Nothing worth having comes easy...and first place in the B1G at the halfway point sure wasn't easily earned. Now the really, really, really tough part of the schedule starts and 5-5 just might be something we would look back and loved to have had...but another 8-2 is possible for this team...we just don't know except it will be exciting and have us on the edge of our seats.
Love the fact that Pitino's gross error in judgement of having his players flop backfired and may have been the biggest factor in the loss down the stretch. Play the freakin' game and play it hard...but cheaters never win in the end.
Props from me also for a great game from DW. It just boggles the mind that he has played the game all his life and can't seem to find a way to get the ball in the net. I have seen film of him hitting jumper after jumper with a nice stroke...but not this year.
Anyway, this team is playing like one finally...on both ends...and looking fairly competent on offense at times. Not early tonight as Minny was expending great energy to shut them all down and playing tight which requires faking and quick stops on drives instead of trying to finish over close defenders. Hope the coaches use it as a learning moment as that will happen again...especially in big games and in the big dance games when kids come out higher than the moon.
Overall, i love what I am seeing as this team learns, grows, and becomes B1G warriors....returning the legacy of great Illini basketball.