Illini Basketball 2025-2026

Status
Not open for further replies.
#377      
mysterio2525
Battle89 said:
It's all Sister Jean's fault
Click to expand...
you aren't wrong. we lose in the elight 8 or even sweet 16 in2021 and we are still disappointed but it has a much different feel and the narrative changes for Brad overall..... but the good news is if we do it this year we will have outplayed played our pre season rankings (17) and all Illinois fans get a free residence at the US embassy in every Balkan country.

we have a very strong chance to say this is the low point of the season of our rankings (18 in AP poll) of we take care of the next 9 games in very doable way. we do that, we pretty much climb into a very fixed top 10 position if the AP poll and metrics. that's still a strong position. maybe I'm finally stepping away from the ledge
 
Last edited:
#378      
derrick6
NarrowJ said:
I'm mocking people who want him fired (because face it, that's silly)

Not people who want to see improvement, I even raise my own hand here: lets advance in the tournament... full agreement

I've been very clear about this
Click to expand...
Thanks for shutting down the extreme views.

My only hope is that we come out looking and playing competitively from the start, in all the games, tourney or otherwise. And when we don’t, Brad has a solution.

Win or lose, just stop losing ugly and effortless.
 
#380      
jrichisamazing
I don't have much to add to this interesting debate other than one thing...

It pains my soul to see so much emphasis on March, with very little mentioned about our conference record. 1 B1G regular season title. Should be 2 if Michigan didn't cheat. 2 BTT titles. One of the best year over year conference records. Maybe the best, I cant remember if Purdue jumped us.

The B1G battles are personal. I HATE losing to Indiana, Iowa, MSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc etc. It has been incredible seeing Daddy Brad own Juwan and Gard. The games against Luka Garza were edge of your seat. Hunter Dickinson took a shot at us in March Madness after we got knocked out while they went to the second weekend. Why? Because he knows we own him.

The B1G has hated us the past 5+ years. As long as that keeps happening, I will have Brad's back no matter what happens in March.
 
#381      
Knee brace
Season 9 Fight GIF by Friends
 
#382      
the juiceman cometh
PopChampaign said:
We’re 14-11 postseason (B1G/NCAA Tourney) since Brad has been at the helm. We very rarely steal a game that we’re not suppose to win, and seem to have a tough time beating teams we should
Click to expand...
Since 2020 we are the second best team in the conference against ranked opponents, and since 2019 second best team in the conference as underdogs and best team in the conference as underdogs onto he road. But don't let facts bust up a fun narrative.
1000018440.jpg

1000018438.jpg

1000018446.jpg
 
#390      
Fighter of the Nightman
bigcityillini said:
Exactly why the highly skilled teams take big ten teams down at a high rate each year. The big ten does great in the opening couple of rounds and then fades off once the top tier teams start advancing. 1 final four team in a decade is really representative of the issue with the league right now.
  • 2025: 13–8 (.619) | 8 teams | Furthest: Elite Eight (started 9-0 in opening round)
  • 2024: 10–6 (.625) | 6 teams | Furthest: Championship Game (Purdue lost to UConn)
  • 2023: 6–8 (.429) | 8 teams | Furthest: Sweet 16
  • 2022: 9–9 (.500) | 9 teams | Furthest: Sweet 16
  • 2021: 8–9 (.471) | 9 teams | Furthest: Elite Eight
  • 2019: 13–8 (.650) | 8 teams | Furthest: Elite Eight
  • 2018: 9–4 (.692) | 4 teams | Furthest: Elite Eight
  • 2017: 8–7 (.533) | 7 teams | Furthest: Sweet 16
  • 2016: 8–7 (.533) | 7 teams | Furthest: Sweet 16
  • 2015: 12–7 (.632) | 7 teams | Furthest: Elite Eight
Click to expand...
FTR, MSU made the Final Four in 2019.
 
#391      
PopChampaign
Losing record in both categories. I just want post season wins. It’s been 20 years since we’ve made a FF.
 
#392      
illinifan1987
Not getting involved for an arguments sake, but while sitting here trippin ballz on Ambien, I looked up the B1G and the Final Four. Over the last 10 years, only 4 B1G teams have made the FF. That's a truly horrendous stat {10%). That same 10% applies to B1G teams National Championship game appearances. Now I'm off to drifty nighty tighty dkeifdd keopseck
 
#393      
PleaseMakeABowlGame
lstewart53x3 said:
Here’s the thing, most fans will never be “happy”. Because the more a program accomplishes, the more that same program is expected to accomplish.

Look at Illinois football. Every fan message board for the last 20 years has been filled with “if Illinois football could just be competent and at least make bowls consistently, I’d be happy!”

Illinois football accomplishes that.

The expectation then raises and now fans are disappointed with 8-4.

I’ll use Ohio St football as another example.

They won the national championship last year and they’ve got as good of a chance as anyone to win it all again this year.

During signing day, the Ohio St fan boards were lit up with “how can we only be signing the 7th ranked class in the nation!?”

National championships. Top 10 classes. Not good enough.

Kansas won it all in basketball in 2022. You think fans are still happy with Self in 2026 after they finished the last two years 27 & 24 in KenPom and currently sit at 17 (4 spots lower than this terrible Brad Underwood team)? No way.

Such is life as a fan.
Click to expand...
This is true, because people or most/some fans won't be happy.

But I believe as an individual, you can choose your fate, your beliefs, and whether or not you'd like to live in a world of impractical illusion and absurd motives.

For example, you can choose whether or not you'd like to be part of the ludicrous campaign for Brad to be fired after all he's accomplished here. This is not me saying every program should keep an underachieving coach - for instance, a program like Louisville had every right to be frustrated with the Kenny Payne situation. But in the case of Illinois basketball - people have the right to choose whether they'd like to be part of lunacy or a bit more rational perspective.

They also have the right to become a little more educated about contract details/structure to understand there's a precisely 0% chance of that ever happening.
 
Last edited:
#394      
NarrowJ
PleaseMakeABowlGame said:
This is true, because people or most/some fans won't be happy.

But I believe as an individual, you can choose your fate, your beliefs, and whether or not you'd like to live in a world of impractical illusion and absurd motives.

For example, you can choose whether or not you'd like to be part of the ludicrous campaign for Brad to be fired after all he's accomplished here. This is not me saying every program should keep an underachieving coach - for instance, a program like Louisville had every right to be frustrated with the Kenny Payne situation. But in the case of Illinois basketball - people have the right to choose whether they'd like to be part of lunacy or a bit more rational perspective.

They also have the right to become a little more educated about contract details/structure to understand there's a precisely 0% chance of that ever happening.
Click to expand...

I mean, but what if they’ve been hanging out in bars all across the midwest? That type of person seems like they’d definitely be super plugged in to what the big boosters and Josh are doing with the basketball program. I’m guessing he also ran into Larry Gies while on this epic bar hopping adventure because I was told we were going to use some of the $100M to buy out Brad’s contract. Lmao.
 
#395      
BretMyBeachHouse
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I think it’s fair to divide it up by perspective, though … pre-2020 should absolutely be considered apples to oranges given the rebuild, and there obviously wasn’t a Tournament. So, I think it’s only fair to judge 2021 and on.

From there, I would consider two things:

1) Did we achieve an appropriate seed given the team we had on our hands?
2) Did we underachieve in the Tournament given our seed and eventual draw?

And I’d put it like this.

2021 - Massively overachieved our expectations to get a #1 seed. Massively underachieved our expectations to lose in the Second Round as a #1 seed.

2022 - Met expectations to get a #4 seed. Met expectations losing in the Second Round, given we got Houston in our bracket.

2023 - Massively underachieved getting a #9 seed. Mildly underachieved in our First Round loss, though we were all probably not surprised.

2024 - Exceeded our expectations to get a #3 seed, given we were barely a top 25 team preseason. Exceeded our expectations to make the Elite Eight, given (A) we at least finally made the Sweet Sixteen and (B) we were underdogs vs. #2 seed Iowa State.

2025 - Mildly underachieved getting a #6 seed, given the up-and-down season and being on track for a protected seed at multiple junctures. I guess met expectations by losing in the Second Round to a #3 seed, but our effort itself was a pretty big disappointment in that game.

So, as far as NCAAT performance given the seed, only 2021 stands out as a clear choke job. However, the issue - especially post-Trent and DaMonte - appears to be too many head scratching regular season losses that are pushing our seed ceiling so low that we have so little margin for error … I’m praying we can at least get to that #3 seed line this year where you at LEAST don’t need to play above your average level twice in a row to make the Sweet Sixteen.
Click to expand...
Nice analysis.

Few people seem to focus on my metric which is the final poll. We've finished outside the top 25 two of the last three years. That's not a metric based on a single game. It's a metric that takes everything into account.
 
#398      
bigcityillini
NarrowJ said:
I mean, but what if they’ve been hanging out in bars all across the midwest? That type of person seems like they’d definitely be super plugged in to what the big boosters and Josh are doing with the basketball program. I’m guessing he also ran into Larry Gies while on this epic bar hopping adventure because I was told we were going to use some of the $100M to buy out Brad’s contract. Lmao.
Click to expand...
Listen if I was defending a 62 year old coach with a single elite 8 to his resume this much. I would probably be accused of being drunk. Get any early start to today? Lol

Who needs an agent when Brad has narrow J defending his honor on the message boards in the morning. Not even his wife is THAT dedicated. Lol. Like come on my guy. Let’s not look silly before you’ve have your morning coffee.
 
Last edited:
#399      
NarrowJ
bigcityillini said:
Listen if I was defending a 62 year old coach with a single elite 8 to his resume this much. I would probably be accused of being drunk. Get any early start to today? Lol
Click to expand...

Good One Reaction GIF


You’re the self-proclaimed bar hopper though

What do you disagree with? Why hasn't his contract been bought out yet? When do you expect this to happen?

I'd like to keep this going as long as possible. Maybe your persona can be a daily meme for the final 8-10 years of his tenure. I find it highly entertaining!

@bigcityillini when he finds out Brad has a lifetime contract:

Will Ferrell Running GIF by filmeditor
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back