Just looking at box score. Destiny with 8 steals!!!! Way to get after it.
Illini Women's Basketball 2025-2026
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This.
One on one, out side of Jackson, Illinois got stuffed. USC strength matched up well with Illinois. Their strength - position-less type players - is better than Illinois' and they dominated Illinois at both ends. PG was Illinois. Neither team had a true 5 that could score so no advantage either way.
Fr. Jazzy Davidison (~#1 prep recruit last year) and So. Kennedy Smith (CA POY two years ago) dominated at both ends. They were really good. Wallace tried her patented bull in a china shop moves and Davidson just stood her ground with her arms straight up. A block every time. Wallace also needs to stop allowing the floor to beat her up. She falls way to often and it's taking a toll on her body, IMO.
In the lane, USC severely overplayed Parchment to her right side. Didn't buy into any fakes to her left, they just stayed strong to her right hand play. Every single time in the lane Parchment spun/turned back to her right and into a USC defender. USC stoned her repeatedly. She can't go to her left on these in the lane twisting moves and I had never noticed until today since USC made it really obvious. When she's in the lane with her back to the basket, she has to develop a move going strong to her left. Right now she apparently doesn't have one.
Wallace/Parchment/Webber are strength of the Illinois offense and today it wasn't happening - I thought USC coaches did a great job taking away (and had the players to do it) what Illinois wanted to do. Beyond Jackson, Illinois had nobody to counter.
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Yep. They also turned Berry over 5 times and Cearah 4. But Cearah still had 16 and 12. And it really looks to me like that mask is hindering Berry.
USC brought aggressive D and did a great job cutting off our getting to the rim. After getting blocked so many times I had hoped we would start passing ball back out. It seemed once Trojans set up in their half-court D we were cooked.
Hoping we can win four of final five games, Badgers and Gophers are playing better
but we need to get our mojo back and come out playing hard.
Hoping we can win four of final five games, Badgers and Gophers are playing better
but we need to get our mojo back and come out playing hard.
Fan Since '70
- OBS, Florida
Berry and Cearah turned ball over and shot poorly, with Cearah making more shots than Berry. Whole team wasn't moving ball well and getting assists /better shots. USC had more fast break points and played better 'D" than Illini. Illini were way out of sorts in 1st Qtr and comeback in 4th Qtr fell short.
Not to mention the broken nose and black eye.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
Love that they never give up. Once they get healthy (might not be till next year) look out.
Bad for Dolan - knee injury 2 years in a row.
good results from game
--Destiny scored 17 points
--Lety and Naomi both had 4 rebounds
We are still small compared to Michigan, MD, USC and UCLA
Naomi make big leap next year. She has size, strength and athleticism.
Lety has to improve her speed and agility
Bad for Dolan - knee injury 2 years in a row.
good results from game
--Destiny scored 17 points
--Lety and Naomi both had 4 rebounds
We are still small compared to Michigan, MD, USC and UCLA
Naomi make big leap next year. She has size, strength and athleticism.
Lety has to improve her speed and agility
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Agreed about huge jump next year. We need another scoring threat via portal. If Dolan can stay healthy, big if, we will have Wallace, Webber, Jackson, Dolan, CP, Guyton, Lety, Naomi, transfer. We need to get deeper so we can compete with the big dogs of the conference
Especially Naomi. She seems to have it all, but wonder if she lacks foot speed.
I don’t know of Lety will be much more athletic.
Really I just think as this team jells we might have enough.. Personally I don't want any transfers . The center position is getting better .The guards have been up and down ,from ho hum to spectacular and somewhere in between.but really it's lack of experience and build.. I just feel like this year was going to be ax learning experience but I still think they will win 20 games..They will win a B1G or two tournament games and one NCAA game but next year they will get those wins against Nebraska Ohio State, Oregon,etc..Close losses will be not a big problem...They are young but capable.Next year seasoned and ready.... Just look at the progress the freshmen have already made...All of them..
Destiny has kicked in
We are competing now...
I was meaning for a confernce championship.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
Good point - injuries have allowed Destiny to take over as #3 scoring threat and she is doing well. All this on top of her all B10 defense and great ball handling.
9 ppg 4 rbg 5 apg.
She is only averaging 7 shots per game.
I would like to see her increase her attempts. Needs to pull up and take 10 footer instead of going all the way to basket and getting blocked.
See what you are saying, but I still think we need another power forward.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
1. We are not big or deep
2. We have no freshman coming in.
Ceerah is stretch 4
Berry is a strong 3
Destiny is a very good but undersized PG
Dolan can play 2G or SF but this is 2nd season she has hurt her knee. Forget about coming back this season. She may not recover by next season. You oldies remember Steve Lanter PG in 1979 who never came back.
Maddy has reverted back to mean. She is lifetime 30% on 3 point attempts but was shooting 40% for first half of season. Without Dolan on floor she got exposed.
Jasmine is undersized at 5'9" and does not have consistent shot. She plays good defense and hustles.
Letty is too slow. Hopefully this is related to recovering from knee injury and will be more athletic next year.
Aaliyuh lacks size, consistent jumper. Does not provide defense or ball handling at Destiny level.
Naomi has size and athleticism. Hopefully Shauna players her 15 mpg for rest of season to see what we have.
Haven is too slow. Not seeing much improvement in year 2.
Erica Finney - never seen her play
Manuela Alves - never seen her play
next year we will bring back 3 starters and 9 question marks. I certainly hope Shauna will work the transfer portal and remaining HS recruits.
The B10 is crazy tough - 2. UCLA, 7. Michigan 8. Ohio State, 13. MSU 15. Iowa 20 MD, 25. WA.
We have to bring in size, athleticism, high basketball IQ. Cearah is all 3.
2. We have no freshman coming in.
Ceerah is stretch 4
Berry is a strong 3
Destiny is a very good but undersized PG
Dolan can play 2G or SF but this is 2nd season she has hurt her knee. Forget about coming back this season. She may not recover by next season. You oldies remember Steve Lanter PG in 1979 who never came back.
Maddy has reverted back to mean. She is lifetime 30% on 3 point attempts but was shooting 40% for first half of season. Without Dolan on floor she got exposed.
Jasmine is undersized at 5'9" and does not have consistent shot. She plays good defense and hustles.
Letty is too slow. Hopefully this is related to recovering from knee injury and will be more athletic next year.
Aaliyuh lacks size, consistent jumper. Does not provide defense or ball handling at Destiny level.
Naomi has size and athleticism. Hopefully Shauna players her 15 mpg for rest of season to see what we have.
Haven is too slow. Not seeing much improvement in year 2.
Erica Finney - never seen her play
Manuela Alves - never seen her play
next year we will bring back 3 starters and 9 question marks. I certainly hope Shauna will work the transfer portal and remaining HS recruits.
The B10 is crazy tough - 2. UCLA, 7. Michigan 8. Ohio State, 13. MSU 15. Iowa 20 MD, 25. WA.
We have to bring in size, athleticism, high basketball IQ. Cearah is all 3.
I believe that Manuella is a pro in the making ..She is very similar to Cearah but just hungrier on the boards....Well CeCe has learned a hunger that may be hard to duplicate , but Manuella scores in side and out..She did it against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky and a few other teams when Brazil was touring.Her High school ranking was low in my opinion .Losing her and our sharp shooting Freshmen Erica Finney were definitely big blows to this team..With her and Finney we would move Wallace to the shooting guard..In some ways I believe the team could probably transition in to the men's style of game .. Kinda 5 out but it would give Webber ,Wallace Gretchen and of course Destiny driving lanes..We have 2 Autobahn drivers in Webber and Destiny and maybe 3 crafty offensively gifted scorers in Wallace,Dolan and Parchment....With the improvement they all continue to get Manuella and Finney and of the improvement and experience of Aaliyah and Jasmine attain..Heck all the center would really need to do is be available for layups and defense...If we get a dynamic Portal transfer (come on down Burruss...and a weird dream of that Blakes kid...She just seems like a Shauna Green player..)I think like say the shooter from Wisconsin...I mean holy moly....Just dreaming of course..
One last thing I believe if Illinois paid for the right portal add,This team could be a sellout early in the season..
Thank you for that excellent analysis.
I knew about Finney. I had no idea Manuella was such an athlete.
I totally agree with our offensive weapons.
But when we go up against the elite teams it tends to be our inability to stop the opponent’s best players that keeps us from winning.
Great analysis. You forgot Irene. She's belongs in the same sentence as Hayven. Those top 3 all have first team all B1G potential. Lets add on.
Hoping Finney, the Aussie sharp shooter is ready to go next season. Manuella is also waiting in the wings.
What was Finney's injury? She still looks pretty gimpy to me. By contrast, Alves is moving well on the sidelines.
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