Orangetool
Give me back my Afta, heh heh
He didn't have it against us last year either.
One of my very favorite rewatch games.
Illinois 80, Oregon 54 Postgame
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He didn't have it against us last year either.
One of my very favorite rewatch games.
How about some props for Ben's defense. Here lately seems like he gets a block at the rim a game. Sometimes its the opposing team's center.
I’m not worried about Tomi. I believe at least half of the 3s last night were halfway down and out. They’re clearly on target just need to get the bounces.
Z in the other hand….I am VERY worried about. It’s not even close and it looks so bad off his hand right now compared to Tennessee when it was so clean and with rhythm.
Is there a chance he comes back?
Or was he close with Boswell or Redd and just visiting for Senior Night?
He doesn’t get enough credit for changing his game …
It’s like watching a completely different player …
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
I’m sure he’s a decent to good coach, but not sure I’d classify him as elite.
In terms of numbers, here’s Oregon’s KenPom finish over the past 6 years (including this year):
101
27
55
42
82
16
Avg: 53.88
Here’s Brad’s over the same timeframe:
5
17
10
35
20
4
Avg: 15.16
Brad’s worst season is 18 spots higher than Altman’s average. Altman has just 2 seasons better than Brad’s worst. Brad has 4 seasons better or on par with Altman’s best.
We all remember the train wreck the 2023 season was. Skyy quitting halfway through, Epps refusing to enter a game, fights in practice, Meyer’s energy drink incident, etc. Altman’s had 4 seasons in 6 years worse than that.
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I like Altman, and don't think Oregon is quite as good of a job as some might think - but there's no doubt it appears to have stagnated a bit on him here.
But i think this is a huge compliment to Brad - getting us to a point where we look back on 9 and 6 seeds as being our least favorite teams. In fairness too, both those teams had significant attrition the previous years, mostly due to seniors.
Doesn't that start with inside play? Tomas has proven he can score inside with some of his post moves and baby hooks.
Get his brother closer to the basket for dunks and layups.
Get these high percentage shots. Build the confidence, and then hit a key 3-pointer like in the Purdue game.
Goillinikobd
- Southeastern US
Running up a 20 pt lead over an undermanned, bottom feeder and then loafing for 20 minutes, throwing up enough 3 pt bricks to repair the Berlin wall is no recipe for success in either the BIG or NCAA lose and go home formats.
The penultimate game of the regular season is no time to be learning that lesson.
The penultimate game of the regular season is no time to be learning that lesson.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Laughing at the gif as I mentioned this exact scene during the Oregon game.
There is a promotion during one of the TV timeouts for a fan or student to make a certain number of three-pointers to win a prize, within a certain time limit.
Anyway they start the clock and the kid starts hoisting them up. After every miss the host on the PA keeps commenting to him..."take your time", "take it easy", "little to the right", etc. I turn to my buddy and say "it's kind of difficult with you talking like that".
I believe the kid finished just one short...right in the lumberyard.
SO much credit to Ben. It’s not exactly a secret last year was a struggle in numerous areas. A lot of guys would have hit the portal the day after the season ended. He didn’t. He stayed the course, worked to get better, and he’s had a really, really good season.
He’s one of the guys I trust on this team the most to CONSISTENTLY make the right play.
Me too can’t wait.
AJ scored as many points as Tomi/KB combined in 42 less minutes and 1/3 the shots
Legend
Legend
We need bam taking the ball to the hoop, Tomi making a few more on that pop off the screen, and Andrej being aggressive in the boards and to the hoop. Andrej seems to try to finish off balance or fading away, take it to the defenders chest.
Is there a particular reason you don’t like Andrej and Bam together?
1.) That would have been fine with me. Dana Altman is an excellent coach. If anything he’s probably underrated…definitely as an “on the bench” guy. (Off topic but I think we would have prolly done great with Thad Matta back in the day; too.)
2.) But I think the way it played out was great as well. Dana has certain strengths and Brad has certain strengths. I don’t know how great of a recruiter/roster builder Dana is in 2026. The jury is still out.
3. ) I certainly don’t disagree that we’re knee jerk as hell around here about coaching replacements and everything else.
But, speaking of knee jerk reactions:
Not long ago, this board more or less, proclaimed Izzo and Hoiberg… both done like dinner. I don’t know how much longer Altman is gonna coach…but he can still coach. He didn’t forget.
Shooting.
Neither is a good shooter from three. That really clogs up the paint when you have multiple non-shooters on the floor.
CrazedUIFan
UI Fan in QC Land
I think with both in, defenses can sag off two players. Both drive the ball to the basket and aren’t major threats as 3 pt shooters.
Oregon averaged 0.80 points per possession in this game, which is just horrible. Just zero offensive firepower in that group outside of Bittle.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
2019 was very rough. We started out the year in Maui, and came away winless (did give Gonzaga a scare). The loss to Dusty May and Florida Atlantic on Kofi’s visit was egregious (I remember Ayo’s three to send it to OT, but we still lost).
The wins against MSU (who made the final four) and @OSU were delight in the midst of so many losses.
I remember there was a home game against Penn State where they honored the ‘89 team and we got absolutely annihilated.
In the BTT — we beat NW in overtime; Giorgi had 26, Vic Law of NW was hurt. And then against Iowa we got completely ambushed (there was a play in that Iowa game to start 2H where we had like five fouls on one inbounds play for Iowa, and then a Tyler Cook dunk — randomly has stuck with me).
We opened the 19-20 season with a near loss to Nicholas State — blew a huge second half lead, needed OT just to win.
We had a Miami loss in the BIG/ACC challenge. Ayo gets called for a charge at the end after a furious Illinois comeback. Guy named Chris Lykes for Miami was phenomenal.
There was one game — and it pains me to even talk about it — AT #3 Maryland. This game was the heartbreak of extreme heartbreakers. Illinois led for legitimately every second until the final 30sec. Anthony Cowan hits a 3 from 35ft, followed by the Feliz foul/turnover.
Maybe this is just me — but at that point, it was the worst I had felt after a reg season loss since who knows when. We were a struggling program, but with good tradition, and with a lot of season still left to go…. felt like we blew a massive opportunity to finally be on the national map.
IMO, the turning point of that season — and really of the entire program — was the home game against #5 Michigan in Juwan Howard’s first year. It was right after that Maryland game. Kofi tomahawks the ref after an and-1. We went on to win, captured that momentum, and never looked back.
A few weeks go by… we pick up some other great wins, namely @Wisconsin if I recall correctly. Then on a random Monday, we were finally ranked for the first time in YEARS. It was #24 — I’m almost certain.
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