I'm with you, buddy. I think this road trip is our inflection point. IMO it will determine if we are truly as elite as Kenpom perceives.
Pregame: Illinois at Maryland, Saturday, February 17th, 4:30pm CT, FOX
- Status
You beat me to it! Of course pre suspension we still had to play FAU and Tenn but in neither of those games was our defense all that great to be honest.
Again, to me seems like the scouting report on us within conferense is out if we commit wholesale to switch-all-defense: high ball screens until you get Domask on your preferred perimeter scorer, or until you get Coleman switched onto a low post bruiser and pound the block.
Baffling how our defense right now is worse than last year's.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
I watched 1H of MD-Iowa game. MD was awful offensively and had around 8 TOs. Couldn't hit broad side of barn. Iowa played tough D on them. Apparently, MD tied it 13 mins into 2H and Iowa folded in the stretch.
We play as we did against them in the AH in Jan or @ MSU in paint: pick 'em.
We play active D for 40 mins, deny Reese entry passes, and explode on the break: Testudo is the bug and we are the windshield @ 70 mph. It won't be close.
We play as we did against them in the AH in Jan or @ MSU in paint: pick 'em.
We play active D for 40 mins, deny Reese entry passes, and explode on the break: Testudo is the bug and we are the windshield @ 70 mph. It won't be close.
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Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I will actually subjectively disagree with the bolded. Those were just two great games where both teams were hitting shots, even against good defense.
I don't see Reese having the game he did in Campaign. We are starting to click. I like our trajectory and the way Minnesota played Purdue gives the boys a renewed sense of urgency that if we take care of business, we still may have a shot at the B1G championship.
Illini: 74
Maryland: 71
Illini: 74
Maryland: 71
madillini4
Ozamataz Buckshank
- Millywaukee
All Illini fans in the dmv area better be there!
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
I know two for sure who are doing their part. As the father of a longtime Indian friend observes: "What can I do (about the problems of the universe)? I am but one man. I can secure only my camels, not those of others."
Q, Ty, CH, and JH had a total of 21 points in the first game (on 6-31 shooting,) and TJS didn't play. I doubt that happens again. Illini 81-70.
MD was our worst game of the year. Gonna take a wild stab and say this won’t dethrone that.
We don’t need our A game but man a smack down would be sweet
We don’t need our A game but man a smack down would be sweet
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
So, I am either a beast of burden or a burden of a beast.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
You're simply a beast. I'm the stray camel in this scenario.
Dan
Admin
FOX (Jason Benetti & Robbie Hummel)
fightingillini.com
No. 14 Illini Travel to Maryland for Saturday Afternoon Tilt - University of Illinois Athletics
Fighting Illini visit College Park looking for fourth Big Ten road win of the season.
fightingillini.com
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
It would be REALLY nice to win in dominant fashion with such a huge spotlight as Saturday on FOX. Our last six games on FOX or CBS (i.e., the opportunities you get to make an impression with a huge national audience that absolutely dwarfs the ratings for a BTN or FS1) have been 5 losses and 1 underwhelming victory:
--- 2022-23 ---
L 81-79 at Iowa (FOX)
L 72-60 at Ohio State (CBS)
L 76-71 at #5 Purdue (FOX)
--- 2023-24 ---
L 86-79 at #17 Tennessee (CBS; ILL ranked #20)
W 70-62 vs. Indiana (FOX; ILL ranked #10)
L 88-80 at Michigan State (CBS; ILL ranked #10)
This is a chance to establish momentum, exorcise our Maryland demons, keep pace with Purdue for a conference championship, stay on track for a #3 seed AND look good in front of a national audience. Let's come to play!!!!
--- 2022-23 ---
L 81-79 at Iowa (FOX)
L 72-60 at Ohio State (CBS)
L 76-71 at #5 Purdue (FOX)
--- 2023-24 ---
L 86-79 at #17 Tennessee (CBS; ILL ranked #20)
W 70-62 vs. Indiana (FOX; ILL ranked #10)
L 88-80 at Michigan State (CBS; ILL ranked #10)
This is a chance to establish momentum, exorcise our Maryland demons, keep pace with Purdue for a conference championship, stay on track for a #3 seed AND look good in front of a national audience. Let's come to play!!!!
Best duo in the biz, imo. I am such a Benetti fan, I record every random college game he calls (we also took the same broadcasting classes in high school).FOX (Jason Benetti & Robbie Hummel)
No. 14 Illini Travel to Maryland for Saturday Afternoon Tilt - University of Illinois Athletics
Fighting Illini visit College Park looking for fourth Big Ten road win of the season.
Did you see the stands if that game? Embarrassingly empty.I watched 1H of MD-Iowa game. MD was awful offensively and had around 8 TOs. Couldn't hit broad side of barn. Iowa played tough D on them. Apparently, MD tied it 13 mins into 2H and Iowa folded in the stretch.
We play as we did against them in the AH in Jan or @ MSU in paint: pick 'em.
We play active D for 40 mins, deny Reese entry passes, and explode on the break: Testudo is the bug and we are the windshield @ 70 mph. It won't be close.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
12,031 tickets sold for that game ... there is absolutely NO way more than 7,000 fans were there. Probably closer to 5,000.
My first read was "DMZ" and so thought "WOW, this game is gonna be serious!" (I make a lot of rushed reading errors, to my chagrin as well as everyone else's, sigh).
NJ and PA (especially the Philadelphia metro area) aren’t that far away. We would be there were it not for being in Champaign for a memorial service for a friend since childhood.
madillini4
Ozamataz Buckshank
- Millywaukee
Every time I saw or write dmv I think about vietnam lol. DMV is way too close to DMZ not to, I’m actually rewatching Ken burns vietnam right now. Highly recommend.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Fickleness hath no apathy like a disgruntled Terp fan. When I saw us play them in Jan '22, I swear there weren't more than 5k in the entire arena.
Also: Nah... one boot on the turtle's scrawny neck. Forever. [For fans of 1984 among us (not the Van Halen album)]
SuperMetroid
- Evanston
- Status