much much weaker than we would be with just a competent rotation option that filled that spot.

Life is too short and I've got football number fonts to worry about right now, but the 2023-24 Illini are totally, unavoidably screwed and I can't even emotionally engage with how that's been allowed to happen, it's beyond human comprehension.


Spoken like a true sports poster
I've got more hope than you.

Let's take the PG-checking. Let's just see how that works out. Could be a disaster. But good instincts, good fundamentals, and size can change a lot.

We shouldn't be here. But we don't actually know yet where here is.
 
#115      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Not sure why the board isn’t stoked on Ty at PG after seeing what he could do...as a facilitator.
Because those aren't the same thing.

The Showtime Lakers had Magic Johnson but they also had Byron Scott. The Heat had Lebron James but they also had Mario Chalmers.

Our best 5 just isn't a basketball team, it's not going to work.
 
#116      
Not picking on any specific poster, but I keep hearing Ty ran point for the U17 team. While that is good experience (and certainly better than none for sure), most of the games were blowouts and he was not facing anything close to a competent Big10 defense while doing so. In addition, he was surrounded by extremely talented players who could all, to a man, get their own shots whenever they wanted. In other words, Ty running point for that team is pretty irrelevant in my estimation. No one hopes more than I that he is effective at the position, but to say it is a sure thing that folks should have no worries about is over - the - top optimism.
 
#118      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
Not picking on any specific poster, but I keep hearing Ty ran point for the U17 team. While that is good experience (and certainly better than none for sure), most of the games were blowouts and he was not facing anything close to a competent Big10 defense while doing so. In addition, he was surrounded by extremely talented players who could all, to a man, get their own shots whenever they wanted. In other words, Ty running point for that team is pretty irrelevant in my estimation. No one hopes more than I that he is effective at the position, but to say it is a sure thing that folks should have no worries about is over - the - top optimism.

Who is saying Ty @ PG is a sure thing?
 
#119      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
The thing I continually want to stress is that EVEN IF THAT IS TRUE the lack of a ballhandling, offense-initiating, opposing PG-checking guard still leaves the roster with hair-on-fire deficiencies that will leave us much much weaker than we would be with just a competent rotation option that filled that spot.

Life is too short and I've got football number fonts to worry about right now, but the 2023-24 Illini are totally, unavoidably screwed and I can't even emotionally engage with how that's been allowed to happen, it's beyond human comprehension.


Spoken like a true sports poster

I respect your pessimism, particularly in this case....but the bolded is just over the top hyperbole.

Even if it's only a 50% chance that Ty and/or DGL is an average B1G PG.....hell even a 10% chance.....there is still at least a reasonable chance that this comes together in a more than manageable form.
 
#122      

band camp

STL City
Ty Rodgers himself said he was the starting point guard in an interview within the past month if I remember correctly
Phil Hartman Yes GIF
 
#124      
It's so obvious what is going to happen this season.
For the last 3-4 years the expectation has been around, "Final 4" territory. With every year having at least 1-2 players that are expected to dominate (and end up doing nothing).
Now that the expectations are low, I'm expecting DGL to be All BIG10 and be the best PG we have had in years.
 
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