Some additional Illini stats from today:
And you sit there and you don't know exactly what it will look like (today's was, er... frankly, ugly, which made it all the more beautiful) but you KNOW it is going down.
I don't think it was all that ugly. Something I've noticed in watching a number of angles of replay, because it's like a good drug, is that Ayo very effectively created separation by using his lower have to make space between him and Homer.
It was excellent.
This is what has me really excited. So if Kenpom has us going 13-7 and sharing the BIG title with MSU they must see it something like this:
Win 5 Loose 1 at home and loose every game except NW on the road? I sort of see that as the "floor" for this team right now and if that is the floor ok? Then win 1 in the BTT and your looking at an over all record of 21 (remember take out Longwood) and 10 with say 10 quad 1 wins on our resume. I see that as no worse than a 7 seed in the big dance.
Now our ceiling? Well let say it goes like this:
Win all 6 at home and,
@Iowa (L)
@Rutgers (L)
@tOSU (W)
@PSU (W)
@NW (W)
Well now our record is 15-5 in the league and 23 - 7, so win 2 in the BTT and your looking at a solid 4 or 5 seed in the big dance, but win the BTT?
Now your 26-7 going into the dance with 15 (count them 15 quad 1 wins, and 6-4 road record in the BIG - and a 17 - 3 record for you final 20 games) that is now for sure a 2 seed and its a stretch, but number 1? If you a 1 or 2 seed coming out of the BIG this year you get STL for your regional for sure. Sound like a good place to land?
A stretch? Probably, but it is for sure still very much in front of this team, and that is really all you can ask for at this point?
This team has elite talent at every position.
Totally agree. Four of are staters are really good. Not elite but really good. If DW had an offensive game and was just a little bigger he could be a Roger Powell Powell type and this could be a possible Final Four top 10 team right now. AG can still get there hopefully by the years end and it sucks Verdonk never had a healthy start. What frustrating is I know DW has it in him I think a lot of him missing open shots is a mental block. Clearly he doesnt take contested shots much which is fine so he should be able to make the ones he takes. I know he can I just think he lacks confidence or something. Kinda like the yips in golf. He can make em.LOL, no we don’t. We’re starting DMW at the 3, and getting less than 3 ppg out of him. He’s been scoreless in 10 of our games, including the last 7. He does a lot of things right, but this team would look a lot better with an “elite” player there. I’d happily take someone scoring 15 ppg and playing half of the defense that DMW does.
Let’s not get too carried away in the bliss of beating scUM.
We are playing well but let's take one game at a time. We are finally playing tough and battling like a top 5 team in the B10. But Michigan missed how many FTs in the last 80 seconds and Teske a 5 footer? Wisconsin could have easily won but the ball bounced our wayther way. We won the games and I'm fired up. We dominated Purdue that was a final four performance but got dominated by MSU. It's been a good run and we need to keep it going. I think however us as fans should try to be like our players and not get too high or too low. Its not easy but things can change look at OSU and Michigan for example. Let's just win one game at a time and see what happens. If that happens then sure. You can be proclaimed a guru. LolCan I finally get credit for calling this team legit Final Four contenders back in early December when everyone else was down on this team and laughing at me? 3 road wins against teams that are a combined 26-3 at home this season excluding their losses to us. And another game that we had at Maryland that is 11-0 at home.
Got another month+ for this young team to improve. Nobody will want to see us in their bracket.
Having watched the wide camera view of the winning shot, I am even more impressed....with both the shot and Simpson's defense. What a great basketball play!I don't think it was all that ugly. Something I've noticed in watching a number of angles of replay, because it's like a good drug, is that Ayo very effectively created separation by using his lower have to make space between him and Homer.
It was excellent.
We are playing well but let's take one game at a time. We are finally playing tough and battling like a top 5 team in the B10. But Michigan missed how many FTs in the last 80 seconds and Teske a 5 footer? Wisconsin could have easily won but the ball bounced our wayther way. We won the games and I'm fired up. We dominated Purdue that was a final four performance but got dominated by MSU. It's been a good run and we need to keep it going. I think however us as fans should try to be like our players and not get too high or too low. Its not easy but things can change look at OSU and Michigan for example. Let's just win one game at a time and see what happens. If that happens then sure. You can be proclaimed a guru. Lol
Chester Frazier!1. Damonte might need to see a Sport Psychologist to help with his shooting because that kid is scared to do it and he is missing bad
2. with that said he needs to stay in the line up because of his D
3. but if he could just get 6 pts a game that would be huge
OSU was #2 and Michigan was,#3 things can change in a hurry. We have lost games like that too. That's precisely how we lost Maryland . Also just because this is the best conference which I think it is doesnt mean that Duke, Baylor, Gonzaga, or Kansas or others arent better. I hope we are but Michigan missing FTs one after another like they did had zero to do with our team. I am glad they won and things worked out today. That by the way is exactly what BU said today was we were fortunate to have a chance to win due to missed FTs. It takes luck to get on a run too. We are playing well and that gives us a better chance to win I'll give you that but I think we both know thus isnt the 89 or 04 05 team. There are about 25 teams that could be final four teams this year. Its wide open.That's kind of the point. Final Four teams just find a way to win. Most of these road games in the last ten or so seasons, we've known the end result heading into the game. This year, the Big Ten is projected to have 11 tourney teams right now (which I don't see holding up, but tells me it's the toughest conference top to bottom) and we're sitting at the top of it and have had some tough road games. Split the Rutgers, PSU, Iowa and Ohio State road games and win the rest and we will be winning the Big Ten. This is realistic if this team stays together.
Kenpom places too much weight on early season non-conference games. Young teams sometime need time to gel and Kenpom’s formula doesn’t account for that, from what I understand.And we lost to Miami and Mizzou and had some games at home that were closer than they should've been. Kenpom looks at the whole picture.
WizardBill, do you wizard for hire, of are you strictly an Illini based seer of the future?
Afraid I'm not bought in to Final Four. With perhaps 3 more wins we'll be a lock for the NIT. (I think 17 D1 wins will do it.) Even with that said, I do believe we'll be in the Big Dance, rather than the NIT.Can I finally get credit for calling this team legit Final Four contenders back in early December when everyone else was down on this team and laughing at me? 3 road wins against teams that are a combined 26-3 at home this season excluding their losses to us. And another game that we had at Maryland that is 11-0 at home.
Got another month+ for this young team to improve. Nobody will want to see us in their bracket.
There are certainly teams that are quicker and more athletic, but sometimes they do not play defense like Big 10 teams.There are about 25 teams that could be final four teams this year. Its wide open.
Sure we have a chance if we play hard and a few things go our way and god I hope they do.. That's true for a lot of teams too.