Illinois 95, Minnesota 74 Postgame
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I really like what Morez Johnson brings to the table. Every good team needs someone like him. His free throw shooting looks to be improving based on the game with Rutgers.
PizzaHutParkingLot
- Vodice, Croatia
From what I’ve been told it’s more of a re-tweaked ankle … But he was really struggling with it post game …
Fletch & Paul will work with him and get him right …
Luckily we got two of the best in the biz
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
I still don’t get Ben playing more mins than Will but it is what it is.
Nah, not so fast. You can’t put all of our lack of effort/focus/execution on not having Ivisic for a few games. You just can’t blame all of our woes on that. All of our unpredictability and lack of give a damn. Nope. I ain’t buying.
Remember the slump Tomi was in earlier on? I don’t remember anyone being laser focused on us needing Tomi to compete then…
Tomi’s absence didn’t: suddenly make us quit getting on the floor less for loose balls, inconsistently crashing the boards, lackadaisically go through the motions, or laying on the floor and pouting after getting beat. (You can always have effort and focus.)
It didnt directly make the other guys not play with intensity, in general. It didn’t make Kylan and KJ throw errant pass after errant pass. Tomi’s absence was not directly to blame for the other guys not bearing down on free throws or layups. Etc.
This team had a tendency to “be soft” with and without Tomi. This team had a tendency to “take its foot off the gas with and without Tomi”
Tomi’s absence did not change the premium/emphasis that our staff put on 3-balls within our scheme. That battle cry was consistent from Underwood all season…
I’ll admit that Tomi has a calming presence that is HUGE. (Having a mobile seven footer covers up tons of mistakes on D as you would expect.) I agree that the offense that we run through Tomi is some of our best stuff…and his interior passing is criminally unrated. I’ve said that a number of times.
But to blame it ALL on not having Tomi is just a little too convenient IMHO.
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Much better shot selection and movement. Ball movement got us layups which led to more kickouts. Good answer from our team. I really wish we could catch a break on the injury/illness front.
Bigtex
- DFW
Actually analytics have been saying. You suck at shooting 3s - STOP shooting so many of them.
Bigtex
- DFW
Similar response after Ohio st game
Bigtex
- DFW
Davis makes winning plays, usually little things not necessarily in the box score.
Fan Since '70
- OBS, Florida
I believe KJ, Will and Tomislav are our three best players and all future pros. If the Illini role players also play their roles well, this team has a huge upside.
My back hates you for even introducing this thought to my brain.
Fan Since '70
- OBS, Florida
Morez, KJ and Tomi should play together, Will is way better and deserves more minutes than Humichous. Kylan for his defense and DG for a spark and relieve KB. Hope Tre gets healthy and can get back in 8-man rotation. Humrichous, White and Gibbs-Lawhorn glue/role player guys coming off bench.
Well, Mark Tupper you are the man with bad news. 
thank goodness we have a Will. It's written and signed. Will Riley will play more guard duties let Kylan heal up quickly. His defense vs. Mr. Rileys is night and day.
thank goodness we have a Will. It's written and signed. Will Riley will play more guard duties let Kylan heal up quickly. His defense vs. Mr. Rileys is night and day.Agreed. And I happen to think Tomi is the straw that stirs the drink. But he was also on the floor for the absolutely putrid first ten minutes against Rutgers.
I do think tonight was a turning point towards coaching and executing on the floor based on using your eyeballs instead of playing to clearly flawed predictive models.
And honestly, I don't care who's controlling the scheme - we have a 7 foot bucket getter and innately gifted passing big.
Use him while we have him.
I tried to watch this to end. To many softball questions. Did anyone ask him about 12-3 pt. Shots vs. 30? And if it's a strategy moving forward? Calling a life line?
While many of us celebrate the fact that the Illini kept turns to 6, a season low I believe, that dreadful Gopher team had only three!!!
That may be the case but Tre looked pale and sickly whe he finally got on the floor. When they showed his face I was wondering why the hell he was even out there. It was obvious he wasn't near full strength.
Tough day for the +8.5 betters who were swayed by the pure idiocy of this board over these last 3 days .
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