Illini Basketball 2025-2026
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Different types of speed if that makes sense. TJ's speed at his size is hard to come by.
How's his hamstring coming along? Is he assimilating well into the team?
considering tsj looks fast in the NBA. I think he's just an anomaly period
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Just a fun FYI-type exercise, but I wanted to look at currently ranked non-conference opponents by Big Ten school. No one can accuse us of playing a weak non-conference schedule, and I personally love it!
#17 ILLINOIS | 4 Ranked Opponents
vs. #4 UConn (New York, NY)
vs. #10 Texas Tech
vs. #15 Alabama (Chicago, IL)
vs. #18 Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
#22 MICHIGAN STATE | 4 Ranked Opponents
vs. #6 Duke
vs. #9 Kentucky (New York, NY)
vs. #14 Arkansas
vs. #25 North Carolina (Fort Myers, FL)
#1 PURDUE | 3 Ranked Opponents
at #15 Alabama
vs. #16 Iowa State
vs. #20 Auburn (Indianapolis, IN)
#7 MICHIGAN | 2 Ranked Opponents
vs. #6 Duke (Washington, DC)
vs. #20 Auburn (Las Vegas, NV)
INDIANA | 2 Ranked Opponents
at #9 Kentucky
vs. #11 Louisville (Indianapolis, IN)
#12 UCLA | 2 Ranked Opponents
vs. #13 Arizona (Inglewood, CA)
vs. #21 Gonzaga (Seattle, WA)
OREGON | 2 Ranked Opponents
vs. #20 Auburn (Las Vegas, NV)
vs. #21 Gonzaga (Portland, OR)
#24 WISCONSIN | 1 Ranked Opponent
vs. #8 BYU (Salt Lake City, UT)
IOWA | 1 Ranked Opponent
at #16 Iowa State
RUTGERS | 1 Ranked Opponent
vs. #18 Tennessee (Las Vegas, NV)
MARYLAND | 1 Ranked Opponent
vs. #21 Gonzaga (Paradise, NV)
OHIO STATE | 1 Ranked Opponent
vs. #25 North Carolina (Atlanta, GA)
MINNESOTA | 0 Ranked Opponents
NEBRASKA | 0 Ranked Opponents
NORTHWESTERN | 0 Ranked Opponents
PENN STATE | 0 Ranked Opponents
USC | 0 Ranked Opponents
WASHINGTON | 0 Ranked Opponents
People can argue all day about the supposed optimal scheduling strategy, but at the end of the day, we are FANS ... and as a fan, I frickin' love having these high-profile matchups to get pumped about!
P.S. This came up when I looked at USC's schedule, but when is the last time Maui had ZERO ranked teams?? That's nuts, the field is usually stacked!
#17 ILLINOIS | 4 Ranked Opponents
vs. #4 UConn (New York, NY)
vs. #10 Texas Tech
vs. #15 Alabama (Chicago, IL)
vs. #18 Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
#22 MICHIGAN STATE | 4 Ranked Opponents
vs. #6 Duke
vs. #9 Kentucky (New York, NY)
vs. #14 Arkansas
vs. #25 North Carolina (Fort Myers, FL)
#1 PURDUE | 3 Ranked Opponents
at #15 Alabama
vs. #16 Iowa State
vs. #20 Auburn (Indianapolis, IN)
#7 MICHIGAN | 2 Ranked Opponents
vs. #6 Duke (Washington, DC)
vs. #20 Auburn (Las Vegas, NV)
INDIANA | 2 Ranked Opponents
at #9 Kentucky
vs. #11 Louisville (Indianapolis, IN)
#12 UCLA | 2 Ranked Opponents
vs. #13 Arizona (Inglewood, CA)
vs. #21 Gonzaga (Seattle, WA)
OREGON | 2 Ranked Opponents
vs. #20 Auburn (Las Vegas, NV)
vs. #21 Gonzaga (Portland, OR)
#24 WISCONSIN | 1 Ranked Opponent
vs. #8 BYU (Salt Lake City, UT)
IOWA | 1 Ranked Opponent
at #16 Iowa State
RUTGERS | 1 Ranked Opponent
vs. #18 Tennessee (Las Vegas, NV)
MARYLAND | 1 Ranked Opponent
vs. #21 Gonzaga (Paradise, NV)
OHIO STATE | 1 Ranked Opponent
vs. #25 North Carolina (Atlanta, GA)
MINNESOTA | 0 Ranked Opponents
NEBRASKA | 0 Ranked Opponents
NORTHWESTERN | 0 Ranked Opponents
PENN STATE | 0 Ranked Opponents
USC | 0 Ranked Opponents
WASHINGTON | 0 Ranked Opponents
People can argue all day about the supposed optimal scheduling strategy, but at the end of the day, we are FANS ... and as a fan, I frickin' love having these high-profile matchups to get pumped about!
P.S. This came up when I looked at USC's schedule, but when is the last time Maui had ZERO ranked teams?? That's nuts, the field is usually stacked!
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Ms. DawgClassic is becoming more and more insistent that I retire this shirt to the rag pile. For the last 15 years or so it’s been a sleeper shirt and, admittedly not a sexy one. Regardless of the holes in the pits and stomach, it’s still hard to say goodbye. 
If he can match up to this man's speed, we'll be really, really pleased.
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I understand the sentiment with the shirt, I've got plenty past their useful life but with all due respect you're the guy selling new tee shirts hahahaMs. DawgClassic is becoming more and more insistent that I retire this shirt to the rag pile. For the last 15 years or so it’s been a sleeper shirt and, admittedly not a sexy one. Regardless of the holes in the pits and stomach, it’s still hard to say goodbye.
View attachment 44548
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Also on the note of schedule strength, I understand that the KenPom Rankings are not the same as the NET Rankings ... but we don't get a peak at the NET until several weeks into the season. So, if you just use those linked rankings as a substitute for the NET Rankings as an interesting exercise, this would be our schedule by Quad classification as of today:
Quad 1 Games
1-30 Home, 1-50 Neutral, 1-75 Away
at #3 Purdue
vs. #5 UConn (New York, NY)
vs. #9 Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
at #10 UCLA
vs. #11 Michigan
vs. #12 Texas Tech
vs. #20 Wisconsin
at #22 USC
vs. #23 Alabama (Chicago, IL)
at #25 Michigan State
at #27 Ohio State
vs. #28 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
at #34 Maryland
at #46 Iowa
at #51 Nebraska
at #57 Northwestern
Quad 2 Games
31-75 Home, 51-100 Neutral, 76-135 Away
vs. #34 Maryland
vs. #37 Oregon
vs. #40 Indiana
vs. #45 Washington
vs. #51 Nebraska
vs. #57 Northwestern
vs. #73 Minnesota
vs. #95 Penn State (Philadelphia, PA)
Quad 3 Games
76-160 Home, 101-200 Neutral, 135-240 Away
vs. #85 Rutgers
Quad 4 Games
161-353 Home, 201-353 Neutral, 241-353 Away
vs. #165 Southern
vs. #184 FGCU
vs. #205 Colgate
vs. #247 UTRGV
vs. #252 Jackson State
vs. #287 LIU
And this is how Big Ten Tournament opponents (obviously on a neutral court) would break down:
Quad 1: #3 Purdue, #10 UCLA, #11 Michigan, #20 Wisconsin, #22 USC, #25 Michigan State, #27 Ohio State, #34 Maryland, #37 Oregon, #40 Indiana, #45 Washington, #46 Iowa
Quad 2: #51 Nebraska, #57 Northwestern, #73 Minnesota, #85 Rutgers, #95 Penn State
Quad 3: N/A
Quad 4: N/A
16 Quad 1 games and 8 Quad 2 games before the BTT would be very good for the resume! Gotta win a lot of them, of course, but the reason last year's team was a #7 seed with a 21-12 record was definitely because we were 8-10 in Quad 1 games and 7-2 in Quad 2 games.
Quad 1 Games
1-30 Home, 1-50 Neutral, 1-75 Away
at #3 Purdue
vs. #5 UConn (New York, NY)
vs. #9 Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
at #10 UCLA
vs. #11 Michigan
vs. #12 Texas Tech
vs. #20 Wisconsin
at #22 USC
vs. #23 Alabama (Chicago, IL)
at #25 Michigan State
at #27 Ohio State
vs. #28 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
at #34 Maryland
at #46 Iowa
at #51 Nebraska
at #57 Northwestern
Quad 2 Games
31-75 Home, 51-100 Neutral, 76-135 Away
vs. #34 Maryland
vs. #37 Oregon
vs. #40 Indiana
vs. #45 Washington
vs. #51 Nebraska
vs. #57 Northwestern
vs. #73 Minnesota
vs. #95 Penn State (Philadelphia, PA)
Quad 3 Games
76-160 Home, 101-200 Neutral, 135-240 Away
vs. #85 Rutgers
Quad 4 Games
161-353 Home, 201-353 Neutral, 241-353 Away
vs. #165 Southern
vs. #184 FGCU
vs. #205 Colgate
vs. #247 UTRGV
vs. #252 Jackson State
vs. #287 LIU
And this is how Big Ten Tournament opponents (obviously on a neutral court) would break down:
Quad 1: #3 Purdue, #10 UCLA, #11 Michigan, #20 Wisconsin, #22 USC, #25 Michigan State, #27 Ohio State, #34 Maryland, #37 Oregon, #40 Indiana, #45 Washington, #46 Iowa
Quad 2: #51 Nebraska, #57 Northwestern, #73 Minnesota, #85 Rutgers, #95 Penn State
Quad 3: N/A
Quad 4: N/A
16 Quad 1 games and 8 Quad 2 games before the BTT would be very good for the resume! Gotta win a lot of them, of course, but the reason last year's team was a #7 seed with a 21-12 record was definitely because we were 8-10 in Quad 1 games and 7-2 in Quad 2 games.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Touche!
Epsilon
M tipping over
- Pdx
Time to get it framed and hung on the wall then.Ms. DawgClassic is becoming more and more insistent that I retire this shirt to the rag pile. For the last 15 years or so it’s been a sleeper shirt and, admittedly not a sexy one. Regardless of the holes in the pits and stomach, it’s still hard to say goodbye.
View attachment 44548
Getting there and yes he is, you may not see it immediately in games since he's pretty ball dominant. He's well liked
What??? You should be wearing that during games!!! Think of how many more games we would have won....Ms. DawgClassic is becoming more and more insistent that I retire this shirt to the rag pile. For the last 15 years or so it’s been a sleeper shirt and, admittedly not a sexy one. Regardless of the holes in the pits and stomach, it’s still hard to say goodbye.
View attachment 44548
Fantastic, thank you my friend.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Hmmmm… it was my go-to shirt from 2001-2005. 
Any top coaches list with Sean Miller is worthless
Eh, you were right the first time. Good coach but not sure who you'd kick off that list.
And I still have recurring nightmares about the time half this board was advocating we dump Underwood and hire Miller or (pukes in mouth) Chris Beard. Let's not do this again:
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
Or cut out a part of it that’s still good enough to make a pillow out of it and a few other legacy t’s!
sacraig
- The desert
With the influx of Euro style players, will we see that influence on the court this year, and how? Or, will it be more that they have to conform their style to the US style?
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
While it is inevitable that the two styles will merge, I believe we’ll see 3 bigs with approximately 40 percent 3 point percentage which you don’t see in today’s college game. We’ll also have bigs’ speed that is not too common in college ball. That’s my take!
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