Illini Basketball 2026-2027

#427      
Curbelo Fanboy
nichi said:
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More of a luxury than a need.

I would rather see the 9th and 10th man get 8 - 11 mpg.

It can be done. Way back in the day, Ricky Pitino had some success with 10 or even 11 man rotations at UK. Of course, he had lots of future NBA players.

Also, Lon Kruger played 11 guys 10 mpg or more his last season right here at UI.

The concept is simple enough. Assume our basic 8 man rotation consists of three bigs (Mirk, Tomi, and Z), two wings (Andrej and Jake),* and three guards (Vaaks, Q, and Morillo.

For a deep 11 man rotation, just work in a 4th big, 3rd wing, and 4th guard 4 to 6 minutes per half. Easy peasy. /s

*I stipulate that Andrej and Jake will see the floor together. Rotations are guidelines, not rules.
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It's a luxury but in those last couple games in late March/April, it may feel more like a need. A hidden benefit in that your top guys are just that little bit fresher in the really big games. It's kind of picking nits but when you aspire to cut down the nets every aspect of the program has to be in top form. Leave no stone unturned. That's why I like the approach Brad is taking to just come out & say what the objective is. Make it real & then approach every day & every aspect of the season with that mindset. What things can we tweak or change to make just that fraction of a percent better that can really matter in the end of the year. Thats the stuff that sets the great programs apart.
 
#429      
jamarvelous31
RollChief said:
David is the man, looking forward to some all-time moments this season.

One thing I was thinking about in reading this- I wonder how Vaaks is responding to David's leadership with regards to playing overseas for national teams over the summer...
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Bit nervous with Mirk saying he wants to change his role, style of play and have the ball in his hands more?

Trust the staff, but it feels like between the internal/external expectations and new guys this will need to be Brad's best coaching year for this to end where we all want.
 
#430      
nichi
jimbo72 said:
We will never be playing 10, unless tons of foul trouble or we're up by 50. The minutes simply don't allow it, plus you take players out of rhythm. It shrinks in tourney.
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If your top 5 are splitting 120 - 140 minutes; they aren't necessarily being taken out of rhythm. That still leaves enough tick for 6 bench guys to get 8 +, with some getting starter or near minutes.

The problem I see is the starters are usually quite a bit better than the guys on the bench. You're lucky to have three that can rotate in and consistently help the team, or at least not do any damage.

As for player development, I think most of that takes place in practice and the weight room.
 
#431      
Illwinsagain
Curbelo Fanboy said:
It's a luxury but in those last couple games in late March/April, it may feel more like a need. A hidden benefit in that your top guys are just that little bit fresher in the really big games. It's kind of picking nits but when you aspire to cut down the nets every aspect of the program has to be in top form. Leave no stone unturned. That's why I like the approach Brad is taking to just come out & say what the objective is. Make it real & then approach every day & every aspect of the season with that mindset. What things can we tweak or change to make just that fraction of a percent better that can really matter in the end of the year. Thats the stuff that sets the great programs apart.
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I wonder what the past 5 or so NCAA champs had as far as minute distribution for bench players in the months of Jan/Feb/Mar?
 
#432      
DReq
jamarvelous31 said:
Bit nervous with Mirk saying he wants to change his role, style of play and have the ball in his hands more?

Trust the staff, but it feels like between the internal/external expectations and new guys this will need to be Brad's best coaching year for this to end where we all want.
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Really, the single factor you would need to evaluate is "end where we all want" and by that standard it would be the best coaching year in Illinois history, actually.
 
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