Illinois 65, Houston 55 Postgame
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You're right, my apologies.... Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your company!
Chuck Nuggets
Dip your nuggets in my staff source sauce.
I'm so thrilled to see how much Andrej Stojakovic is contributing to these wins. He has had a great tournament so far.
Just amazing. Wow.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
This, my brothers and sisters. I saw this in person in East Lansing 47 days ago. Completely jobbed by the refs. Dominant in defeat. Cool, determined, unfazed as they exited the court. And we're here. We are here. This is even better than Iowa State two years ago. What a team. I knew the boys had this in them. I never lost faith. Victory Illinois VAR. SI. TY.
pruman91
- interviewing new NL's daily....I really really am
Houston ??????................Houston ?????????...............
Dr. Chandra , I'm having a problem reaching Houston.................
Well Hal , that's not surprising after them getting their arse handed to them tonight by the Fighting Illini.......
oh yeah Dr. Chandra ....I was being facetious about Houston.......ha ha ha , I made a joke.......
well done Hal.........about as big a joke as the Illini made of Houston tonight...................ha ha ha......I made a joke too.................
how's our bundle of bolts Hal doing Chandra ??...........
He thinks he's a comedian now............
(all 3) ha ha ha..............................
I'm getting closer to my home....................
SampsonRelpenk
- Edwardsville, IL
I'm going to be so damn tired at work tomorrow and I couldn't care less. ILL
The downside was getting Houston in Houston. The upside is that Iowa opened the entire bracket up.
Lots of unfavorable calls but I thought the two questionable ones that went Illinois way was the missed double dribble on AS and the block/charge call which put AS at the line.
Just taking this all in. Houston was the national runner-up last year and returned its core from that team plus adding two top freshmen. The Illini dominated them in large portions of the game. The final score was actually deceiving.
All things considered, might be the most impressive Illini win I’ve seen since Wake Forest in 2004-05.
All things considered, might be the most impressive Illini win I’ve seen since Wake Forest in 2004-05.
Sorry that Stan Van Gundy won’t be able to gush about ”Jo Jo” Tugler anymore. For a while there I thought we were playing Baylor.
This team won because they are likely the most unselfish and truly together Illini team I have seen in the past 70 years. They are certainly in my all time favorites along with the Flyin Illini, the '05 Illini, and the '63 Big Ten Champions Illini. They are far from those others in their athleticism, but they are deeper in skills through 8 guys. They also can play as close to their potential as any team because they listen and they care. I hope they all will someday understand how rare this opportunity is to play with teammates like this. It has been a blessing for me to watch this team grow throughout the season. If I had a wish, it would be for all to return for one more season together while Brad seeks a couple talented EDGs to replace Ben and Kylan. Regardless of the $ awaiting or trying to pry them apart, this will likely be the only chance they will ever have to enjoy a special opportunity with a special group of guys. It likely will not happen, but it does not mean I can't pray for it. There is a chance.
And to add another pt., IMHO this is unquestionably the most amazing coaching job ever done at the U of Illinois. First, getting 4 rotational players to return was not easy. The easy part was getting Z aboard. But finding Mirk and Keaton was a miracle coup. Finally, convincing AS and his father to trust him and join the team in a roll no other could fill was worth every penny spent...which was many.
But, as we have seen so many times, putting an impressive and skilled roster on the floor guarantees nothing. Getting them to listen, buy into the culture, buy into the analytics, define, understand, accept, and adopt their roles, and finally developing a trust and understanding of each other so they could find the right chemistry together....that was a challenge faced by BU and staff who faced questions for which he might not have answers. In the past, they have come up short of expectations.
This season, they have met and exceeded them. But I am not selling Iowa short and expecting a FF slot. The Haweyes are B1G tested, can score big numbers, and will be a big challenge. But regardless, this next game is an opportunity to do and enjoy something special together for this Illini team. And if successful, they will appreciate it more and more every year of their lives. It will be a tough challenge, but that is what makes it worth doing.
And to add another pt., IMHO this is unquestionably the most amazing coaching job ever done at the U of Illinois. First, getting 4 rotational players to return was not easy. The easy part was getting Z aboard. But finding Mirk and Keaton was a miracle coup. Finally, convincing AS and his father to trust him and join the team in a roll no other could fill was worth every penny spent...which was many.
But, as we have seen so many times, putting an impressive and skilled roster on the floor guarantees nothing. Getting them to listen, buy into the culture, buy into the analytics, define, understand, accept, and adopt their roles, and finally developing a trust and understanding of each other so they could find the right chemistry together....that was a challenge faced by BU and staff who faced questions for which he might not have answers. In the past, they have come up short of expectations.
This season, they have met and exceeded them. But I am not selling Iowa short and expecting a FF slot. The Haweyes are B1G tested, can score big numbers, and will be a big challenge. But regardless, this next game is an opportunity to do and enjoy something special together for this Illini team. And if successful, they will appreciate it more and more every year of their lives. It will be a tough challenge, but that is what makes it worth doing.
Imagine if our coach could make in-game adjustments!
Surrrrre. And if the Illini lose to Iowa on Saturday, people will be asking how much it will cost to buyout the remainder of Brad's contract.
I don't think the Illini will lose on Saturday. I'm just saying people have short memories.
There have been a lot of reasons for this run, but I think the most important stat is the fact that a couple months ago I came across a brand new, 20+ years old, vintage orange Illinois t-shirt with the round Chief logo, and I’ve so far worn it only on every IL game day of this tournament.
I honestly can't believe the transformation we've seen out of Mirkovic. The level of poise and maturity has shot upward.
Toughness prevailed.
Rewatching the game and Tomi seems lost on defense.
Stoj is the best closer on the team.
ILL!
Rewatching the game and Tomi seems lost on defense.
Stoj is the best closer on the team.
ILL!
BIG SHOUTOUT TO DAN @IllinoisLoyalty
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