Thank you, SBJ
Illini Basketball 2025-2026
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Thank you, SBJ
So, if our defense is worse this year, whose going to get the blame?
Thank you, SBJ
A)Crocker
B)Brad
C)Players
I like to see these things established early before narratives are formed.
They clearly cropped his legs out of the photo so we can’t tell what kind of pants he has on
D) Hamerichouse
I'm locked into a 3 year Hamer hating contract sponsored by haterade so I'm covered this year.... Next year I may have to pivot
B is ultimately in control, but A was hired to take over D
. I have a very strong feeling that he has a lot more to offer with his decade of coaching experience. If he ends up failing compared to Hamer, I'll sadly eat Crow 
The players on this team collectively don’t scream top 20 defense to me.
I still think rebounding is going to be a huge bonus for us in terms of gaining more possessions over our opponents. Outside of Boswell and perhaps Ty, I don’t know if we’ve got a plus defender.
Already been thrown around here that the euros are iffy at best. Not sure the brothers grade out positive either, but I think the combo of them is at least replacement level defense.
Scheme can only go so far. I’m hopeful we at least aren’t playing drop 99% of the time.
I still think rebounding is going to be a huge bonus for us in terms of gaining more possessions over our opponents. Outside of Boswell and perhaps Ty, I don’t know if we’ve got a plus defender.
Already been thrown around here that the euros are iffy at best. Not sure the brothers grade out positive either, but I think the combo of them is at least replacement level defense.
Scheme can only go so far. I’m hopeful we at least aren’t playing drop 99% of the time.
We had great individual defenders in 2024 and were iffy at best. Both team/scheme and intangibles matter. so does effort. optimistic we can improve.
RichardKeenesCousin
Richard Keene's Cousin
Other than KB, who?
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
See, I signed a one year deal with an option, including a 2 coach switching clause and a 3 Beach House buyout.
Maybe look into a new agent?
I have a similar Shade Humrichous contract.
was referring to the elite 8 team with TJ, Coleman.
We don't necessarily need to be a top 20 defense, though that would be nice. We just need to be able and willing to adjust and adapt when other teams have found a way to abuse us. If nothing else we have to change up things now and then and definitely have more than one way of gaurding the PnR's with absolutely killed us most of the time
I'm assuming they are talking about the elite 8 team where you had TJ, Ty, Guerrier, and Coleman(even Domask held up mostly fine and never felt like a liability to me).
The major issue with that was they had no rim protection and struggled guarding physical bigs inside(could have probably also used another guy capable of defending smaller/quicker guards).
However, all that being said that team had absolutely no reason to be as bad as they were defensively(80th per Kenpom). No team with that much positional size and athleticism that also mostly dominates on the boards should be the bad defensively and the fact that they were really is an indictment of the scheme/coaching.
If they are talking about last years team than I have no clue. Tre and KB were capable defenders but I don't think either of them are lockdown ones(I even think hink KB's defense got a bit overrated - not saying she is bad but just not a lockdown guy). Outside of those two, DGL showed flashes of being a good defender but had too many lapses and the rest were not good though I think Morez has the potential to be good defensively.
Brad holds ultimate responsibility... but you can't decide between A&C until you see players carrying out scheme. If the scheme is just bad, Crocker's fault. If players don't give effort, defend well, etc, it could be players' fault.
OK, the use of one year instead of 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 threw me off. I agree on that year. It does look like everyone's defensive metrics took a dip that season. Not a good showing defensively, complete agreement (and yet we made the Elite Eight which just is more evidence that offensive excellence is a much bigger factor in success). But if you look at it this way, then the flip side of that coin is our defense improved from #80 to #40, despite losing all these talented defenders? You can draw a whole set of conclusions from that which run counter to the dominant narrative on this board.
So, understanding that defensive metrics are not always the best, Tre's metrics at Louisville were worse than they were here. So it's kind of hard to point to the scheme hindering him as his defensive outcomes improved here. DGL had the worst defensive metrics of anyone on the entire team. Morez was good, except that he couldn't keep himself from fouling. I do think Rez can be a high level defender if he ever learns to actually jump straight up (instead of jumping into the offensive player's body with his arms up). But at this point I hope he never does learn.
If these are the best examples (other than KB) then I'm honestly surprised the team wasn't way lower in KenPom than the #40 it ended at.
Rezs problem was he couldn't stand still with his hands straight up. He was always coming off his feet and lunging into the shooter. Everytime they called a foul on him I would think they blew but when they would show they reply he had not actually held his straight up position and they got it right. He would have been better off going for a big block. At least half of the time when you get the ball the refs don't pay attention to how much you wipe out the shooter in the process. That's the foul they fail to call more often than not.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
This speaks volumes to how HORRIBLE we were from about 2007 to 2019 (and especially 2014 to 2019) compared to the stretches on either side of that dark age.
And he really showed no recognition of what he was doing. He often looked genuinely bewildered he'd been whistled when you could see, clear as day, that he was jumping into the shooter. He'd always motion that his hands were in the air, every single time, when that wasn't what he was being whistled for.
As you said in another post, I hope he has learned nothing in regards to remedying this.
thats kinda shocking bc i thought he was lotto bound. z seemed to be much better prospect from kentucky but since illini has been more relevant and tom was the featured guy seemed he jumped ship. I wouldnt be surprised if tom was drafted earlier late 1st, 2nd in the future.
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Common sense tells you that if this team falls short of modest expectations, it will be due to defensive shortcomings. There is little height in the backcourt and little speed in the frontcourt...and teams will try to take advantage of both. And Ty will be missed...hopefully only until Feb.
And yet, if the want to, effort, and mindset exists in all, we just may see some unexpected wins. Won't be able to shut down anyone, but this Illini team can be defensively successful enough to git ER done.
The most intriguing matchup of the year, Purdue, will be late in the season. I sure hope Petrovic is available but that is a huge question for me. And one are both frosh will get an opportunity to surprise us...but not likely.
And yet, if the want to, effort, and mindset exists in all, we just may see some unexpected wins. Won't be able to shut down anyone, but this Illini team can be defensively successful enough to git ER done.
The most intriguing matchup of the year, Purdue, will be late in the season. I sure hope Petrovic is available but that is a huge question for me. And one are both frosh will get an opportunity to surprise us...but not likely.
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