All of the talk prior to the start of the tournament was that it was completely sold out yet there were thousands of empty seats for our game this morning. Does that mean that they sold only 'all-session' tickets and that those empty seats were actually purchased but the fans were waiting for their team to take the floor?
Illini Women's Basketball 2023-2024
- Status
uofi7477
- Silver & Gold Vandals
Yes, WBI of 8 teams March 23-25 in Daytona Beach.
It does exist still. Pretty sure that is more for mid major and lower schools who aren't going to make the tournament unless pull an upset in the conference tournament. Not 100%, but don't see it being a power conference tournament at all.
Not sure why the team to two steps back. Big Ten seems better, but team just never got it going this season.
uofi7477
- Silver & Gold Vandals
Tougher non-con and conference schedules, Peebles out for year and Cook's concussion and integration back into team may be some clues. The future is very bright for Coach Green and Illini, but guess it doesn't happen overnight - see Daddy Brad. Go Illini.
If Petros can do it in two years, Green can do it as well. Our facilities are among the best in the country. She started with very little, did a superb job in creating a a patchwork of players that overachieved in Year 1 with a softer non-conference schedule. But it's a team that was created ad hoc, and the pieces just don't make a good fit. If you want to return with essentially the same team next year, we better drop Notre Dame and Marquette from the schedule.
Went out with a friend to watch the game at a local sports bar—my 2 cents--
Somewhat disappointing season but as some stated, Green, to her credit, had raised the program in 2 years. My impression of her is that she is ambitious and sees many of the same things that this board does and will not keep the status quo, at least that is my hope.
I feel bad for McKenzie, she always plays so hard and to have such a rough night in her home state is tough but having her back next season will be a plus.
The “small” guard situation creates an issue on the offensive end but today we got destroyed on the defensive end. McKenzie and Dolan had to guard forwards because playing Bryant and Cook together creates matchups we cannot win. Dolan and McKenzie are 2 guards and asking them to cover a “3” or “4’ is insane. Although I like the coaching staff, that is on them. We can beat lower-level Big 10 teams but after that, it is a challenge.
Horrible call on Bryant on the charge, but the level of officiating in a first-round game is what I expected.
Transfer Portal—someone said that we need a post player who averaged 20 points per game. So do the other 350+ D1 programs. Give me 12 points and 7 rebounds and I will be happy.
I am excited about Berry, but we need to give her time to develop.
Bollin has a lot of potential and will be a key piece for next year. She seems like such a positive kid, always standing, cheering, greeting teammates at timeout. All the intangibles.
I would not be interested in a postseason tournament. If we had a young team that needed playing time and experience that would be fine. We are a very old team with Bryant, Cook, Bostic, McKenzie, etc. The younger players have spent a season watching them play 35-39 minutes a game, we don’t need 2-3 more games of that.
We will lose players to the portal and some might be ones we do not expect. In today’s game, the players hold all the cards.
Go Illini!
Somewhat disappointing season but as some stated, Green, to her credit, had raised the program in 2 years. My impression of her is that she is ambitious and sees many of the same things that this board does and will not keep the status quo, at least that is my hope.
I feel bad for McKenzie, she always plays so hard and to have such a rough night in her home state is tough but having her back next season will be a plus.
The “small” guard situation creates an issue on the offensive end but today we got destroyed on the defensive end. McKenzie and Dolan had to guard forwards because playing Bryant and Cook together creates matchups we cannot win. Dolan and McKenzie are 2 guards and asking them to cover a “3” or “4’ is insane. Although I like the coaching staff, that is on them. We can beat lower-level Big 10 teams but after that, it is a challenge.
Horrible call on Bryant on the charge, but the level of officiating in a first-round game is what I expected.
Transfer Portal—someone said that we need a post player who averaged 20 points per game. So do the other 350+ D1 programs. Give me 12 points and 7 rebounds and I will be happy.
I am excited about Berry, but we need to give her time to develop.
Bollin has a lot of potential and will be a key piece for next year. She seems like such a positive kid, always standing, cheering, greeting teammates at timeout. All the intangibles.
I would not be interested in a postseason tournament. If we had a young team that needed playing time and experience that would be fine. We are a very old team with Bryant, Cook, Bostic, McKenzie, etc. The younger players have spent a season watching them play 35-39 minutes a game, we don’t need 2-3 more games of that.
We will lose players to the portal and some might be ones we do not expect. In today’s game, the players hold all the cards.
Go Illini!
Sure wish we could have replicated the first quarter a few more times. You could see us loosing steam second half. Terps started driving to the rim. We were not getting rebounds. Spend a lot of time dribbling. Sometimes I wonder if our guards can even see when we have players open in the wings if they get in too deep. Gen lost 5 points on bad calls. Same really bad ref we had in Nebraska game last Sunday.
Tough tough day for #24. Had a nice visit with Adalia’s family before the game. Had to hurt to see her struggle today.
Visited with Seller’s parents after the game. Nice couple. Dad mentioned how short the Terp’s are this year. I told him I thought this was the year to finally beat them. Instead we go 0-3.
Hope we can play another game or two this year. A crazy season but for me still plenty of positives to build on.
My understanding was that full
session tix were sold out but still tix to buy for individual games.
Once an Illini. Always an Illini
Tough tough day for #24. Had a nice visit with Adalia’s family before the game. Had to hurt to see her struggle today.
Visited with Seller’s parents after the game. Nice couple. Dad mentioned how short the Terp’s are this year. I told him I thought this was the year to finally beat them. Instead we go 0-3.
Hope we can play another game or two this year. A crazy season but for me still plenty of positives to build on.
My understanding was that full
session tix were sold out but still tix to buy for individual games.
Once an Illini. Always an Illini
Peebles 5'10" 5th year senior cost us some depth but only scored 7 ppg last year.
We lost a few close games but she played in first 3. Rest of our losses were by bigger margins including some really depressing 20-40 point blowouts.
Missouri 69-66 Arkansas 60-59 Indiana 77-71 --- Purdue 77-72
Cook and Bryant did not play was well as last year. Less scoring, Significantly worse FG%. JMO - this was the regression in team. that cost us 6 wins.
2023-4
2022-3
Agree on all of this.
But, I would hope a postseason tournament would cause the coaching staff to spread out the minutes more and add some players to the rotation as well. More developmental/ experience approach, but we shall see.
uofi7477
- Silver & Gold Vandals
A very quick survey of Illini Women's Basketball shows that the previous 15 seasons (2007-08) prior to Coach Green's arrival last season, our Overall record was 172 - 286 with three winning seasons, and a Conference record of 56 - 193 with two winning seasons.
I know we live in the Age of Instant Gratification and Recency but a little Perspective may be in order. In the meantime, we can only hope Coach Green studies this Forum to assist her in the obvious upward trajectory of the program in attendance, recruiting, winning and excitement.
I know we live in the Age of Instant Gratification and Recency but a little Perspective may be in order. In the meantime, we can only hope Coach Green studies this Forum to assist her in the obvious upward trajectory of the program in attendance, recruiting, winning and excitement.
blackdog
- Champaign
More games = more practice. Always better for a program to have that opportunity. Same reason why making a bowl game in football is so important for the development of a program even if the games themselves don't matter.
You knew some of the negativity from the Men's Bball forum would shoot over here sooner or later
Grentz took us to 5 NCAA Tournaments and 5 WNIT in 12 seasons. Problem is her best years were early years 2-5 and made 4 straight NCAA Tourneys. Last 7 seasons we sniffed 1 NCAA Tournament. Conference record with Grentz first 5 seasons was 51-29 (6-10 1st season), last 7 seasons 50-62. Grentz is our best coach in program history at this time.
JMO-Green will be the best coach in program history if she stays for the long haul.
The 3 Big Ten bubble teams entering the conference tourney all won 1st round. Maryland just beat Ohio St and guaranteed a NCAA bid. Michigan and Penn St play today and will be underdogs. Just curious where and who we play next........
Just like Coach Green said post game and similar to Coach Underwood’s thoughts, when we get grittier and used to closing out tough games on a regular basis like a Maryland….we will be consistent winners.You knew some of the negativity from the Men's Bball forum would shoot over here sooner or later
Grentz took us to 5 NCAA Tournaments and 5 WNIT in 12 seasons. Problem is her best years were early years 2-5 and made 4 straight NCAA Tourneys. Last 7 seasons we sniffed 1 NCAA Tournament. Conference record with Grentz first 5 seasons was 51-29 (6-10 1st season), last 7 seasons 50-62. Grentz is our best coach in program history at this time.
JMO-Green will be the best coach in program history if she stays for the long haul.
The 3 Big Ten bubble teams entering the conference tourney all won 1st round. Maryland just beat Ohio St and guaranteed a NCAA bid. Michigan and Penn St play today and will be underdogs. Just curious where and who we play next........
I too hope she remains committed to returning the program to top twenty-five status. As someone who has stayed close to the program through thick and thin, my hopes are pinned on her determination and competitive spirit. The staff is working really hard to land a top 2026 recruiting class.
My thoughts and perspective on the program are right with yours
GILL-INOIS.
That she is. Doesn't, however, guarantee success here. Nancy Fahey was 737-143 at Washington University before she came. Matt Bollant was 148-19 at Green Bay. Grentz was 434-150 at Rutgers. Shauna came into a downtrodden program and it might take a few years to get this thing moving in the right direction.
Forget about the past! Good coaches can turn around any program in any sports quickly with the rules changes regarding transfers, NIL, etc. And control the controllables - you want a better non-conference record next year, don't schedule Notre Dame and Marquette. Seems we never learn.
Whitman has made some coaching mistakes(who hasn't) but has made some homerun hires in multiple sports. No doubt Green is one of those program changer hires. JMO but think there is a better chance she would leave the program before odds of her getting fired.
Scheduling is on the AD. I have no problem with the non-conference schedule. We hung majority of the games but couldn't finish out games against teams close to our talent level. Last season we had no real competition until the full-time Big Ten schedule.
This team can climb back into the tourney next season. 2022-2023 season we beat one team that made the NCAA Tournament, this season we beat 3 (4 if Penn St gets in off bubble). Same stat applies to Big Ten wins vs teams with .500 or better record, 1 last season with 4 this season. There is growth going on with this program even if the record doesn't show it.
100% agree
Dayton is no slouch of a job. Jabir built a strong program and Green ran with it. Green is building a strong program for us and hopefully she runs wild
Champaign Toast
Fan since Kiwane Garris
To the points about strength of schedule and subsequent record, and conversation about whether this year's team was worse than, better than, or about the same as last year's team: it's interesting to note that as of right now, this program's RPI and NET of the past two seasons are equal and close to equal...
2022-3 RPI: 127
2023-4 RPI: 127
2022-3 NET: 41
2023-4 NET: 49
2022-3 RPI: 127
2023-4 RPI: 127
2022-3 NET: 41
2023-4 NET: 49
Fahey was George Wash Div 3
Bollant UW Green Bay Is Horizon league
Law was assistant at Rutgets
Dayton Atlantic 10 much. Much stronger hire. Just like Grentz
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Champaign Toast
Fan since Kiwane Garris
They both look electric with the ball in their hands. I, too, would be excited to sign either.
Wash U in StL is indeed D3, but no George in the name.
I don't buy into the small school/big school hire criteria.
Whitman was AD at two Division III schools before getting hired at Illinois.
- Status