Look, in college basketball, who knows what will happen? But I'm a noted pessimist and I feel very differently. So far, I've seen a readiness to play at this level in our freshmen that I would have never expected headed into this season. I think they rise to this occasion. Am I just high on orange koolaid? Maybe. I'm really excited for this game, though.
Illinois at Texas Tech, Tuesday, November 10th, 7:00pm CT, Peacock
Traveling down to Texas to play an undersized but athletic defensive-minded team in front of a hostile crowd.
Worked out pretty well for us last time
Without Mirk and Jake, it'll be important for QC, Andrej, Vaaks, et al. to not get sped up and make the right reads. Forcing what isn't there and turning it over is where I could see this one going awry.
Feel like we get it done though.
Illini pull away in the last 10 minutes to win by 8.
Worked out pretty well for us last time
Without Mirk and Jake, it'll be important for QC, Andrej, Vaaks, et al. to not get sped up and make the right reads. Forcing what isn't there and turning it over is where I could see this one going awry.
Feel like we get it done though.
Illini pull away in the last 10 minutes to win by 8.
97-73 good guys.
QC locks down DGL with a significant block party by Tomi/Z/LW on his attempted drives.
TTU gets frustrated with AS driving and getting whatever he wants over the top and starts hacking. AS ends up with 10+ from the free throw line and 26+ total.
Vaaks, EB and ZZ combine to shoot over 50% from 3.
Tomi has 8+ assists.
Rebound margin isnāt even close.
QC locks down DGL with a significant block party by Tomi/Z/LW on his attempted drives.
TTU gets frustrated with AS driving and getting whatever he wants over the top and starts hacking. AS ends up with 10+ from the free throw line and 26+ total.
Vaaks, EB and ZZ combine to shoot over 50% from 3.
Tomi has 8+ assists.
Rebound margin isnāt even close.
Canāt believe these teams agreed to play a basketball game on the anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald /s
Illinois averages 13.9 seconds per offensive possession.
Texas Tech averages 15.4 seconds per offensive possession.
Illinois averages 15.9 seconds per defensive possession.
Texas Tech averages 18.9 seconds per defensive possession.
Illinois offense vs Texas Tech defense:
13.9 + 18.9 =32.8
32.8 / 2 =16.4 seconds per possession.
Texas Tech offense vs Illinois defense:
15.4 + 15.9 =31.3
31.3 / 2 =15.65 seconds per possession.
16.4 + 15.65 =32.05 seconds per cycle.
Thereās 2,400 seconds in a 40 minute college basketball game.
2,400 / 32.05 =74.883 possessions per team.
ā¦..
I think both teams will be good offensively.
So in a 75 possession game ā letās say Illinois scores 1.25 points per possession (what we averaged last year), and letās say Texas Tech scores 1.177 points per possession (what they averaged last year).
Score prediction:
Illinois: 94
Texas Tech: 88
(P.S. this math is just for fun and definitely wrong for several reasons, one of which being that an offense has way more control over possession length than the defense does. Illinois will definitely have more urgency to push the pace, than Texas Tech will!)
Texas Tech averages 15.4 seconds per offensive possession.
Illinois averages 15.9 seconds per defensive possession.
Texas Tech averages 18.9 seconds per defensive possession.
Illinois offense vs Texas Tech defense:
13.9 + 18.9 =32.8
32.8 / 2 =16.4 seconds per possession.
Texas Tech offense vs Illinois defense:
15.4 + 15.9 =31.3
31.3 / 2 =15.65 seconds per possession.
16.4 + 15.65 =32.05 seconds per cycle.
Thereās 2,400 seconds in a 40 minute college basketball game.
2,400 / 32.05 =74.883 possessions per team.
ā¦..
I think both teams will be good offensively.
So in a 75 possession game ā letās say Illinois scores 1.25 points per possession (what we averaged last year), and letās say Texas Tech scores 1.177 points per possession (what they averaged last year).
Score prediction:
Illinois: 94
Texas Tech: 88
(P.S. this math is just for fun and definitely wrong for several reasons, one of which being that an offense has way more control over possession length than the defense does. Illinois will definitely have more urgency to push the pace, than Texas Tech will!)
Last edited:
Whole offense is based on speeding up!Traveling down to Texas to play an undersized but athletic defensive-minded team in front of a hostile crowd.
Worked out pretty well for us last time
Without Mirk and Jake, it'll be important for QC, Andrej, Vaaks, et al. to not get sped up and make the right reads. Forcing what isn't there and turning it over is where I could see this one going awry.
Feel like we get it done though.
Illini pull away in the last 10 minutes to win by 8.
Too soon
I was wondering, too, and since, as I am writing this, no one has educated us, I thought I might as well see if I could find an answer. I found the following. I am guessing it is what the T-shirt is referencing.
Team Noah is a fundraising group inspired by Noah Moore, a congenital heart defect survivor, that has raised over $1 million for the American Heart Association to support heart research and awareness. The team participates in the annual American Heart Association Beach Ride, which is a five-day equestrian event aimed at combating heart disease and stroke.
Good for Andrej
There is a difference between playing fast (push the ball, quick decision making) and playing sped up (rushing, hurrying).
"Be quick. Don't hurry." - John R. Wooden
Not going to predict that big a blow-out, but I do like the match-up. Think the size advantage will make it a lot harder for them to rebound and close us out. Watched some of their highlights, and without Toppin, just don't see them as a top-25 team.