You need to listen to Ryan Pedon, ISU's coach (Ryan Pedon post game) and go to the 10 minute mark. He states it so clearly why High major D1 schools schedule the way they do. No one wants to play regular season games against mid majors. Q1 or Q4 and that's how the model has shifted. There's less value in Q2 and Q3 games, and when you can avoid them in non-conference you do. He talks about his challenge as a mid-major program and no one will schedule games against ISU.
Illini Basketball 2025-2026
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You need to listen to Ryan Pedon, ISU's coach (Ryan Pedon post game) and go to the 10 minute mark. He states it so clearly why High major D1 schools schedule the way they do. No one wants to play regular season games against mid majors. Q1 or Q4 and that's how the model has shifted. There's less value in Q2 and Q3 games, and when you can avoid them in non-conference you do. He talks about his challenge as a mid-major program and no one will schedule games against ISU.
Stop being silly. Brad has had really bad tourney luck (UConn in E8, Loyola being criminally under seeded, covid) and has brought the program out of the depths of bad.
Forgetting that the most successful IL coach of all time only made it to 4 sweet 16s in 21 years... This is also a historically dumb statement. Illinois made their 1st sweet 16 in 1951 and have been there 11 times since.
So you would've been 'disappointed' in 85% of Illini basketball in the last 75 years...
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Sure beats last year where a “junior high team could hang a hundred on us.”
Thanks coach for uprighting the situation in the offseason. Coach Crocker was a genius hire.
This year’s team:
“They (the Illini) play a lot of pressure on the ball,” Illinois State sophomore forward Jack Daugherty said. “Their defense was difficult just cause of how aggressive they are.”
Thanks coach for uprighting the situation in the offseason. Coach Crocker was a genius hire.
This year’s team:
“They (the Illini) play a lot of pressure on the ball,” Illinois State sophomore forward Jack Daugherty said. “Their defense was difficult just cause of how aggressive they are.”
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Illinifan533
- Normal, Illinois
Don't know if there's a better place to put this, but I had no idea Ben and Adalia were an item, congrats!
They go to my church. They have been dating for quite awhile.
I haven’t heard much about Kruger since he was brought on. How’s that going and what is he working on?
Saw clip of that part of his presser. Very interesting. I very likely have the number wrong, but he said something like they were 0 of 90 trying to schedule a power conference team until USC agreed to a neutral site game. And the site is 5 miles from USC campus.
First impression is that this is probably the most versatile Illini team in recent memory. Mirkovic's ability at 6-9 to do everything as a point forward gives Underwood the ability to do some mad scientist stuff with his lineup combinations. That ranges from going really big with Mirkovic becoming a 3 to going to a four-guard combo with Mirkovic becoming a 5...and everything in between. If this truly is a better shooting team as advertised, most opponents will struggle to counter the different combinations.
On the defensive side, it looks like more pressure on the ball and a lot fewer times trailing the ball down the lane. Might mean more 3-point opportunities than before, but fewer high-percentage shots in the lane or at the rim. The defensive rebounding was impressive as ISU got only 5 second-chance points. The Illini gave up only 3 fast-break or runout points despite the normal first-game mistakes. I get that it was Illinois State (thought they might be a NCAA team out of the MVC), and the Redbirds were missing two of their better players. But the Illini were missing three of their better players.
Other quick impressions: Wagler is really impressive in all facets of guard play; Lee may be small, but he looks skilled and really tough; Z's 3-pointers are a thing of beauty, even his misses
; Boswell looks primed to have an all-B1G season; Ben looks to be a better version of himself. I am excited to see the whole thing operate when Tomi, Pavlovic and Stojakovic are ready to go...not to mention the X factor that is Ty Rodgers. If I get worn out typing all that (or anyone reading it), imagine what opposing coaches and players must feel preparing for and facing those different combinations. Might be even more pronounced in a tourney setting when there is less time to prepare...
On the defensive side, it looks like more pressure on the ball and a lot fewer times trailing the ball down the lane. Might mean more 3-point opportunities than before, but fewer high-percentage shots in the lane or at the rim. The defensive rebounding was impressive as ISU got only 5 second-chance points. The Illini gave up only 3 fast-break or runout points despite the normal first-game mistakes. I get that it was Illinois State (thought they might be a NCAA team out of the MVC), and the Redbirds were missing two of their better players. But the Illini were missing three of their better players.
Other quick impressions: Wagler is really impressive in all facets of guard play; Lee may be small, but he looks skilled and really tough; Z's 3-pointers are a thing of beauty, even his misses
; Boswell looks primed to have an all-B1G season; Ben looks to be a better version of himself. I am excited to see the whole thing operate when Tomi, Pavlovic and Stojakovic are ready to go...not to mention the X factor that is Ty Rodgers. If I get worn out typing all that (or anyone reading it), imagine what opposing coaches and players must feel preparing for and facing those different combinations. Might be even more pronounced in a tourney setting when there is less time to prepare...
While I must agree I want to point out Brandon Lee is 6-4. When did that become small?First impression is that this is probably the most versatile Illini team in recent memory. Mirkovic's ability at 6-9 to do everything as a point forward gives Underwood the ability to do some mad scientist stuff with his lineup combinations. That ranges from going really big with Mirkovic becoming a 3 to going to a four-guard combo with Mirkovic becoming a 5...and everything in between. If this truly is a better shooting team as advertised, most opponents will struggle to counter the different combinations.
On the defensive side, it looks like more pressure on the ball and a lot fewer times trailing the ball down the lane. Might mean more 3-point opportunities than before, but fewer high-percentage shots in the lane or at the rim. The defensive rebounding was impressive as ISU got only 5 second-chance points. The Illini gave up only 3 fast-break or runout points despite the normal first-game mistakes. I get that it was Illinois State (thought they might be a NCAA team out of the MVC), and the Redbirds were missing two of their better players. But the Illini were missing three of their better players.
Other quick impressions: Wagler is really impressive in all facets of guard play; Lee may be small, but he looks skilled and really tough; Z's 3-pointers are a thing of beauty, even his misses
Lee is 6-4, 200+. That might be small for a defensive lineman but it's pretty good size for a 2 guard.First impression is that this is probably the most versatile Illini team in recent memory. Mirkovic's ability at 6-9 to do everything as a point forward gives Underwood the ability to do some mad scientist stuff with his lineup combinations. That ranges from going really big with Mirkovic becoming a 3 to going to a four-guard combo with Mirkovic becoming a 5...and everything in between. If this truly is a better shooting team as advertised, most opponents will struggle to counter the different combinations.
On the defensive side, it looks like more pressure on the ball and a lot fewer times trailing the ball down the lane. Might mean more 3-point opportunities than before, but fewer high-percentage shots in the lane or at the rim. The defensive rebounding was impressive as ISU got only 5 second-chance points. The Illini gave up only 3 fast-break or runout points despite the normal first-game mistakes. I get that it was Illinois State (thought they might be a NCAA team out of the MVC), and the Redbirds were missing two of their better players. But the Illini were missing three of their better players.
Other quick impressions: Wagler is really impressive in all facets of guard play; Lee may be small, but he looks skilled and really tough; Z's 3-pointers are a thing of beauty, even his misses
In my defense, I was sitting pretty high up (the cheap-er seats), I am old...and everyone else in the Illini lineup was really big
In my defense, I was sitting pretty high up (the cheap-er seats), I am old...and everyone else in the Illini lineup was really big
I get that!I really, really like both Wagler and Lee. If they both were to stay for two or three years, I think they'd make quite a guard combo in the B1G.
Had not heard that thanks. I'm not surprised that teams are gaming the metrics or that big margins on cupcakes wind up helping you more than running the risk of a small margin or even a loss on middle of the road teams.
Too easy...In my defense, I was sitting pretty high up (the cheap-er seats), I am old...and everyone else in the Illini lineup was really big
I feel great about the 4-5 rotation. They all do something different and will be options if a guy isn't playing well.
I was as well but section 203 was not bad from being that high up.In my defense, I was sitting pretty high up (the cheap-er seats), I am old...and everyone else in the Illini lineup was really big
He looks smaller the Boswell.
O is 6-7, Brad is 6-4
I can't explain it but players with big hair always look smaller to me for some reason, because I thought the same thing while watching
Boz is a thick build at 6-2 and 215. Lee, 6-4 carrying 195 won't look as thick. Those numbers are what the two players are listed per the Illinois website.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Sorry guys. Didn’t mean to start a who’s bigger thread. 
Brad's comment about Mirkovic growing up a point guard really showed itself in the exhibition. I feel a lot better about the team's guard depth if he could essentially play point even if it's not his official position.
Yeah, I think BU called him a “point forward”.
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