Sloppy game but hey in the B10, I'll take it. I actually liked the fact that AYO didn't have his best game and other players stepped up. One thing I noticed is how they tend to go long stretches where they stop going inside to Kofi, even the announcers committed on it last night. IMO he should be touch the ball on every offensive possession if possible. Feed the big man!
Illinois 66, Purdue 58 Postgame
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You can shoot two thousand free throws a day but if you dont have the right form all you are doing is reinforcing bad habits to muscle memory. Reference Shaq! What you are saying is fine, but proper arch, elbow position, holding the follow thru, etc, etc, has to be taught also. I don’t think this staff has the ability to do that. Just because you are a good coach, or were a good player yourself doesn’t mean you can coach shooting free throws. Does anyone really know who is in charge of that on the staff?
From what I know this is a Mike Dantoni thing. The idea is it forces the defender to go over the screen so the ball handler already has an angle and now his defender is trailing. The quick roll forces the screeners man to make an early decision to stop the ball or the roll. Because the ball handlers man is trailing he’s kind of out of the play and then your playing a man up (2 on 1 if you’re only looking at the pico and roll, 3 on 2 if you’re looking at the help and kick option as well).
I think these two things can be and are both true:
1. This is a good team that can, when at its best, beat anyone
2. They did not play their best game
Purdue may well be a good team, but they played sloppy too, which was lucky for us. They shot 39% from the field and turned the ball over 14 times. A chunk of this was our defense, for sure, but a lot of it was just Purdue playing badly.
We had a bad day, and found a way to win. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Every team has their off days, and I think finding a way to stay focused and pull out the win on days like that is an important skill. Let's just not kid ourselves into thinking this was a good performance.
1. This is a good team that can, when at its best, beat anyone
2. They did not play their best game
Purdue may well be a good team, but they played sloppy too, which was lucky for us. They shot 39% from the field and turned the ball over 14 times. A chunk of this was our defense, for sure, but a lot of it was just Purdue playing badly.
We had a bad day, and found a way to win. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Every team has their off days, and I think finding a way to stay focused and pull out the win on days like that is an important skill. Let's just not kid ourselves into thinking this was a good performance.
Correct, being able to win when you are not your best wins championships.
Last year, Kofi started the year pretty shaky on FTs and then went on a terror of like 29/30 or something crazy for a big man that ... my numbers could be way off, but it was some crazy streak and then he cools back down to what we’d reasonably hope for and finished the year with a respectable ft percentage.
I’m guessing he’s short more this year at this crappy percentage than he did last year to start, but maybe it is something small that will click and he’ll come back around.
I’m guessing he’s short more this year at this crappy percentage than he did last year to start, but maybe it is something small that will click and he’ll come back around.
Yes all players get a free year this year if they want it
I see Curbelos role similar to James Harden back when he was on OKC. KD/Westbrook go to the bench, and then offense revolves around harden. It works well for Illini.
Except Harden shoots on 75% of possessions when he touches ball.
Yeah, not same role. Just from the fact offense completely changes when he comes into game/ main player
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
It's a good(e) move to take care of the guy who is going to decide who gets shots next year and beyond.
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
What an abject failure to allow Purdue to score more than 37 points. For shame.
Underwood has to balance personnel on the court, not only at one time but over the length of the game.
This isn't a Monday morning quarterback assessment of the stat at the end of the game. You have to look at matters at a point in time not factoring in a reduced percentage due to poor shot selection in the final 3 minutes because you're trying to come back. Starting the second half, they scored on the first 8 possessions. That's 100%. They had players that were 29% shooters, shooting above their average from a distance. College basketball is a game of runs. The point was, even with our poor play, we still won comfortably.
I am not sure that Ayo had a bad night. He had 12 in the first half when they built a lead, then I think that he just sat back and let the other guys find their way in this one. I noticed that he passed out of several good scoring opportunities. Being ill might explain that but don't think that was the case.
Like Kofi said, he can take over a game when he wants to. Don't think he wanted to in the second half. If you (Ayo) want to win a championship with 3 freshmen in the rotation, you need them to develop. Think he understands that they won't develop if he carries them all the time.
Like Kofi said, he can take over a game when he wants to. Don't think he wanted to in the second half. If you (Ayo) want to win a championship with 3 freshmen in the rotation, you need them to develop. Think he understands that they won't develop if he carries them all the time.
Believe Ayo is about winning not stuffing the stats. Also true of DaMonte, Trent, etc. Frosh are learning to play defense, that also doesn’t show up in the stats but is required to win.
This^^^^^
It isn’t as simple as just starting Curbelo over Miller and the former getting a few more minutes. Who is the main ball handler on the “second unit” and who is supplying that spark off the bench? And then there is the whole defensive side to it. I want the best team on the floor the last 5-7 minutes of the half and the game —while maximizing offensive and defensive performance the other minutes of the game. Does starting Curbelo help combat slow starts? Maybe. But do those bad stretches just get moved to a different part of the game? Possibly at times when tougher to change the momentum or comeback from? And most importantly for me because of new substitution patterns does it make it more “difficult” to end half and game with 5 you want? And none of this takes into consideration Curbelo not having an issue with coming off the bench. Sure some of that falls under “what did you expect him to say,” but I do think a player as smart as Curbelo understands what he is bringing off the bench and how coming off the bench can help his game.
Could start miller for game and Curbelo 2nd half? Could depend on 1sr half mins/fouls.
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Eh sure, call it a half measure
. I really dont get the point of not playing your 5 best players if you can. I do understand having sparks off the bench, but it's been extremely clear Curbelo is at least the 4th best player on this team.On the other hand, while I think our slow starts are concerning, why break a rotation that clearly isnt broken? Maybe I'd like another 4/5 mins per game out of Belo, but I imagine he's one of the first off the court anyways if he was to start.
I think Underwood always wants to have at least one of Ayo and Curbelo in the game at all times. If you start them together, you increase the risk of having to sit them both at the same time. They could both get in foul trouble. One could be in foul trouble while the other needs a rest. Etc.Eh sure, call it a half measure
On the other hand, while I think our slow starts are concerning, why break a rotation that clearly isnt broken? Maybe I'd like another 4/5 mins per game out of Belo, but I imagine he's one of the first off the court anyways if he was to start.
By staggering their minutes at the start of each half, you can manage foul trouble and other issues to keep at least one of them on the court. If neither is in foul trouble, you can play them together more during the last ten minutes of each half.