Thing I noticed about our TOs in this game was there seemed to be a lot less unforced ones. I thought we had some difficulty against the press and too many turnovers against it, but at least one can call them “forced.” Only unforced turnover I can remember was a bad, unadvised pass by Shannon. Maybe his only mistake on the game. Truly a very nice performance.
Ummmmm, not to be picky but didn’t we hit 33% of our 3s?
Even Iowa?
Final thoughts about the BR beat-down:
- We were watching the game in a bar in Bethesda. Like last year, it was the Friday before Christmas, and the place was filled with young people home from school, or off work, and reconnecting. Boisterous and packed. Few were watching sports on the numerous monitors. Nearly all of the other games we watch during the season are in a place filled with people mostly there for the games. Not on this night. I kinda liked that, seeing the youngsters with life spread out before them, having fun. Reminded me of those nights I enjoyed in the mid-'80s.
- On the monitor next to the Illini game was Maryland @ UCLA. The Bruins are entirely mediocre this year (now in the low '80s on KenPom, keeping the Hoojins company there.) Jahmir Young went off for nearly 40 points. MD were up by 15-20 for most of the game. Then around 10 mins left in the second half they began to unravel. UCLA got to within a basket with ~ 5 mins left. Complete s&^t-the-bed Terp collapse. But Young willed MD to victory. Scored 12 of their final 19 pts.
- Around 10-ish, on the other adjacent monitor, the Warriors v. Wizards game tipped off in SF. I don't watch the NBA. Accordingly, early in that game when I glanced at it I was pleasantly surprised (shocked, really, as I'd completely forgotten about him) to see a young dude sporting a 'fro and headband sinking treys: Podz. Good for him. The Illini, whose rotation he couldn't crack as a frosh, crushing Miznoz on one TV while he's stroking threes in The Show on the adjacent one. All's well that ends well, IMO.
- We have a marvelous team this year. A well-oiled machine. Can't recall a time since '05 when the Illini looked as fluid, confident, deep, and dominant as early in the season as they do now. It's an unusual equilibrium we don't often see before February, if at all. The next three months are going to be great fun if the boys stay healthy.
Thanks to our splendid host Dan (and his team) and to all of you for making this site such an enjoyable part of life, strengthening the bond we have as Illini brothers and sisters and with the university we cherish. For those who celebrate it I wish you a very Merry Christmas. And for those who don't I wish you the spirit of it. Be well and enjoy those you love.
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I have had similar thoughts recently. In theory (and I emphasize "in theory") in this new age of basketball transfers, next year some of these Missouri players could be playing for the Illini and vice versa. So as IlliniCaboose said, "is there enough time to build up hostility for games like this"? I have been following Illinois basketball since the 70s (has it been that long? Where has the time gone?) and I no longer get very excited about this rivalry anymore. I think the fact that Missouri has not been very good for many years is one factor (and also the Groce years for the Illini). This game used to have a Final Four game craziness to it that it no longer has. And related to the above, players don't stay at one school very long, so there is no "history", that is, the Illini played an almost completely different Missouri team than last year (at least that is what I have gleaned from various discussions about this game). In the past, well, I don't know how to phrase this exactly but there would not just be a rivalry between the teams but also between the players since players stayed at their respective schools longer. And before I get a lot of hate directed at this post, listen to the Illini Inquirer podcast after the Colgate team when Werner and LaTulip were discussing the Missouri game. They admitted that there just doesn't seem to be as much excitement about this game as there used to be and one of the reasons, as I mentioned, is the player turnover. Remember the greater hostility we had toward Michigan with Dickinson there or with Iowa when Luka was playing? And I think it was not just our hostility, it was the Illini players as well. Some on here will remember some of the Missouri players of old, Jon Sundvold, Doug Smith, and Steve Stipanovich, just to mention a few. How many Missouri players will anyone remember from the Missouri teams of the last 10 years or so (excluding Mark Smith)? My thoughts on this are not particularly clear and well thought out but I just know something is different.
I actually think TA's look is the best in the original post.For both of you!
I think the Mizzou rivalry hits different dependent on your age and location relative to St. Louis based on what I've seen. Those in the fanbase who either were in college or who fondly remember the games in the late 80s to mid 90s seem to treat this as a much bigger rivalry than those younger in the fanbase. I enrolled at Illinois in '01 so much of my first impressions of the rivalry was utterly weird Mizzou posters on the ESPN boards talking some extremely obnoxious and borderline insane smack followed by us beating them every year. In fact, the funniest thing about the rivalry in those days was that the only thing Kansas fans and Illini fans could agree on was that neither of us would claim Mizzou as an actual rival which just drove the Mizzou fans crazy.
Me? Mizzou. I grew up in the 618, and a lot of the kids I grew up with and still live in the area had their kids cross the river, and those offspring and the grandsprings’ loyalties go to Mizzou, particularly if the grandspring went to Mizzou. It “gets complicated.” My sister is true
and 
.but my nieces and nephew graduated from Mizzou. 
Just getting around to the post game thread now, but I have to agree. I knew he would be a valuable addition, but his play has been much better than I expected. Great pickup by Underwood and staff.
Poorly worded....33% of our open misses
Nico, lol!
Yeah, I kind of get your point and understand your enthusiasm, but saying if we would have hit in a higher percentage of shots would have meant more points is a bit silly. I believe if we had hit 33% of our missed 3s that would have put us at 55% from 3 from the game. When was last time that happened?
I was 100% with you until your mention of Northwestern, who aren't even in my top 5 list of rivals (Mizzou, Iowa, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan).Me? Mizzou. I grew up in the 618, and a lot of the kids I grew up with and still live in the area had their kids cross the river, and those offspring and the grandsprings’ loyalties go to Mizzou, particularly if the grandspring went to Mizzou. It “gets complicated.” My sister is true
Which is a long way of saying, yeah, Mizzou is my number one rival…right after Northwestern.
TL;DR - j/kFinal thoughts about the BR beat-down:
- We were watching the game in a bar in Bethesda. Like last year, it was the Friday before Christmas, and the place was filled with young people home from school, or off work, and reconnecting. Boisterous and packed. Few were watching sports on the numerous monitors. Nearly all of the other games we watch during the season are in a place filled with people mostly there for the games. Not on this night. I kinda liked that, seeing the youngsters with life spread out before them, having fun. Reminded me of those nights I enjoyed in the mid-'80s.
- On the monitor next to the Illini game was Maryland @ UCLA. The Bruins are entirely mediocre this year (now in the low '80s on KenPom, keeping the Hoojins company there.) Jahmir Young went off for nearly 40 points. MD were up by 15-20 for most of the game. Then around 10 mins left in the second half they began to unravel. UCLA got to within a basket with ~ 5 mins left. Complete s&^t-the-bed Terp collapse. But Young willed MD to victory. Scored 12 of their final 19 pts.
- Around 10-ish, on the other adjacent monitor, the Warriors v. Wizards game tipped off in SF. I don't watch the NBA. Accordingly, early in that game when I glanced at it I was pleasantly surprised (shocked, really, as I'd completely forgotten about him) to see a young dude sporting a 'fro and headband sinking treys: Podz. Good for him. The Illini, whose rotation he couldn't crack as a frosh, crushing Miznoz on one TV while he's stroking threes in The Show on the adjacent one. All's well that ends well, IMO.
- We have a marvelous team this year. A well-oiled machine. Can't recall a time since '05 when the Illini looked as fluid, confident, deep, and dominant as early in the season as they do now. It's an unusual equilibrium we don't often see before February, if at all. The next three months are going to be great fun if the boys stay healthy.
Thanks to our splendid host Dan (and his team) and to all of you for making this site such an enjoyable part of life, strengthening the bond we have as Illini brothers and sisters and with the university we cherish. For those who celebrate it I wish you a very Merry Christmas. And for those who don't I wish you the spirit of it. Be well and enjoy those you love.
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Yep easily - no contest just like Friday night's win over Miznoz, and I can't tolerate Iowa at all to say it politely.
