Illinois 73, Ohio State 68 Postgame

#229      

chiefini

Rockford, Illinois
Yes, they did the Michigan game.
We didn’t record it either so as not to jinx Illinois. Looked on ESPNU and can’t find a replay. If anyone sees one on tv, please post. Yes, I know we can watch it again on YouTube, but we’d rather watch on ESPN...
 
#230      
It didn’t matter in the game but as an example of DMFW’s BB IQ, when Ayo grabbed the last rebound with just a few seconds left and threw it towards TF but it went over his head DMFW walked toward Ayo and pointed down court and I’m guessing he was telling him to just chuck it 80’ the other way and the clock will run out
 
#232      

illini80

Forgottonia
Out of town and missed the game. Is there a replay scheduled? Sorry if already answered but this 4 year old birthday boy doesn’t give me enough time to read the whole thread tonight!!!
 
#233      

Calillini

Now appearing in Tampa
You can all call me crazy, but I think we looked better the previous 3 games. Without Ayo they played better team ball. I love Ayo but there is too much watching, waiting for Ayo to do it, rather than playing team ball. I do believe this team could go all the way. AC is really special. Send Trent and Da'Monte off with a national title.
Agree, I hope that our post season lasts long enough to see Trent, Adam, and Ayo EACH score >15 points in the SAME game.
 
#234      

CoalCity

St Paul, MN
I think BU let’s assistant coaches handle huddles a fair amount. During timeouts, BU will yell early if pissed or make early emphasis on something like effort or rebounding, but often then assistant takes over.
That leaves BU free to chew on the nearest striped shirt
 
#235      

altenberger22

South Carolina
No offense fellow Illini fan, however, you would think the biggest game of the weekend would have been announced by two guys actually watching the game and not reminiscing and hawking their crap more than half the time.
By "crap" fellow Illini fan --- and yes, I do mean that --- I guess you mean Marcus Liberty, Kendall Gill, Lou Henson, Stephen Bardo, Nick Anderson, Lowell Hamilton, Kenny Battle, Bobby Knight, Bob Lanier, John Havlicek, Dave Debusschere, Tom Izzo, and a few other all-time greats of college basketball that I heard mentioned?

On the other hand, I call that excellent "PR" for University of Illinois basketball and for our entire athletic program, from a guy who probably single-handedly made the NCAA tournament what it is today ---- elevating the annual evening event from 32 teams with a limit of just one school from each of the major conferences (plus a small handful of at-large bids), to the multi-million dollar mega event it is today. ESPN was showing nearly every game on TV from 11am to 2am, while CBS (who owned the original rights) chose to show just a few. Dick Vitale, with his zany and charismatic personality, sat at the direct center of that universe.

He's just reaping the benefits of all that today -- at age 81.
 
#236      
You can all call me crazy, but I think we looked better the previous 3 games. Without Ayo they played better team ball. I love Ayo but there is too much watching, waiting for Ayo to do it, rather than playing team ball. I do believe this team could go all the way. AC is really special. Send Trent and Da'Monte off with a national title.
I thought the same thing previous 2 games (overall better team ball), but was pleasantly surprised against OSU. I think last few games without Ayo was overall healthy for team confidence and growth.

Curbelo has never been shy...but his poise has jumped 100+% since early season
 
#237      

iLL 89ers

Dallas,TX , Born and raised in Alton,Illinois
Contrary to popular belief of some posters, Ayo plays really really good defense!
Without doubt , myself included don`t seem to give Ayo enough praise of his effort on the "d" end , he actually picked apart Walker in todays contest against Ohio State and got him into foul trouble and was non - existent in the second half when their coach put him on the bench , really hats off to Ayo and all his teammates for sure.
Ayo`s defense was great to see , fighting over and under ball screens all day today.He kept him in front of him and between the rim almost the whole game when he was guarding Walker.
 
#238      
3 comments.

That should lock is in as a 1 seed. What Anna amazing turn around Brad has had in this program. We as fans owe not just Brad and his staff thanks but really Ayo, Trent, Giorgi, and Da’Monte have resurrected our program. With Curbelo, Miller, and Hawkins I think our future remains bright and I’m excited for this chapter.

Ayo did an amazing job going 5 of 5 in the first half and I think that was really his most important impact on the game. Ayo is amazing and deserves all the accolades and praise. But without Da’Monte’s 3 we would not have walked away with a W.

EJ ripped us apart. I hope we don’t have to play a guy like him again because any big that can stretch our centers to the perimeter while also playing great D is a threat to our team. I know people were hating on Giorgi in the game thread but his hands got a great steal and he had a key block as well. Kofi also struggled defending EJ out to the perimeter so it wasn’t just Giorgi, and Kofi picked up 4 fouls so really if people are going to hate on Giorgi there’s some blame that needs to go to Kofi’s defensive actions as well.
 
#239      

Epsilon

M tipping over
Pdx
I did not realize until I looked back at the box score that Ayo scored 19 in that game. I swear that kid just sneaks points in there when nobody is paying attention. So many clean layups etc. his game is sometimes just so butter.
 
#242      
11 of 12 to close out the conference slate?????THEY CANT STOP US
Absolutely not an excuse but I really think if played MSU at the originally scheduled time we’d have rolled them. They were surging and knew they had their tournament hopes at stake and a illinois didn’t have the right level of effort to take the W. Sucks that it cost us the title when we now have the most wins in the conference this season.
 
#244      
I don't if anybody noticed but at one point Dicky V accidentally called Curbelo an All-American because he is senile but I think its also a sign of things to come.
Ya, I saw that. He totally thought it was Ayo that had gone to the rim because Curbelo’s play looked identical to what Ayo has done so many times over the last 3 years. When he said that and made the mistake it really gave me hope for our future because I really think Curbelo will pick up right where Ayo left off (but with more distribution). If we find a way to replace Kofi (and I’m not just talking a single dominant big - lots of ways to win) then I think this may not even be our best team in the next 3 years.
 
#248      
Haven't read any posts yet as I just finished watching game. It amazes me the pounding Kofi takes game in and game out. But if Kofi is even close on defense it's a foul. All I want is a fair whistle both ways. And please stop talking about how Liddell wants to play well against us. We recruited him he decided to go elsewhere.
Yeah I was screaming at Vitale...this wasn’t a chip on the shoulder game for Liddell, he had a scholarship, we recruited him hard, he chose tOSU. He has no reason to play us like we spurned him.
 
#249      
With one day of B1G play (4 games) remaining, here is the updated per-possession standings:

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Barring a bad loss, Michigan will finish with the best EM overall in the league, and probably deserving of the #1 seed in the league. Illinois a clear #2, Iowa separated themselves recently as the clear #3, Ohio State getting close to Purdue in overall EM, so it makes sense for them to be 4-5 (though technically OSU is the 5 due to that friendly Purdue schedule). Wisconsin a clear #6, and finishes up at Iowa to try to stay above water in overall EM.

Rutgers and Maryland clear 7-8 (Maryland will get the official 7 with a win vs PSU, Rutgers is the 7 otherwise), with PSU being better than their record overall, having been rarely beat big despite 12 losses in conference (4 losses by more than 10 points all season). Indiana really fell apart down the stretch and is a clear #10 (and have now clinched the 10 seed in the B1G tournament). MSU and Minnesota finish about identical in EM, though MSU has played better of late while Minnesota has completely fallen apart. Northwestern the clear #13 and Nebraska the clear #14, and they finally play each other for the first time tomorrow.