Illini Basketball 2024-2025

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#226      
Fighter of the Nightman
WyattEarp said:
I agree that the 2024 team was more versatile. I also think this year’s team would have probably got past Loyola…( stretching their D & sheer scoring punch etc.)

Loyola was well coached and better than advertised. Yet, we had two all-Americans; it’s a damn shame the 2021 team couldn’t adjust on either end….
UConn is super-well coached and is a juggernaut…they would have probably found a way against either team. I do think Kofi would have neutralized them inside of course. I feel like if 2021 really pushed the tempo…and Kofi and Ayo both had games they might have done it.

At the same time…I don’t see the 2021 team completely laying an egg against Penn State on a rec. league court. Nor, do I see them peeing down their leg like ‘24 did against MSU ball pressure late.

Fun exercise. But who the hell knows?
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I'll also say that I think the team we saw for the BTT final through to the Elite Eight was the best version of this past year's team; it truly peaked at the right time. There is a reason no one was comparing this squad to 2021 when we were losing to MSU and PSU, but I think the way we played against, for example, Iowa State was REALLY good.
 
#229      
derrick6
Guest said:
I am a little confused by #7. Wouldn't playing another year of college ball also not allow his knee to heal? Seems like the thing to do would be to take time to get his knee healed. I guess he would miss out on the NIL money but if his dream is to play in the NBA it just seems as if he should get that knee healed, although how long that would take I don't know and the NBA would still not be a sure thing after it is healed. But if he believes he would be drafted then a year or so without NIL money may be worth it in the long run. I guess he just has to decide what he wants more.
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He’s going to use the summer to rehab rather than playing Summer League basketball
 
#232      
WyattEarp
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I'll also say that I think the team we saw for the BTT final through to the Elite Eight was the best version of this past year's team; it truly peaked at the right time. There is a reason no one was comparing this squad to 2021 when we were losing to MSU and PSU, but I think the way we played against, for example, Iowa State was REALLY good.
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Not trying to be argumentative-promise.
But, why not? Aren’t you attempting to compare and contrast two teams? How do you do that without taking into consideration the collective season-long… highs and lows and strength and weaknesses of each team?
 
#233      
Fighter of the Nightman
WyattEarp said:
Not trying to be argumentative-promise.
But, why not? Aren’t you attempting to compare and contrast two teams? How do you do that without taking into consideration the collective season-long… highs and lows and strength and weaknesses of each team?
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I meant that at the point of those two losses, the 2024 team had not done anything yet to EARN a comparison to the 2021 squad.
 
#235      
Mottman26
ChiefGritty said:
My question on the TSJ retired jersey thing is, are there a bunch of un-deserving 3rd team All-Americans in Illinois history? Why the 1st or 2nd team limitation?

Shannon was an All-American, a very exclusive and special list in the modern history of the program. This weird qualification has the effect of us talking as if he wasn't, which isn't true.
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The criteria is to be on either the 1st or 2nd Consensus All-American teams. There is no Consensus 3rd team. But I agree he was a top-10 player in the country and should have been a Consensus All-American based on his play.
 
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#236      
Illini4Christ
Combo said:
IMO 2021 was better. Unfortunately they had an absolute brain fart against Loyola in the 2nd round.
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Why did you have to bring that game up?

vomit throw up GIF by Anime Crimes Division
 
#240      
GetAWin
Please help me settle a discussion... isn't Underwood's salary paid out from the DIA department, and he would not be eligible for a pension from the state??
 
#241      
stevej64
Kofi would have went off for 40 against Coleman. End of debate in my opinion.
 
#243      
Combo
Sh!t happens. Great teams have lapses, sometimes massive. Happens year in and year out that a dominant team loses early in the tournament.
 
#245      
So ILL
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I meant that at the point of those two losses, the 2024 team had not done anything yet to EARN a comparison to the 2021 squad.
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Why? If you want to compare teams, you have to look at where they were at those points in the season for an apt comparison. The 2021 squad and the 2024 squad at the point of the MSU/PSU games in 2024 were pretty close record wise. On 2/23/21, the 2021 squad lost to an unranked MSU on the road to fall to 16-6 (12-4). On 2/21/24, the 2024 squad lost to an unranked PSU on the road to fall to 19-7 (10-5). The 2022 squad was, however, 3-3 against ranked teams and the 2024 squad was 1-3 at that point in the season. But the 2021 team had leg up on the 2024 squad in that they began the season ranked #8 while the 2024 squad was #25.

I would also argue the 2024 squad could be considered 2-3 against ranked teams because you can say what you want, but if you watched that “preseason” game against Kansas, it was clear that game was preseason in name only. And let’s not forget the 2021 squad was #6 at the time and lost to an unranked and VERY average Missouri team.

So to say they hadn’t “earned” the right to be compared…why? What did the 2021 squad do to “earn” their preseason ranking?

All of this is to say, apples to apples. And its a fun debate!
 
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