Illinois 85, Bethune-Cookman 52 Postgame

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#51      

Punesguy

Punesguy
Ft. Collins, CO
Punesguy
Beth-Cook served as a nice dose of Pepto Bismol to get us back on the mend. Great to see Sincere get a well deserved start. Excellent effort resulting in forced turnovers, steals and blocks. Still too many careless passes becoming unforced turnovers. DD is going to be a really big part of this team by the end of the year. He has great hands, solid footwork and is a monster in the paint. When Coleman takes a breath he can be really good but when he rushes on shots or passes he can be awful. And stop throwing the ball in. Just get down the floor fill your role in the offense. I love the defensive changes and several nice back cuts on offense. When Luke gets back on the floor RJ could really struggle to find minutes. Luke does everything that RJ isn't right now ... be a leader, make shots and hustle on both ends of the court. Hopefully this game has us in a good frame of mind for conference play. The first 5 games are all very winnable. Go Illini!:shield:
 
#52      

Redbull

R
Redbull
FortWayneFan said:
It’s late and I’m in my usual state… but I just don’t get the Hawkins hate (hey, that rhyhmed). I mean, he is never going to meet YOUR expectations, but he is who he is. He had a double double and I believe led us in assists (though I could be wrong on the assists). He also had some phenomenal passes. Yet no one gives him a break. RJ and MM were like 3 of 4,562, TSJ recklessly drove into the lane how many times, Skyy had a “shoulder injury,” Ty can’t hang onto the ball (and you thought he could be our latex salesman). I don’t know. And, yeah, I forgot my point, but…. Yeah!
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DMW graduated so we have to find someone to hate regardless of how they play
 
#53      

thrillini

T
thrillini
983.png

foxsports.com/watch/play-61ea99c51001697
 
#54      

InDaAZ

InDaAZ
Eugene, Oregon
InDaAZ
skyIdub said:
I know there's a long way to go and Skyy is very talented with a lot to learn....but a Sencire/Epps/Skyy/Goode/Dainja lineup has my basketball antennae up.
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Coleman Hawkins is our best all-around player this year.
There, I said it… Come at me, haters.

Is he a bit of a head case? Mercurial, I’d say. His shot selection (and more so, non-selection) is head-scratching at times, I’ll admit. But he does so much else that puts us in the best chance to win consistently. He plays smart and he plays hard. Really hard.

TSJ is our most dynamic piece. He is who I want to take THAT shot, if you know what I mean…

The plug-in of Dain over RJ yielded very positive results, and I would like to see them stick with that if DD‘s conditioning allows (he seems to be up for it).

Is Goode ready to step up from role player to key man? We’ll see, but I’m gonna guess not this season. He adds great leadership and plus outside shooting, but I’m not buying his defense until I see it. Hope I’m wrong about the latter - either way, it will be awesome to see him back in the rotation.

Whenever both Skyy and Epps are on the bench, I start to worry about who is going to bring the ball up under pressure. That said, Sencire is just flat-out ballin’ right now. As a viewer, your eyes are drawn to him, lest you might miss something spectacular. Who doesn’t love that kid?

Just one sneakin’ lyin’ awful dirty evil man’s observations… 👀
 
#55      

illini0440

illini0440
illini0440
InDaAZ said:
Coleman Hawkins is our best all-around player this year.
There, I said it… Come at me, haters.

Is he a bit of a head case? Mercurial, I’d say. His shot selection (and more so, non-selection) is head-scratching at times, I’ll admit. But he does so much else that puts us in the best chance to win consistently. He plays smart and he plays hard. Really hard.

TSJ is our most dynamic piece. He is who I want to take THAT shot, if you know what I mean…

The plug-in of Dain over RJ yielded very positive results, and I would like to see them stick with that if DD‘s conditioning allows (he seems to be up for it).

Is Goode ready to step up from role player to key man? We’ll see, but I’m gonna guess not this season. He adds great leadership and plus outside shooting, but I’m not buying his defense until I see it. Hope I’m wrong about the latter - either way, it will be awesome to see him back in the rotation.

Whenever both Skyy and Epps are on the bench, I start to worry about who is going to bring the ball up under pressure. That said, Sencire is just flat-out ballin’ right now. As a viewer, your eyes are drawn to him, lest you might miss something spectacular. Who doesn’t love that kid?

Just one sneakin’ lyin’ awful dirty evil man’s observations… 👀
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Brad, Chester, Geoff and Tim would come at you lol
 
#58      

Mojoman

Mojoman
Mojoman
InDaAZ said:
Coleman Hawkins is our best all-around player this year.
There, I said it… Come at me, haters.

👀
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By most measures Hawkins is a net negative. He is an offensive liability. He has the WORST Off Rating (under 100) of our top 8 minutes guys. Glad they finally got him off the ball which was stupid as fck to begin with.

He had 4 Assists and of course 4 TOs tonight which is what he has done all year. His shooting from deep is noted by ridiculous shot selection, poor form which results in line drives, and he simply does not make them (27%). The announcers even commented about him jacking threes from 30 feet for no reason after one pass.

He can certainly contribute on defense and rebounding and some scoring on opportunity plays. He can't create his own. He is a garbage and run out bucket guy. 7 or 8 ppg is about right and he needs to stop shooting threes unless he is wide open and in range.
He is going to be our 4th or 5th best player when all is said and done this year.
I don't mind him out there-just calm the fck down and cut down on TOs.
 
#59      

bavanga3

B
bavanga3
Mojoman said:
By most measures Hawkins is a net negative. He is an offensive liability. He has the WORST Off Rating (under 100) of our top 8 minutes guys. Glad they finally got him off the ball which was stupid as fck to begin with.

He had 4 Assists and of course 4 TOs tonight which is what he has done all year. His shooting from deep is noted by ridiculous shot selection, poor form which results in line drives, and he simply does not make them (27%). The announcers even commented about him jacking threes from 30 feet for no reason after one pass.

He can certainly contribute on defense and rebounding and some scoring on opportunity plays. He can't create his own. He is a garbage and run out bucket guy. 7 or 8 ppg is about right and he needs to stop shooting threes unless he is wide open and in range.
He is going to be our 4th or 5th best player when all is said and done this year.
I don't mind him out there-just calm the fck down and cut down on TOs.
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Gosh darn dude! Sounds like you need to calm down as well. I think he's more in the middle of what you guys say. He's easily the most physically gifted player on the team(hence all the NBA draft talk), can definitely create his own shot, but chooses to stand outside the perimeter and try to be John Stockton. Part of that is the coaching staff needs to put him in better positions, part of it is it just needs to "click" at some point in his head. He's a junior, time for some better decision making. He needs to drive a little more, he was great against Syracuse doing that and they had a monster center as far as length. Maybe get him in some pick and rolls. I think his 3pt% is deceiving. He's a good shooter that passes up great shots to take terrible ones. Hard to be elite with that decision making on offense.
 
#60      

Geno33

G
Missouri illini Fan
Warrenton Missouri
Geno33
hoopsfan47 said:
Sure loved the first half effort by all. Hated seeing the turnovers....and a handful were just stupid/careless passes. But play hard like that, move the ball fast, and move on both ends is a good mix of positives that almost always get a win. Now, it MUST continue in Evanston or the Wildcats will shut down the Illini with tough defense.

For the first time, BL appeared to be somewhat competent...but for a 7 footer, he ends up on the floor too often. BU just might be thinking of throwing him in against Edey...who knows?

Would have really loved to have seen MM hit one of his missed threes and have 6 players in double figures...great balanced scoring but to much reverting to bad habits in the second half.

Seeing Goode still in a walking boot does not make me think he will be near 100% until Feb. at least. We need his leadership, shooting, toughness, ball security, and in game smarts.

It will be interesting to see how BU handles The Zipper who I am certain is chomping at the bit to get on the floor. Red shirt? We will see soon enough. Learning lessons in B1G play is not generally helpful.

I am expecting a battle from NW in Evanston but also expect this team to understand it is a must win and show out with a longer stint of Fighting Illini elite effort like we saw in the first half tonight.
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Goode wasn't in a walking boot. the player next to him was. Walk on Player.
 
#63      

illini80

illini80
Forgottonia
illini80
Much better, but as I say after each of these games, hard to take much away from a game like this when you are never challenged. Hope it was the first step toward better cohesion.

Shooting continues to be a major concern for me. Free throws are a concern. Turnovers are a concern.

Big boy basketball returns next week. Let’s hope we have turned the corner and continue to improve. I think we will.
 
#64      

john1952

john1952
john1952
illini80 said:
Shooting continues to be a major concern for me. Free throws are a concern. Turnovers are a concern.

Big boy basketball returns next week. Let’s hope we have turned the corner and continue to improve. I think we will.
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8 for 28 from 3 (28.6) - 4th game in a row below 30%
One has to play awfully good defense to overcome poor shooting and 15 turnovers a game when playing "big boy basketball."
 
#66      

Illini92and96

Illini92and96
Austin, TX
Illini92and96
bavanga3 said:
Gosh darn dude! Sounds like you need to calm down as well. I think he's more in the middle of what you guys say. He's easily the most physically gifted player on the team(hence all the NBA draft talk), can definitely create his own shot, but chooses to stand outside the perimeter and try to be John Stockton. Part of that is the coaching staff needs to put him in better positions, part of it is it just needs to "click" at some point in his head. He's a junior, time for some better decision making. He needs to drive a little more, he was great against Syracuse doing that and they had a monster center as far as length. Maybe get him in some pick and rolls. I think his 3pt% is deceiving. He's a good shooter that passes up great shots to take terrible ones. Hard to be elite with that decision making on offense.
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Physically gifted sure, but maybe not mentally gifted if he can’t pull it all together.
 
#67      

doowink

D
doowink
InDaAZ said:
Coleman Hawkins is our best all-around player this year.
There, I said it… Come at me, haters.

Is he a bit of a head case? Mercurial, I’d say. His shot selection (and more so, non-selection) is head-scratching at times, I’ll admit. But he does so much else that puts us in the best chance to win consistently. He plays smart and he plays hard. Really hard.

TSJ is our most dynamic piece. He is who I want to take THAT shot, if you know what I mean…

The plug-in of Dain over RJ yielded very positive results, and I would like to see them stick with that if DD‘s conditioning allows (he seems to be up for it).

Is Goode ready to step up from role player to key man? We’ll see, but I’m gonna guess not this season. He adds great leadership and plus outside shooting, but I’m not buying his defense until I see it. Hope I’m wrong about the latter - either way, it will be awesome to see him back in the rotation.

Whenever both Skyy and Epps are on the bench, I start to worry about who is going to bring the ball up under pressure. That said, Sencire is just flat-out ballin’ right now. As a viewer, your eyes are drawn to him, lest you might miss something spectacular. Who doesn’t love that kid?

Just one sneakin’ lyin’ awful dirty evil man’s observations… 👀
Click to expand...
Then make no mistake about it....We are in trouble
 
#68      

Vinegarben

V
Vinegarben
I saw a lot of energy early. That is what Harris brings to this team. The first half was awesome but they reverted back to sloppy ball handling and passing in the 2nd half. Free throw shooting and 3 point shooting must be better. Poor free throw shooting will get them beat in tight games. Love the changes in the starting lineup except I would have made 1 more. Hawkins to the bench. Once again he led the team in turnovers with his poor passing. When Luke comes back I think the starting 5 should look like this-Harris, Goode, Mayer, Shannon and Dainja with Epps, Clark, Perrin and Hawkins off the bench in that order. Tough road ahead, they will need to play 40 minutes not 30.
 
#69      

Bert2022

B
Bert2022
ginabackes00 said:
The intensity was great to see. I’m cautiously optimistic the staff and players are trying to get on the same page with each other, and those that aren’t won’t see much tick. We still have mental lapses that are head scratchers and defensively I sometimes think we rely too heavily on our inside length to bail us out with drives to the basket. Overall, it’s a step in the right direction and a little boost to those buying in.
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THIS 100%!! That should be a nice to have... not our primary way of defending. We've got to move our feet and get bodies in front of / on folks!!
 
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#70      

STATS GUY

S
STATS GUY
Vinegarben said:
I saw a lot of energy early. That is what Harris brings to this team. The first half was awesome but they reverted back to sloppy ball handling and passing in the 2nd half. Free throw shooting and 3 point shooting must be better. Poor free throw shooting will get them beat in tight games. Love the changes in the starting lineup except I would have made 1 more. Hawkins to the bench. Once again he led the team in turnovers with his poor passing. When Luke comes back I think the starting 5 should look like this-Harris, Goode, Mayer, Shannon and Dainja with Epps, Clark, Perrin and Hawkins off the bench in that order. Tough road ahead, they will need to play 40 minutes not 30.
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What is up with the FT shooting? I can not for the life of me understand WHY the mechanics are so poor on FT shooting. Dainja is not shooting a FT, the ball ends up behind his head and then he pulls the ball forward. Hard to get the right arch with this motion. Shoot the ball, not sling it. Harris shoves the ball up to the rim vs getting under the ball. FT will cost us games in the future
 
#71      

pruman91

pruman91
Paducah, Ky
pruman91
www.stltoday.com

Dain Dainja, Illinois defense shine in win over Bethune-Cookman

CHAMPAIGN — After a blowout loss to Missouri last week, Illinois responded with a lopsided win over a mid-major opponent with the heart of conference play less than a week
www.stltoday.com www.stltoday.com

By ANDERSON KIMBALL
CHAMPAIGN — After a blowout loss to Missouri last week, Illinois responded with a lopsided win over a mid-major opponent with the heart of conference play less than a week away.
After the offense struggles for the past couple of weeks, the Illini featured more ball movement and never trailed in a 85-52 win over Bethune-Cookman on Thursday. Dain Dainja had a career-high 22 points in his first career start while Terrence Shannon Jr. added 13.
 
#74      

GBIllini

G
GBIllini
InDaAZ said:
Coleman Hawkins is our best all-around player this year.
There, I said it… Come at me, haters.

Is he a bit of a head case? Mercurial, I’d say. His shot selection (and more so, non-selection) is head-scratching at times, I’ll admit. But he does so much else that puts us in the best chance to win consistently. He plays smart and he plays hard. Really hard.

TSJ is our most dynamic piece. He is who I want to take THAT shot, if you know what I mean…

The plug-in of Dain over RJ yielded very positive results, and I would like to see them stick with that if DD‘s conditioning allows (he seems to be up for it).

Is Goode ready to step up from role player to key man? We’ll see, but I’m gonna guess not this season. He adds great leadership and plus outside shooting, but I’m not buying his defense until I see it. Hope I’m wrong about the latter - either way, it will be awesome to see him back in the rotation.

Whenever both Skyy and Epps are on the bench, I start to worry about who is going to bring the ball up under pressure. That said, Sencire is just flat-out ballin’ right now. As a viewer, your eyes are drawn to him, lest you might miss something spectacular. Who doesn’t love that kid?

Just one sneakin’ lyin’ awful dirty evil man’s observations… 👀
Click to expand...
If Hawkins played smart there wouldn't be an on going debate about him after every game. He has a lot of skill and a ton of potential but playing smart is the thing that he needs to work on the most.
 
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#75      

D1959

D
D1959
I watched the iowa/Nebraska game before ours last night. The way we played last night Nebraska beats us by at least 10. We miss 2 many shots and have too many turnovers
 
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