Illini Basketball

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#4      

Bigtex

Bigtex
DFW
Bigtex
This is more reflective of the B1G conference but also applies specifically to Illinois:

-B1G has some star power but style of play doesn't bode well for NCAA tournament success.
-Why do we regularly see scores of less than 30 in the first half?
-Watching NCAA games - it was evident for the most part B1G teams don't take the ball down the lane and finish.
-Mid range jumpers are very effective (high percentage shots)
-Athletes - Seems like other teams have faster, stronger, better jumping athletes who are also good basketball players.
 
#5      

The Galloping Ghost

The Galloping Ghost
Washington, DC
The Galloping Ghost
Dan said:
As today marks the end of the current season & beginning of the new, please use this thread to look ahead to 2022-2023 or reflect back.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us here to share in the glory & heartbreak 🔸 🔹 :illinois: Go Illini

Updated Scholarship Grid (3/21/2022)
Click to expand...
giphy-3.gif

Thank you, Dan, for giving us this community to share our obsession. It makes every season that much more fun.
 
#6      

Monticello

M
Monticello
Bigtex said:
This is more reflective of the B1G conference but also applies specifically to Illinois:

-B1G has some star power but style of play doesn't bode well for NCAA tournament success.
-Why do we regularly see scores of less than 30 in the first half?
-Watching NCAA games - it was evident for the most part B1G teams don't take the ball down the lane and finish.
-Mid range jumpers are very effective (high percentage shots)
-Athletes - Seems like other teams have faster, stronger, better jumping athletes who are also good basketball players.
Click to expand...
When MSU has had players do this, they've been a perennial final four team. RJ and Belo appear to be a players who can do that based on limited sample sizes. I think Podz and the incoming guards also have that athleticism.
 
#8      

IllinoisssssssVarsity

I
IllinoisssssssVarsity
Bigtex said:
This is more reflective of the B1G conference but also applies specifically to Illinois:

-B1G has some star power but style of play doesn't bode well for NCAA tournament success.
-Why do we regularly see scores of less than 30 in the first half?
-Watching NCAA games - it was evident for the most part B1G teams don't take the ball down the lane and finish.
-Mid range jumpers are very effective (high percentage shots)
-Athletes - Seems like other teams have faster, stronger, better jumping athletes who are also good basketball players.
Click to expand...
High percentage shots are relative to the person who shoots them.
 
#10      

Bigtex

Bigtex
DFW
Bigtex
Monticello said:
When MSU has had players do this, they've been a perennial final four team. RJ and Belo appear to be a players who can do that based on limited sample sizes. I think Podz and the incoming guards also have that athleticism.
Click to expand...
agree yesterday only RJ beat his man on the dribble and either finished or kicked out for an open jumper (3). I agree the soon to be sophomores and incoming freshman have 1) size 2) athleticism and 3) skill to penetrate and make something good happen.
 
#11      

PIT_ILL

P
PIT_ILL
Bigtex said:
This is more reflective of the B1G conference but also applies specifically to Illinois:

-B1G has some star power but style of play doesn't bode well for NCAA tournament success.
-Why do we regularly see scores of less than 30 in the first half?
-Watching NCAA games - it was evident for the most part B1G teams don't take the ball down the lane and finish.
-Mid range jumpers are very effective (high percentage shots)
-Athletes - Seems like other teams have faster, stronger, better jumping athletes who are also good basketball players.
Click to expand...

I think the arena hurt the Illini a lot. None of the teams there shot particularly well. Hockey arenas don't make for good basketball arenas.

Also I think Trent was significantly hampered by his eye. It was obvious even during warm ups that he was off.

From a philosophical standpoint, I don't think Underwood wants mid range jump shots. They are statistically the worst shots.

That athlete thing is about to change in a big way. This team had good players under 6'4" and over 6'10". RJ, Luke, Ty, etc are going to change that trend to have more length in the team over the next 12 months.
 
#12      

Ferd

F
Ferd
I hope that Podz stays. Everything that we saw from him was good, but then he went to the bench and never came back. Even if he wasn't getting a message from coach, I know that he was hearing one. I'm obviously not happy with his minutes ; )
 
#13      

pruman91

pruman91
Paducah, Ky
pruman91
Well, the sun did rise this morning........After an Illini loss I sometimes wonder if it will ever stop hurting and tearing my guts up.......I still am in denial that the season is actually over , but when the tourney resumes this coming weekend it will for sure hit me again that the season is over.....

There have been many great posts supporting this years Illini team and I want to add my feeling's about what a rollercoaster ride this season has been ......
Injuries , suspensions and illnesses was a constant reminder of how fragile an existence we all live in this world......It was magnified by a seemingly weekly case of an injury or a covid outbreak or a flu bug , but it just seemed that we were never at 100 % for any stretch of time this year......BU stated in his post game preser that we missed out on 20 practice days because of this or that and with him seeing practice as a way to work out the kinks in our play , I firmly believe it hindered our growth as a cohesive squad , especially in our offense flowing like we have seen in small sample length's of time .......

I am not going to analyze the games in the dance , as many more qualified posters have stated in their posts exactly how i felt about our performance and i don't want to be redundant at all ..........I will say that i am puzzled by our offensive performance , but will leave it at that.....

I want to say thank you to Trent and DMW for coming back for another year as their leadership was invaluable to this year's Illini........Did they take minutes away from others on the squad .....Well , yes .....yes , they did and I'm torn between whether it was the best for the growth of the younger players , but it's a moot point now ......

Trent and DMW cemented a place in my heart for their 5 years of being Illini and I wish them well in their future endeavors....I'm sure they will continue to be productive in whatever course of life they decide on.......And , I am looking forward to no more discussions on whether they (DMW mainly ) deserved to get the minutes they got this year ......It got to be so burdensome to read the posts condemning their minutes on the court that I finally got to scrolling past the arguments of right or wrong ......Everyone has a right to voice their opinions and I support that , but do it in a way to further your thoughts and not demean them as they are the ones putting in the time and effort to become better representative's of our fine program......

I feel enthused more now than I have in a long time about where our Illini BB and FB programs are standing as far as the B1G and the broader spectrum of the NCAA.........BB has momentum in the FB side continuing and BU is the answer for our BB side ......I hope the new WBB hire can come in and reverse that terrible status quo there , as it became embarrassing to see the level of failure in that squad......

I am , and will always be an Illini fanatic ...........I live and breath Illini sports........It makes me whole when we win and tears me up when we lose ........Gummy bears and 420 aside , I want the Illini program's to succeed to the highest level's possible and with the coaches and staff's we have assembled , I think a new day of optimism is upon us and I hope we can , as a fanbase , unite into supporting the programs , instead of tearing down the players for any mistakes they make ........

I am really excited to see some new players coming into the program as I firmly believe " change is necessary for growth ""

It won't take long for us to see we have 3 very exciting new recruits in Harris , Epps and Rodgers coming in to help continue this rise in the level of our programs...

JMHO
 
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#14      

727ill

7
727ill
Ferd said:
I hope that Podz stays. Everything that we saw from him was good, but then he went to the bench and never came back. Even if he wasn't getting a message from coach, I know that he was hearing one. I'm obviously not happy with his minutes ; )
Click to expand...

Not all freshman are going to play on a team that is good. At this point Podz is going to be a four-year guy so he has plenty of time to make an impact.

He showed he can play defense and hit big shots. Needs to just stay the course.
 
#15      

ILLjuice

ILLjuice
ILLjuice
Bigtex said:
agree yesterday only RJ beat his man on the dribble and either finished or kicked out for an open jumper (3). I agree the soon to be sophomores and incoming freshman have 1) size 2) athleticism and 3) skill to penetrate and make something good happen.
Click to expand...
It's amazing RJ could do that but Frazier, Damonte, and Plummer couldn't. I'm gonna get flamed for this take, bring it on.
 
#16      

Calvin

C
Calvin
727ill said:
Not all freshman are going to play on a team that is good.
Click to expand...

We had experienced guards in Plummer, Trent, Curbelo, and DMW. I wouldn't have expected much tic for the frosh this past season, and hopefully they didn't have unrealistic expectations. This year, though, Goode and Podz should be in the mix. Really depends on how much they improve, and where they come out competing with the rest of the roster. Goode seems poised to take over as SG or 3rd guard, depending on how the line-up looks. Regardless of how it shakes out, hope Podz is happy. I think anytime a player is in a tough competition for PT, that's when they start looking around and may decide they want to try playing somewhere else, even if it's sideways or a step down.

I'm guessing this will be a long offseason with its share of drama. Kofi has some decisions to make, and guys who didn't get a lot of PT will have a window to look around. Remember folks, this is the norm.
 
#17      

Butters

B
Butters
I know this has been talked to death over the last few years, but trying to look forward to next season has gotten sooo much more difficult than even 5 or 6 years ago. How many players that are eligible to return on this team are you 95% will return? Maybe 3? I remember last year when I was looking forward to this season, I was concerned about everyone except Curbelo and Miller... I was confident they were both coming back... swing and a miss there...
 
#18      

ptgrd23

ptgrd23
ptgrd23
Feels like Brad = Gene Keady. Blue collar basketball teams that grind out B10 championships but falter in NCAAs. Hope Brad can break that chain.

Losing as a 4 seed to 5 seed is not that big a deal.

Last year Loyola upset was the surprise. I blamed it on lack of NCAA experience. None of our players had ever played in post season.

Next year assuming everybody comes back except Jacob --- Andre Coleman and Kofi will have 4 games experience, RJ and Luke will have 2 games. That should help.

I am not expecting any transfers as there will be plenty of minutes available. Athletes get one free (no sitout) transfer. Makes more sense to save it for when you are an upperclassman and know what level you should be playing at.
 
#19      

sacraig

sacraig
The desert
sacraig
Monticello said:
When MSU has had players do this, they've been a perennial final four team. RJ and Belo appear to be a players who can do that based on limited sample sizes. I think Podz and the incoming guards also have that athleticism.
Click to expand...
Belo can do this but he was off all year. He also has some shooting mechanics that could use some fixing that would seemingly help.

Hawkins could also be a threat here. Just needs more consistency.
 
#20      

FinallyMadeAnAccount

F
FinallyMadeAnAccount
Butters said:
I know this has been talked to death over the last few years, but trying to look forward to next season has gotten sooo much more difficult than even 5 or 6 years ago. How many players that are eligible to return on this team are you 95% will return? Maybe 3? I remember last year when I was looking forward to this season, I was concerned about everyone except Curbelo and Miller... I was confident they were both coming back... swing and a miss there...
Click to expand...
In the Illini Inquirer Podcast, Derek Piper said this:

“in terms of guys you’re confident will be coming back next year, it’s probably Hawkins, RJ and Goode—maybe Bosmans-Verdonk—and then we’ll have to wait and see beyond that.”
 
#21      

Cook

Cook
Richmond, VA
Cook
Right now, my only hope/prayer for next year is that the players and coaches (and us fans) are able to enjoy a season devoid of any significant injury, illness. Give us that and let all the other chips fall where they may. 🙏
 
#23      

ILikeCoffeeMugs

ILikeCoffeeMugs
ILikeCoffeeMugs
Bigtex said:
This is more reflective of the B1G conference but also applies specifically to Illinois:

-B1G has some star power but style of play doesn't bode well for NCAA tournament success.
-Why do we regularly see scores of less than 30 in the first half?
-Watching NCAA games - it was evident for the most part B1G teams don't take the ball down the lane and finish.
-Mid range jumpers are very effective (high percentage shots)
-Athletes - Seems like other teams have faster, stronger, better jumping athletes who are also good basketball players.
Click to expand...
bold: The forgotten money maker, overlooked by the three, drive and post play.
 
#24      

altgeld88

altgeld88
Arlington, Virginia
altgeld88
pruman91 said:
Well, the sun did rise this morning........After an Illini loss I sometimes wonder if it will ever stop hurting and tearing my guts up.......I still am in denial that the season is actually over , but when the tourney resumes this coming weekend it will for sure hit me again that the season is over.....

There have been many great posts supporting this years Illini team and I want to add my feeling's about what a rollercoaster ride this season has been ......
Injuries , suspensions and illnesses was a constant reminder of how fragile an existence we all live in this world......It was magnified by a seemingly weekly case of an injury or a covid outbreak or a flu bug , but it just seemed that we were never at 100 % for any stretch of time this year......BU stated in his post game preser that we missed out on 20 practice days because of this or that and with him seeing practice as a way to work out the kinks in our play , I firmly believe it hindered our growth as a cohesive squad , especially in our offense flowing like we have seen in small sample length's of time .......

I am not going to analyze the games in the dance , as many more qualified posters have stated in their posts exactly how i felt about our performance and i don't want to be redundant at all ..........I will say that i am puzzled by our offensive performance , but will leave it at that.....

I want to say thank you to Trent and DMW for coming back for another year as their leadership was invaluable to this year's Illini........Did they take minutes away from others on the squad .....Well , yes .....yes , they did and I'm torn between whether it was the best for the growth of the younger players , but it's a moot point now ......

Trent and DMW cemented a place in my heart for their 5 years of being Illini and I wish them well in their future endeavors....I'm sure they will continue to be productive in whatever course of life they decide on.......And , I am looking forward to no more discussions on whether they (DMW mainly ) deserved to get the minutes they got this year ......It got to be so burdensome to read the posts condemning their minutes on the court that I finally got to scrolling past the arguments of right or wrong ......Everyone has a right to voice their opinions and I support that , but do it in a way to further your thoughts and not demean them as they are the ones putting in the time and effort to become better representative's of our fine program......

I feel enthused more now than I have in a long time about where our Illini BB and FB programs are standing as far as the B1G and the broader spectrum of the NCAA.........BB has momentum in the FB side continuing and BU is the answer for our BB side ......I hope the new WBB hire can come in and reverse that terrible status quo there , as it became embarrassing to see the level of failure in that squad......

I am , and will always be an Illini fanatic ...........I live and breath Illini sports........It makes me whole when we win and tears me up when we lose ........Gummy bears and 420 aside , I want the Illini program's to succeed to the highest level's possible and with the coaches and staff's we have assembled , I think a new day of optimism is upon us and I hope we can , as a fanbase , unite into supporting the programs , instead of tearing down the players for any mistakes they make ........

I am really excited to see some new players coming into the program as I firmly believe " change is necessary for growth ""

It won't take long for us to see we have 3 very exciting new recruits in Harris , Epps and Rodgers coming in to help continue this rise in the level of our programs...

JMHO
Click to expand...
Well said, brother. I already turned the page to next season, and am excited about what's to come. The photo below is how I'll remember this past season's team, and it's going up on the tack board above my desk to enjoy all spring and summer long. Remember, in this photo DMW's out of sight in the far right corner, having flung himself at two Iowa shooters within five seconds, picking himself off the floor in between, to secure a title for us 🙏:

1647877648609.png
 
#25      

sacraig

sacraig
The desert
sacraig
Butters said:
I know this has been talked to death over the last few years, but trying to look forward to next season has gotten sooo much more difficult than even 5 or 6 years ago. How many players that are eligible to return on this team are you 95% will return? Maybe 3? I remember last year when I was looking forward to this season, I was concerned about everyone except Curbelo and Miller... I was confident they were both coming back... swing and a miss there...
Click to expand...
I think you (and plenty of other people) are extrapolating the transfer bonanza that arose from a simultaneous rule change and amnesty on the sit out year due to COVID. Obviously there will be more transfers than in the past, but it's not going to be like it was the last year.
 
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