CH did have an imaginary friend he would try to pass to on occasion last season....
Illini Basketball 2023-2024
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"Key" FT shooting will come down to guards shooting better. Those are very typically those
on the court advancing the ball and fouled in the last 5 minutes. Its' a question mark because
DGL and Moretti haven't played and Ty was bad from the line. Harmon and Goode should
shoot well. I'm guessing Domask, Hawkins and Shannon will be on the court and help the %.
on the court advancing the ball and fouled in the last 5 minutes. Its' a question mark because
DGL and Moretti haven't played and Ty was bad from the line. Harmon and Goode should
shoot well. I'm guessing Domask, Hawkins and Shannon will be on the court and help the %.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
It's funny, I'm watching the media day segment from yesterday and the BTN puts up a stat that really doesn't fit the narrative here. We are returning 69.9% of player minutes from last year, good for 4th in the conference. This whole off-season, we've heard a lot of people on this board, and even a few know-nothing national guys, talk about the revolving door under Brad, but apparently, we are one of the most stable teams in the conference. It's a new world in the NCAA. We are handling it better than most. Just something to think about: narrative vs. reality.
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Most players would call themselves a failure in that situation because they want that moment so they can deliver in it
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
Or, more often, CH would pass to a ’real’ friend who did not hit the right spot because said friend wasn’t running the play that was called.
Illinicpa14
- Chicago
If Epps and/or RJ were back, would you feel any more comfortable about this season? I wouldn’t.
From a basketball skills only perspective I wish Epps was still on the team
Epps, certainly, yes. He didn't seem super coachable, and the incident in the NW game showed weak character to me (pout & quit when you're getting your butt handed to you by a better player). But, there's no denying his talent and he'd be another ballhandler that we currently are lacking.
RJ seemed broken and, in my opinion, never seemed to have a gear higher than whatever the one is directly above 'coasting'.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
I mean, I think everyone agrees with this. The thing is, though, you can't just extract the skills without taking everything else. Inarguably, he was unhappy at the end of the season. While he was scoring, he wasn't running the offense and he was getting absolutely cooked on defense. Epps has all the makings of a star, but he wasn't a great fit here. It's unfortunate. With the rules, he has every right to walk. I do wish him well. Even with him leaving, we bring back a ton of minutes, more than I think most realize. We've added three fifth-year seniors. We go from one of the youngest teams to one of the oldest. There's a lot to like with this roster. There's a reason we've been picked to finish fourth in the conference. I genuinely think we can compete for the top spot. I'm excited.
Multiple reasons ... He was a guy Chin wanted ... Brad was not 100% sold ... We took his commitment ... Chin left and Brad certainly didn't beg him to stay ...
TJ will have the ball late in games ... Same thing Brad did with Ayo ... Doesn't matter who brings the ball up ...
It was the contested 3s and the % of possessions that ended in 3s ... For a team that did not have good shooters ... The numbers were outrageous ...
This team has improved shooting ... But I really would like to see us run actual offense that is not just chucking 3s ...
I think there is zero chance we can compete for 1 but I do think we can peak at 2nd
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
DB11Headband
- Chicago Burbs
Brad will kick himself for that one
That seems overly simplistic. Maybe a last possession you can do that, but closing minutes, you need 3-4 guys who can shoot FTs at a decent clip, and no one who's bad enough to not touch the ball.
I don't want to beat this horse to death. Brad will have a plan, and he has guys who can handle late game situations. TSJ is potential All American, so agree he will be a go to guy.
rbillini
- Redondo Beach, Ca
Someone should do a comic strip about Coleman and his imaginary friend Coleman & Hobbeson. Maybe his friend could be our mascot.
So....what will be the offense this year? Hope it doesn't change 3 times during the season. That will be a bad sign.
I'll agree with your point that not all errant passes were CH fault....but there were several passes that left one scratching one's head as to.....why
Loyalillini10
- Urbana, IL
Four straight 20-win seasons? I don’t know about you all, but I am sick of all the failure and mediocrity at Illinois from the 8th-highest paid coach in NCAAB.
On a serious note, last season we had a 20 win season, made the tourney and everyone knew and accepted the fact it was an underachieving year. Think of the last 10+ years of Illini basketball and let that sink in.
On a serious note, last season we had a 20 win season, made the tourney and everyone knew and accepted the fact it was an underachieving year. Think of the last 10+ years of Illini basketball and let that sink in.
Hawkins FT% Fr 68.4%
So 65.0%
Jr 61.4%
Just following the science, going by facts and numbers, he will hit about 58% of his free throws this season.
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