IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
I'm guessing because he wasn't needed. We had enough offensive production and the ball movement was fine without him.
He'll get his chance in later games
Illinois 76, Rutgers 58 Postgame
He'll get his chance in later games
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
how 'bout your starting point bailing in December?
how 'bout your offensively gifted freshman SG doing whatever he felt like (refusing to run called plays) after he was pressed into the point role?
It's like the Flyin' Illini and 2005 rolled into one
TSJ's D is better as well, IMO
Did he not learn from last year’s mistakes and get HIS guys? Look at the difference in these three transfers. No drama, not worried about their stats, in this to win and make the tournament. BU added character guys, not characters. BU is learning the ways of this NIL world with the best of them.
When we had Ayo and Kofi for those really good teams, we had Plummer, Grandison, and Trent as really good shooters. Then Ayo and Adam Miller were both threats (Damonte was a threat one year.) Add that Ayo and Kofi were superstars and Trent and Plummer had ability to take-over... those teams were really, really good.
^^I'm putting my memory of multiple seasons together with those sentences above (I know.)
Those teams were really good, but with Kofi, it somewhat limited what offense and defense we could play, which hurt when he was in foul trouble or not playing really well.....also in the tourney when guard-play tends to win.
I saw an article on the home page saying that our current 2023-24 team was the best team since BU has been here, and they made good arguments, but when I start looking at who we had during the Ayo and Kofi years, I'm not sure I agree with that article.
Shannon is an absolute stud, and our defense is killer, and if Shannon and Goode keep shooting 40-45% on 3s, maybe they are the best.
I have one only because my daughter got her CS degree there. It has VETERAN across the bottom.
The only place it will stick on MY Mazda (Miata) is the gas fill flap. I keep the VETERAN upright LOL
I'll have to try one on my MIata. I think the '90 is all steel. I've never thought about it.
You realize you're essentially agreeing with me. Last year's problems really were his mistakes.
The Ayo/Kofi #1 seed team is likely the best but it wasn't very deep or versatile. Trent was also a solid shooter but very streaky, never became a lights out one.
That team was top heavy with Ayo, Kofi, and Trent but the rest were very inconsistent. Miller also went cold late and couldn't shoot at the end of the year. Damonte also wasn't really a threat since he wasnt shooting with any volume, basically just going for 1 for 2 a game. They also lacked length outside of Kofi.(Couldn't play Kofi and Giorgi at the same time) Grandison was undersized and not very athletic and the guards were all small.
The next year with Kofi really wasn't that good imo. Plummer was a lights out shooter but small and couldn't play defense. Curbelo was absolutely terrible and Grandison got hurt in January and they missed his shooting. Williams was an offensive black hole that year. They won the Big10 but it was basically on the back of Kofi.
This year's team is way deeper and has way more length than those teams. Though I do think the Kofi scheme fit is overblown, if you put Kofi on this year's team in a swap for Hawkins and played him with TSJ, Domask, Goode, etc them they're the number 1 team in the country.
Exactly. Kofi and Edey were pretty similar. Would Purdue even be ranked without Edey?
Scheme fit matters, but unanimous all Americans matter more.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
1: Ayo’s last year finished at #4 in KenPom. Absolutely dominant team.
2: Kofi’s last year, we finished #20 in KenPom, about where we’re ranked now.
Dain played pretty well when he was in. BU didn’t play him in the 2nd half
Loyalillini10
- Urbana, IL
This conversation speaks volumes about where our program is now since BU took over. Everyone (staff included) recognizes last year as a “let down” year and it was still a 20+ win season and we made the NCAA tournament.
He played 8 minutes, during which he accumulated 2 fouls, was 2-6 from the field, all at the rim, the Illini were outscored by 10, and were outrebounded. He had a team worst offensive and defensive rating for the game. He's had many good games, but yesterday was not one of them.
Mine's a 2019
Agree. I think the elbow to the face of Cliff O. didn't help. Also his shot selection was bad on those 4 misses. On the plus side his ORB% was off the charts at 30.9%.
He had a very nice rim run and a great offensive rebound put back. He had 4 rebounds in 8 minutes. Pretty good I would say. Not his fault they hit a bunch of 3’s late in the half. I would agree his defense isn’t as good as Coleman’s was but he didn’t play horribly in my opinion. Missed a couple shots he normally makes playing against a pretty good center Shot blocker
Your post for the most part makes sense about importance of guard play. Ty had 3 turnovers and you emphasize that fact because he doesn't score. He is not starting based on his scoring but everything else he does in a game.
Right, 11 turnovers from primary ball handlers. But many want to single out Ty who had a grand total of 3 playing starter minutes as our PG against constant full court pressure? Why? (PS, I know why)
Let's not lose sight of the fact we'd have less turnovers if they didn't press us the entire game. The 3 of them played really well, and it's absolutely asinine we win by 20 pts on the road at the RAC against a crazy 40 minute full court press (which despite the turnovers, we beat consistently to the point Rutgers guys were sucking wind halfway through 2nd half)... and that is the take?
Rutgers giving up just over 50 pts per game coming in and we put up 76. The mighty Jayden Epps led Hoyas could only muster 60, as Jayden had 5 turnovers (nearly double Ty's turnovers) to 1 assist and shot barely 30%
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band camp
- STL City
uofi7477
- Silver & Gold Vandals
I am not sure, isn't the Head Coach ultimately responsible for knowing and then approving recruits as players onto the team?
Ayo's last year was a very good team. That team should have sent to a final four out of that region. Unfortunately they got thoroughly outplayed by Loyola.
Kofi's final season may have been ranked 20 but the team really wasn't that good, especially so once Grandison got injured. At that point they often had Damonte and Hawkins on the floor at the same time plus Curbelo was terrible. I don't think anyone really thought they were gonna make a run in March(were lucky to beat Chattanooga).
I think this year's team is likely in between the two. They don't have the dominant interior presence of Kofi but the roster has more depth, better length and is vastly more athletic 1-5.
I know there's a diversity of opinion on this. But to me the bottom line for the head coach is the same as it is for a CEO. He has the ultimate responsibility for who he hires. He hired guys who didn't fit his culture and he paid a price. Should he have known ahead of time that it was the case? Actually, I believe yes. He won't always be able to get that right, but he's got to develop a plan to do that. a few failures can be expected. So hopefully he's learned and we won't have those situations pop again.
You can say that now but there was no way to see the circus that the trio of Sky, Epps and Mayer created coming. Oh if I only knew every bad decision or mistake I ever made before it happened.