Amani's shot selection on the 3 ball was basically his only blemish of the night, thus A-. Shannon was terrible for the first 8 minutes of the game, but salvaged the night nicely, thus B+. Goode was solid on both ends of the floor and was the only good 3 point shooter for the team that day. Did what was asked of him and a net positive on both ends.
Illinois 80, Eastern Illinois 52 Postgame
I hear you. I'm just saying that you didn't get to see a significant portion of the game that didn't result in a score or "something interesting happening defensively". I am not trying to shame you for not actually watching the game. However, I was just saying that I found it odd that you would assign grades to players and assess how you feel like they played without actually seeing the whole game.
RML is right. One problem last season definitely was that we shot more 3s than we should (to optimize our scoring based on our end-of-game percentages). This occurred in about 80% of our games last season. From what I could tell, had we only taken the types of shots (just 2s or just 3s) for which we scored the highest (on a pts per possession basis), we would have won 12 of the 13 games that we lost. (BTW, normally, our better shots, on this basis, were 2s, not 3s.)
Or, if that analysis to too complicated for you, we basically stunk at 3s (30.8% on the season), yet we jacked them up more than any other big ten team.
BTW, we shot way too many 3s (based on our end-of-game percentages) against Ottawa, not enough against KU, and too many against EIU. So, Underwood has not fully fixed this problem this season (despite having some better shooters on the roster). But Underwood putting Rogers at point does help, since Rogers virtually never shoots a 3 himself, and Rogers good drives to the rim/paint should help remind his teammates that they need to do that too (especially when their 3s aren't going in), so I really like Rogers at the point. It makes us a more consistent team, a better road team, and a better defensive team.
Replace bolded word with Clownsuit .......consider it fixed....your welcome
I don't mind catching and shoot threes from the 3-point line (something that I imagine they practice routinely). What bugs me is when they set up well beyond the arc, and then take the shot from there (something that I imagine they practice a lot less). (End of the shot clock is different, of course.)
I remember Coach Underwood in a 2022 press conference commenting that in the particulat game the players were shooting shots they do not practice.
Beating a dead horse here. I guess the hope is that if we're setting up that far out, we'll stretch the defense out. But jeez, if I'm an opposing coach, my inclination is gonna be, "they wanna jack threes from beyond NBA range, let 'em try it."
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
As an English teacher, I endorse this post...mostly because of the repeated use of the word "too," spelled correctly each time.
Bigtex
- DFW
grading is subjective! 3 turnovers for Moretti in 12 minutes gives him a C at best in my class. Besides not shooting well, Domask was good. Goode played better than against Kansas and agree he seems relatively slow but 3-5 from 3 and 6 rebounds is good production.
Chad Fleck
- Eureka, IL
DGL was on a heater at that point. As someone who still plays and hunts heaters, I totally get an in rhythm 30 footer.
Yes, good. But unfortunately, he or she misspelled Rodgers
I certainly wasn't going to argue with his shooting night. I'll allow it! Particularly in a game that's well in hand. (Though I do worry that taking those kinds of shots is a pretty effective way to end a hot streak.)
I didn't read every post, so it may have been mentioned already. If so, it bears repeating. EIU beat Iowa last year. #NeverForget
Always love fresh with good offense skill sets and motor. A player like DGL, you worry about how to keep him rather than ups & downs. Hope he has good attitude. We shall see.
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
right now, it seems like all rainbows and balloons. we'll see what happens when adversity kicks in. but gotta say that I'm impressed with Dra's approach to the team, high D1 ball and his drive to improve
That's the attitude part IMO. I think he has enough skills to contribute but what happens when coach has to bench him for various reasons?
DGL made a comment, over the summer, about earning his minutes. He understands that he’s going to need to earn them. But after a performance like this, his expectations to get more minutes, rightfully so, are going to increase. Let’s hope he and BU can keep him in check and always ready for these opportunities. He definitely earned the right to see the court and evaluate his energy and matchups each game, assuming he matches up well with the opposing player.
That's a good point. CH positioning the 3pt line often makes me wonder. I know he's 6'10", and it does help to not be worried about your toes being on the line (or very close), so I try to reserve my headshakes for when he's 5+' off the line. Also annoying, is the "Oops! I was wide-open, but didn't shoot it, so now let me step further back and launch off balance with a defender in my face." Yeah, that shouldn't be happening.
Can our other shooters please watch Goode regarding this stuff? Notice how ready he is to catch and shoot. Goode faces the ball. His weight is back and ready to move into the catch and immediate shot. His knees are bent. His hands are together, showing where he wants to catch the ball (to go directly into his shooting motion). You can tell when Goode is itching to shoot, and that's the way it should be. It basically shouts, "Give me the ball. I'm wide open!" And, yes, defenders notice that, but often Goode is so open and quick with his release that there isn't time for them to contest his shot at that point. Domask does all this good stuff too, but CH sometimes doesn't. It means CH misses good shot opportunities or recognizes them too late. All that stuff also helps a player prep for a shot fake and drive, but CH often misses those opportunities too. He needs to step all this stiff up for us to win the tough games ahead.
The play that I liked was where Shannon was on a “fast break” in traffic, but was confident in Goode’s shot to pass it off for a three.
Last year, he would have had to drive the lane because he didn’t feel there was a shooter he could trust.
One good game from a talented frosh against a cupcake opponent at the beginning of the season does not necessarily justify a starter's minutes on a talented team. But it's a good start . . .