Not exactly politically correct LOL
Illinois 78, Drexel 49 Postgame
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Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Papi with the nutmeg, lol. I've been watching ball forever and never seen that (or at least remember it). Kid is special.
He'll be fine. When Belo's playing in the NBA that guy will have a great story to tell
Some day Ayo will finish off that end of the half reverse move with a mamba-like dunk.
blackdog
- Champaign
I definitely have tried that a time or 6 playing pickup ball but it mostly just hits the defender in the legs. To pull that off in a D1 tourney game takes some serious cajones.
Did DaMonte look off today to anyone else? No worries just gonna need him Sunday.
IlliniRon
Illini Basketball Fan Forever
- Ft Worth, Texas
Wow, we looked good today, such a deep team. It was fun hearing the announcers in awe of the Illini and all of their players who can score. A little different than the typical conference brawl. Nice to have a game where we are not all tired out, with a long tourney ahead of us.
Not to me. I think he even drove and scored which isn’t his normal thing.
We only shot 7 three pointers, which is where DM’s contributions are most obvious. (Scoring points) But he made several defensive contributions and skyed for some big rebounds.
I was pretty shocked BU didn’t call a time at the four minute mark and rotate everyone out.
STEAMROLLER!!!!
(100 Loyalty Beach House credits for first to guess this movie...Google cheaters never win)
Strange Brew
Bob & Doug McKenzie...Ok, eh?
Free beer and sausages for all Illini Nation if we win the NC this year, eh.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Illini notebook: No. 2 Illinois is a team built to compete in NCAA Tournament
Team has had much experience with uncertainty and quick turnarounds
NDIANAPOLIS — The gauntlet that the No. 2-ranked Illinois basketball team ran at the end of the regular season and in the Big Ten tournament has built the Illini to compete in the short turnaround times of the NCAA Tournament.
That was the sentiment of Illinois coach Brad Underwood following the team’s 78-49 dismantling of No. 16-seed Drexel on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In this odd tournament that is spread across several venues in Indianapolis, the team did not immediately know when or where it will face No. 8-seed Loyola (Chicago) on Sunday, but the short turnaround time is par for the course.
“We have definitely been tested this way, there is no doubt. The last two-and-half weeks of the season were rapid-fire games. The thing you have to handle in those moments is the mental part of it and then you have to switch gears really quickly,” Underwood said. “The one thing we have talked about is that you can’t get to two without one, in terms of victories. If you are not dialed in and you are not on point with your execution and your game plan, you go home.
‘We have had that mindset over the last three weeks to a month and it has been good for us. It has to continue as it only gets harder from here.”
“It is nice to get back to where I think we belong and that’s in the NCAA Tournament. We did that in a very matter of fact way today.”
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That's the mindset of a winning program.....matter of fact, to the point, clear and concise.....
Those brand new, slippery balls are death on big men having to adjust their arc while being pushed and slapped. They also hurt slashers that have to adjust their shot while moving and off the dribble jump shooters. Ayo, Trent, Curbelo, and GB all had tough times, on occasion, with those balls. Throughout B1G NCAA games, one could see the impact. Hopefully, by next weekend, they will have enough grit and dirt on them to make a difference. OSU's leading scorer and Purdue's two big men had particular difficulties with them. Maybe they are being used as an equalizer. I definitely would not put it past the NCAA to do something like that. I do realize that it could be that the NCAA just may want the balls to show up on tv better.
You kidding. I was pacing the room before the game started, thankfully it was early in the day. The somewhat slow start had me climbing the walls even higher. And it is likely to get worse. I am getting nervous for tomorrow already!
GO ILLINI!
Captain 14
- The Last Best Place
Unless it hinders his playing ability why would he want to remove it? The mask is like a trademark on the Ayo brand...a brilliant marketing move if somebody would have thought of it and the NCAA would have allowed it...a distinctive feature that visibly sets him apart from every other college basketball player. I hope they display the mask with the trophy!!
Maybe trying to help Ayo, he shoulda had another triple, but we missed some easy buckets. Tournament MVP might help prove, indeed Ayo is the best player this season.
New balls are very slippery until they get dirt and grit on them. They have a much different impact upon a team's style of play.
I get where you're coming from, but try this... it's what I've decided on. We have already had an AMAZING year (pretty sure I heard someone tell me it was amazing a time or two). If we lost tomorrow, we STILL had an amazing year. Every win from now on is just gravy. Everyone in our program has worked their collective tails off and somewhere along the line, they figured out how to enjoy playing the game and have a little fun. Turn on the game, enjoy it for what it is, and have a little fun. I'm all in with these guys win or lose. They are just so damn entertaining to watch. I love this team. Losing tomorrow will not change that. And I like our odds. We're dialed in. We're like an orange and blue shark with a friggin' laser beam coming out of his head.
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