That’s some elite “elite” analysis good Sir.
Illini Basketball 2023-2024
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Right, but let's name names and guess some avg tic.
My guess is that Hawkins, despite his imperfections, gets about as much time as Shannon, so low 30s. (He got that last year, so it's basically a given.)
Next is Dainja, Domask, Guerrier, Goode, and Rogers. They all could average in the 20s, if they are healthy.
I'd say the Hs are going to be fighting for time: Harris, Harmon, and Hansberry. They could all be in the teens.
Yeah, there isn't a lot of time left after that. DGL might be down at about 10, and its garbage time for the rest.
As people have noted, this makes the Illini about 10 players deep, when healthy.
illini80
- Forgottonia
Haha! Sloped gravel driveway or a low ceiling barn with a rubber ball that was always flat were my choices. Never understood why I didn’t make the big time.
In the alley behind my condo in Chicago, someone nailed a bottomless plastic milk carton to a telephone pole for a net. An old square of plywood is the backboard. Honestly, it's beautiful.Haha! Sloped gravel driveway or a low ceiling barn with a rubber ball that was always flat were my choices. Never understood why I didn’t make the big time.
Govoner Vaugn Fan
- New Orleans
We threw rocks at a hole in an oak tree about ten feet off the ground. And we were thankful.
Rim on the end of the garage, up in the roof peak. Gravel drive, lower where the cars went int the garage. 2 car, four tire tracks. 8 miles from town. Good shooter, defender, rebounder, not much of a dribbler. Of course back then your hand was on top of the ball or it was a turnover.
Probably why I don't understand why people can't shoot free throws. Nearly all of my at home practice was shooting.
We (and most every team) hear the "10 deep and we will run people out of the gym and extend defense" thing every year.
Reality is they will primarily have a core 8 man, sometimes 9 man rotation as usual.
And we don't have the right mix of players to really extend the defense.
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You haven’t lived until you’ve played basketball on a carpet gym floor and falling on a fast break during your freshman year because you didn’t account for the ball bouncing differently or puberty giving you a lack of coordination
peach basket/volleyball, anyone??
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
The difference between the two balls is insane. It would be like playing in the NFL with the rugby ball.
In the winter we’d shovel the driveway and have 2 or 3 balls warming up in the house. When the ball got too cold to dribble we’d switch it out for a warm one. Our handles weren’t great either with a couple pairs of gloves on. Ah those were the days……before video games. 
I lived in Illinois back then.
I lived in Illinois back then.
My dad put up a makeshift backboard and rim on our shed using half of a door as a backboard. The first basketball we played with was a glorified kickball. One time when we were playing it stuck between the rim and backboard. When we went to get it down found out it was flat because it was stuck on a nail. 
We made a hoop out of a wire clothes hanger, cut up one of moms old panty hose and attached it to the hanger for a net...nailed it to a crossbeam in our unheated garage and used a tennis ball...this was when it was raining or to cold and we couldn't get outside to shoot
All of those international kids playing college hoops seem to adjust ok. Of course, they may have trouble if they only used it for ten days.
I also used a wire clothes hanger. But would cut up plastic grocery bags for the net.
This year's team has a lot more proven talent than a lot of teams that say they will run 10 deep.
Shannon, Hawkins, Dainja, Domask, Guerrier, and Harmon are all proven contributors. Goode, Harris, and Rodgers have all flashed at least one ability to make them a solid role player without a ton of projection(Goode-shooting, Harris-defense, Rodgers-rebounding).
That gets you to a 9 man rotation with just those guys. All you need is one of DGL, Hansberry, or Moretti to become a contributor to get to 10.
Florida State has been running out 10 man rotations under Leonard Hamilton for years and have had some very good teams that have not been able to shoot.
Yea definitely agree on how it will pan out. Typically 8-9 deep. We just don’t know who yet.
I would like to see underwood adjust more quickly this year and switch to press to mix up the pace when opposing teams are going on big runs. We had so many brutal runs last year and Harris coming in on D seemed to turn them around.
A few minutes of pressing with some combo of Harris, TSJ, Rodgers, Harmon, Coleman, Guerrier could be brutal and then you can sub in a solid scoring offense right after with fresh guys off the bench.
It is actually easier to adjust to the American ball. More seams to get the feel right.
Yep, played on a carpet floor at Springfield Southeast. It is amazing how much you use your ears to dribble. You couldn’t hear the ball hit the floor. It was intense.
Milford? I remember playing there in 8th grade and think I still have the rug burns.
Holy Ghost School in Wood Dale had a carpet floor in the gym. Just an outrageous surface for basketball. Feel even worse for the volleyball players.
illini80
- Forgottonia
I had no idea there were schools that actually had carpeted gym floors. Was that supposed to be an improvement over the super slick square tiles? Or a multi-purpose building for acoustics?
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