Illinois 86, Nebraska 70 Postgame

#77      
I only saw the last 9 minutes of the game, did Hawkins get any minutes?
 
#78      
One way to get to the Final 4 is to play defense like TF. Not to take anything away from Teddy Allan, but Trent took away his game and at times his composure.
 
#82      

texillwek

šŸ”¶šŸ”¹šŸ”øšŸ”·
Just saw SportsCenter top 10. Curbelo to Kofi was #7 BUT they mistook Curbelo for Trent. šŸ˜ž
I was telling my brother if that play didn't make the SC Top 10, that's proof of a worldwide conspiracy against the Illini. Suppose I'll calm down on the theories - for now.

That said, it was top five material :LOL:
 
#84      

BMoreIllini

Baltimore, MD
Anyone else feel like BU was taking a bit of a shot at Juwan Howard when talking about the schedule issues in the post game presser? BU's comments (starting around 15:10):

"We're gonna do what the league asks us to do. There's a character issue in this in my opinion, we're all part of a league... we're gonna take the high road... yeah, we're a man down and we're gonna fight like hell and I'm proud of the guys in the locker room because they've been nothing but incredible. The fact we got to go on the road and play 5 of 6 and turn around and play in 30 hours when the team we're playing has been off a week, so what, bring it on."

Compare that to Juwan Howards comments before they were returning to play (Feb 9th):

ā€œI donā€™t think thereā€™s a right answer to give you because no one has ever experienced it before,ā€ Howard said, ā€œYou just try to manage it the best way you can and making sure you donā€™t put our players in a situation where you get injured or set your team back. Weā€™ve done a really good job so far gradually getting ourselves back to the Michigan way. The Michigan way is our habits. Our habits of how we play offensively and defensively. Yesterday was a great start to it. Weā€™re going to practice again today and Iā€™m looking forward to win the day. Each and every day weā€™re going to try and improve.ā€
 
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#85      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky

By Matthew Flaten Decatur (Ill.) Herald & Review
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ā€” The Illinois menā€™s basketball team got to experience what the future will look like without Ayo Dosunmu on Thursday against Nebraska.
The future looks bright as Illinois (17-6, 13-4) comfortably controlled Nebraska, 86-70. Freshman Adam Miller scored 18 points while freshman Andre Curbelo came within two assists of recording the Illiniā€™s third triple-double for the season.

ā€œIt is incredible. Belo and Ace, those two are some of the hardest workers on the team and they are very competitive. I loved the focus and the attention to details,ā€ Illini senior Trent Frazier said. ā€œThey are always asking questions about what they can do better. Their ability of wanting to learn from veterans is incredible and there is no ceiling for them right now.ā€

Illinois led 36-28 at halftime and in the second half, Kofi Cockburn came alive. Underwood picked up a technical foul in the first half from shouting at the refs about their lack of calls on Cornhusker fouls on Cockburn. Growing frustration for Cockburn in the second half led to a personal 9-0 run that had the Illini up 51-36 at the end of it. He finished with a game-high 24 points and seven rebounds.
 
#86      
He's never boring,,,,
No sir, he is not. Majority of the time he has the ball my hands are on my head either:
A. Pulling my little hair that is left
B. Hands on top of head with mouth open in awe of something he just did.

My heart gets a workout in while watching him with all the up and down
 
#87      
I only saw the last 9 minutes of the game, did Hawkins get any minutes?
Little concerning to me about Hawkins staying from BU presser. He mentioned the growth and what it meant for the future years for the freshmen and specifically only said Ace and Curbelo. I think CH can be for real, but we gotta keep him around a couple years and keep him happy if we want Burnett. They were teammates at prolific prep
 
#88      
Another point about Curbelo's performance...as quick as the pitchforks come out pointed at BU here after losses...how about some recognition for the coaching and system that lead to this kind of performance from a FRESHMAN.
The same for Ace's growth on defense. These kids clearly buy in to what BU is doing....and it's working.

BU is doing a fantastic job leading his staff, and this team.
(y)(y)
 
#89      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
Brad's presser are truly special, as he tells it like it is......McColley's description of him as tough with a soft heart was spot on......

Loved the take on Kofi of " he can squat the building " was typical Brad and I am so glad we have the right coach at the right time to regain our standing as one of the all time best NCAA programs.......

Watched part of the osu-thug U game last night and there was that cryin, whiny piece of crap on the msu sidelines spewing his childish venom on EVERY play that went against them.....I lost respect for the lil POS a LONG long time ago , even before he spoke about Bubbles being fired, and now , to me, he is on a par with Booby Knight as my most disliked B1G coaches ever.....
I'm very glad that Brad got that Technical, just to lower his blood pressure...I'm sure Kofi already knew coach had his back on the abuse Kofi gets, but Brad had ebough and it seemed it woke up the refs somewhat......

The Illini program's culture changed for the best with Brad's hiring, but we should all remember that Ayo's commitment to the Illini was a major step forward as far as how high major recruits look at the Illini for a home destination...Our staff are dedicated and great at improving the skill level of players and the team as a whole to allow us to return to the top 20 recognized teams year after year....

I'm a happy Illini fan to have witnessed an Illini win last night WITHOUT the NPOTY on the court........

Let's get the " ROADKILL " mantra rockin for the end of a truly special season......
 
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#90      

texillwek

šŸ”¶šŸ”¹šŸ”øšŸ”·
Brad's presser are truly special, as he tells it like it is......McColley's description of him as tough with a soft heart was spot on......

Loved the take on Kofi of " he can squat the building " was typical Brad and I am so glad we have the right coach at the right time to regain our standing as one of the all time best NCAA programs.......

Watched part of the osu-thug U game last night and there was that cryin, whiny piece of crap on the msu sidelines spewing his childish venom on EVERY play that went against them.....I lost respect for the lil POS a LONG long time ago , even before he spoke about Bubbles being fired, and now , to me, he is on a par with Booby Knight as my most disliked B1G coaches ever.....
I'm very glad that Brad got that Technical, just to lower his blood pressure...I'm sure Kofi already knew coach had his back on the abuse Kofi gets, but Brad had ebough and it seemed it woke up the refs somewhat......

The Illini program's culture changed for the best with Brad's hiring, but we should all remember that Ayo's commitment to te Illini was a major step forward as far as how high major recruits look at the Illini for a home destination...Our staff are dedicated and great at improving the skill level of players and the team as a whole to allow us to return to the top 20 recognized teams year after year....

I'm a happy Illini fan to have witnessed an Illini win last night WITHOUT the NPOTY on the court........

Let's get the " ROADKILL " mantra rockin for the end of a truly special season......
Underwood, on the phone with Izzo, probably:
angry christopher walken GIF
 
#92      
Little concerning to me about Hawkins staying from BU presser. He mentioned the growth and what it meant for the future years for the freshmen and specifically only said Ace and Curbelo. I think CH can be for real, but we gotta keep him around a couple years and keep him happy if we want Burnett. They were teammates at prolific prep
We need to keep Hawk around because he is going to be great regardless of Burnett.
 
#93      
I have no idea what that means. But it felt so special for Ayo to accomplish this, if Belo did, then maybe not as much.
A triple double is as much a sign of a great team as it is an individual achievement. You donā€™t get 10 assists unless your team his hitting shots. You donā€™t get 10 rebounds unless your team is playing good defense and impacting opponents shots. Curbelo only had 10 pts, so if he got a triple double it would have been largely a reflection of the excellent defense/offense of the team as a whole. And as a Top 10 team and national title contender, Illinois has the necessary talent for its players to have a triple double opportunity. If Kofi learned to pass out of the post he may have a handful of triple doubles as well. It doesnā€™t take anything away from Ayo.
 
#94      
We need to keep Hawk around because he is going to be great regardless of Burnett.
Agreed. I don't understand these, "we need to keep Hawk happy" takes. For a lot of these guys, yes playing with your friends is a perk, but they're going to make an independent decision.

Also, Hawkins gets an appropriate amount of tick. He's going to be good, but he's playing the role he was promised for this year. His family is also very bought in.
 
#95      
No sir, he is not. Majority of the time he has the ball my hands are on my head either:
A. Pulling my little hair that is left
B. Hands on top of head with mouth open in awe of something he just did.

My heart gets a workout in while watching him with all the up and down
As Bill Simmons would say, he is the ultimate "No, No...YES!" guy.
 
#96      
A triple double is as much a sign of a great team as it is an individual achievement. You donā€™t get 10 assists unless your team his hitting shots. You donā€™t get 10 rebounds unless your team is playing good defense and impacting opponents shots. Curbelo only had 10 pts, so if he got a triple double it would have been largely a reflection of the excellent defense/offense of the team as a whole. And as a Top 10 team and national title contender, Illinois has the necessary talent for its players to have a triple double opportunity. If Kofi learned to pass out of the post he may have a handful of triple doubles as well. It doesnā€™t take anything away from Ayo.
Last night's 4 for 23 from 3 was by far the worst performance of the year. He had the triple/double on a gold platter but Miller missed 2 open 3's down the stretch that Andre had fed him.
 
#97      
I know it was already mentioned in this thread (and many others throughout the year) but Trent's defense is a wonderful thing to watch. The amount of effort needed by the offense to get close to a decent look has to be tiresome by the end of the game.
 
#99      
Curbelo came close to averaging a triple/double in HS his Junior year. 15.5/8 rbs/9 assists. Rebounds will be his challenge at 6'0".