Illini Basketball 2023-2024

LouDou · Jul 21, 2023

dbeverly26 said:
Yeah, drop coverage opens up a lot of stuff besides a mid-range pull-up. I'm sure Rodgers will enjoy having Dain's big ol' caboose seal off two defenders and open a path to get into the lane. Once the ball gets that deep and the d rotates you can do a lot of different things. It'd be great if he could develop a decent mid-range shot but it's not like he's gonna stand at the top of the key scratching his head while the rest of the team plays 4 on 5...

Now we are getting somewhere. Countering the counter can lead to a lot of good things. Rodgers lack of a proven outside shot is not the end of the world unless you let it be.

Of course in all fairness, I'm saying turn a pick and roll into other offensive maneuvers.

I'm more worried about him making free throws. Because he could get to the line...alot.

Joel Goodson · Jul 21, 2023

we have a slew of guys who can bring the ball up the floor (I prefer passing, but sometimes dribbling is unavoidable)

BWA · Jul 21, 2023

Joel Goodson said:
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1682477388855234561

Nice pass by DGL. He seems to be in every highlight.

PNWIllini · Jul 21, 2023

BretMyBeachHouse said:
1979 FIghting Illini

Unbeaten at 15-0, having just beaten Magic Johnson and MSU and about to be ranked #1 in the country before the injury.

Rap47 · Jul 21, 2023

PNWIllini said:
Unbeaten at 15-0, having just beaten Magic Johnson and MSU and about to be ranked #1 in the country before the injury.

What game did Lanter get hurt in?

C_Mac · Jul 21, 2023

Rap47 said:
What game did Lanter get hurt in?

Wasn’t it against OSU?

Rap47 · Jul 21, 2023

C_Mac said:
Wasn’t it against OSU?

I watched that game on TV and the Illini couldn't stop Herb Williams. I don't know if that was the game he got hurt.If they would have Won they would have been ranked #1

PepeSilvia · Jul 21, 2023

CoachHooleyHoo said:
That's only true if the screener's defender has to hedge until Rodgers' defender can get through the screen. If Rodgers' defender goes underneath, the screener's defender will just stay with his man...pick n pop is nullified. Again, I was only referencing Rodgers in this scenario. And let me just say...I love the way Rodgers plays the game. I think they'll have to run some different actions to get him in a position to attack the rim where he has a significant advantage.

If you're consistently going under the screens without hedging on Rodgers you're going to be giving a 6'6 200+ lb guy a lot of space to eat up and get inside while he's mostly matched up against a smaller defender that he can just back down. If Rodgers is playing point then Illinois is going to be able to run out lineups with everyone being 6'6+.

Also, it's not a new thing to have a PG that can't really shoot. Royce White ran a top 10 offense at Iowa state as a point forward that couldn't shoot. I also believe there was a year where the fat version of Draymond was basically playing point for MSU.

Flippy · Jul 21, 2023

Tevo said:
Can't think of too many Final Four teams where, if you took away one player, they would suddenly miss the tournament.

Indiana State, and that is about it for me.

Old Farm Illini · Jul 21, 2023

Flippy said:
Indiana State, and that is about it for me.

2011 Butler without either Shelvin Mack or Matt Howard.

This is fun!

christoph waltz television GIF by Saturday Night Live

PepeSilvia · Jul 21, 2023

Tevo said:
Can't think of too many Final Four teams where, if you took away one player, they would suddenly miss the tournament.

Honestly with how many Cinderella runs there have been lately there is likely a lot of teams that don't make the tournament without one player. The easy answer is the mid majors from low bid conferences.

VCU was a bubble team anyways and likely missed without either Jamie Skeen or Burgess. FAU might have fallen behind UAB or North Texas without Davis or Martin. UConn without Napier since they were a 7 seed even the Kemba team was only 9-9 in conference and rode the conference tourney to a 3 seed. That Kentucky team Napier beat was an 8 seed with Julius Randle and they obviously had a ton of talent but might have missed without him.

Then you also have George Mason which was obviously a deep team but take off anyone of those 5 starters and they might have fallen to third in the CAA and missed because it was a 2 bid conference.

On that note I really miss the old Colonial. That was just an absolutely loaded mid major conference.

Tevo · Jul 22, 2023

PepeSilvia said:
Honestly with how many Cinderella runs there have been lately there is likely a lot of teams that don't make the tournament without one player. The easy answer is the mid majors from low bid conferences.

VCU was a bubble team anyways and likely missed without either Jamie Skeen or Burgess. FAU might have fallen behind UAB or North Texas without Davis or Martin. UConn without Napier since they were a 7 seed even the Kemba team was only 9-9 in conference and rode the conference tourney to a 3 seed. That Kentucky team Napier beat was an 8 seed with Julius Randle and they obviously had a ton of talent but might have missed without him.

Then you also have George Mason which was obviously a deep team but take off anyone of those 5 starters and they might have fallen to third in the CAA and missed because it was a 2 bid conference.

On that note I really miss the old Colonial. That was just an absolutely loaded mid major conference.

Well, the original premise from Gritty was "Add RayJ, and we're talking Final Four. Lose RayJ (or equivalent) and we won't make the tournament." Cinderellas like FAU or Kemba-led UConn were never considered Final Four contenders. They had "magical" runs. My point was if you have a team that is all-around solid enough to be considered a legitimate Final Four contender before the season, then one guy going down is unlikely to submarine the entire season. I'll back off a bit if that one guy is a pre-season All-American level player. But that's not RayJ or Mulcahy. It doesn't make sense to say this same team WITH RayJ is a Final Four level contender, and without RayJ (but with Ty, Sencire, Harmon, whomever) can't make the tournament.

WyattEarp · Jul 22, 2023

Flippy said:
Indiana State, and that is about it for me.

nice choice. I’m gonna say David Thompson’s NC State Wolfpack team.

Who actually knows what they would have done without him…but I think they would have likely been pretty darn mediocre without Skywalker; honestly.

It wasn’t as lopsided as Bird taking a bunch of REAL nobodies and elevating their play to another level…but David Thompson was a force of nature…no doubt about it.

Ga65 · Jul 22, 2023

Not sure about making the tournament but Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to National title and pretty much a 1 man show.

FrankNitty30 · Jul 22, 2023

CoachHooleyHoo said:
Teams will most likely go under the screen and sag way off of him because of no outside shot. I’d make him shoot outside 12ft+ until he shows he can hit those.

So you want to give TR a full head of steam to turn the corner, make one reverse pivot dribble, put his butt into a defender and back him down? Same thing was accomplished. They will have to double. Find open shooter. Don’t help, well you are now praying he misses shots from 0-5 feet.

Rad · Jul 22, 2023

Danny Manning and Kansas

FrankNitty30 · Jul 22, 2023

Tevo said:
Well, the original premise from Gritty was "Add RayJ, and we're talking Final Four. Lose RayJ (or equivalent) and we won't make the tournament." Cinderellas like FAU or Kemba-led UConn were never considered Final Four contenders. They had "magical" runs. My point was if you have a team that is all-around solid enough to be considered a legitimate Final Four contender before the season, then one guy going down is unlikely to submarine the entire season. I'll back off a bit if that one guy is a pre-season All-American level player. But that's not RayJ or Mulcahy. It doesn't make sense to say this same team WITH RayJ is a Final Four level contender, and without RayJ (but with Ty, Sencire, Harmon, whomever) can't make the tournament.

Way too much logic. Stop it!!!

FrankNitty30 · Jul 22, 2023

Anyone else catch that our missed PGs are the equivalent of Larry Bird, David Thompson, Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker?

Now I get why we are mad about losing out on our PG prospects.

Doomed.

pruman91 · Jul 22, 2023

FrankNitty30 said:
Anyone else catch that our missed PGs are the equivalent of Larry Bird, David Thompson, Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker?

Now I get why we are mad about losing out on our PG prospects.

Doomed.

Combo · Jul 22, 2023

Tevo said:
Well, the original premise from Gritty was "Add RayJ, and we're talking Final Four. Lose RayJ (or equivalent) and we won't make the tournament." Cinderellas like FAU or Kemba-led UConn were never considered Final Four contenders. They had "magical" runs. My point was if you have a team that is all-around solid enough to be considered a legitimate Final Four contender before the season, then one guy going down is unlikely to submarine the entire season. I'll back off a bit if that one guy is a pre-season All-American level player. But that's not RayJ or Mulcahy. It doesn't make sense to say this same team WITH RayJ is a Final Four level contender, and without RayJ (but with Ty, Sencire, Harmon, whomever) can't make the tournament.

I think you’re underestimating the importance of the PG position.

band camp · Jul 22, 2023

Rad said:
Danny Manning and Kansas

David Robinson and Navy.

Palmerstein International · Jul 22, 2023

The fact that we havent read anything about Ty and Sincere and Dain and Coleman improving on their free throws, leads me to
believe that there hasnt been much improvement in that area or we would have heard about it.

Emerson Bigguns · Jul 22, 2023

Palmerstein International said:
The fact that we havent read anything about Ty and Sincere and Dain and Coleman improving on their free throws, leads me to
believe that there hasnt been much improvement in that area or we would have heard about it.

Who the heck really knows? A lot of people can make a high percentage in an empty gym.
Shooting them under the lights, in a full arena, in a game is an entirely different scenario.

doowink · Jul 22, 2023

Emerson Bigguns said:
Who the heck really knows? A lot of people can make a high percentage in an empty gym.
Shooting them under the lights, in a full arena, in a game is an entirely different scenario.

Yea and Alex Legion rarely missed in practice

band camp · Jul 22, 2023

Palmerstein International said:
The fact that we havent read anything about Ty and Sincere and Dain and Coleman improving on their free throws, leads me to
believe that there hasnt been much improvement in that area or we would have heard about it.

I think it is a poor assumption to think that any D1 program does not work on free throws.
After more thought, at any level really.