More experience. Groce is going to have to earn it this year. Fine by me.
Illinois Basketball 2016-2017
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More experience. Groce is going to have to earn it this year. Fine by me.
No, it's not really silly at all. The non conference season is when the coaching staff figures out their rotations and Nichols is going to be competing against a bunch of veteran players. He won't be eligible until the Mizzou game, and that's typically just before conference play starts. So you may think it's "silly", but it seems unlikely to me that inserting a kid who's never played a college game in the rotation to face Big Ten teams would work out well. If he gets the waiver, OK that might change things, but until I hear anything about it, I assume he's not getting it.
Lucas is a different case, he's going against a guy coming off 2 major injuries and another guy who hasn't proven to be a top level PG. He'll get his chance, especially because he'll be able to play in November and December to get his feet wet against some of the weaker teams while he adjusts to college.
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IlliniDent
- Chicago, IL
Well with every player having a year more experience it's a pretty huge difference.
I jus hope JCL drives the hole and and play good defense this year , he will be a handful.
Hopefully they take some of the non-conference cupcakes a little bit more seriously as there is just so much uncertainty after a rough 2015-2016 campaign.
Next man up. JCL, Hill, Thorne, Black, Finke there's talent on this team. Jordan should use this as motivation to get 15-20 a game. With or without Numn this season depends on the play of the PG. If it becomes a lost season start Lucas and gain experience. With Lucas, JCL, Finke, Black it's a good start to 2017-2018.
That was my initial impression. Younger guys need play a lot more time. Might be good for the future.
Not having to play in front of a sparse crowd in Springfield will help, too.
Give me your over/under on attendance for this game.
Dammit!!! I'll be in Miami 2 weeks before that!!! Arghhhhhhhh
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Kipper is still competing in practice with everyone else. Generally you play how you practice. If he is outperforming guys in practice then he'll find a way on the court. Especially if DJW or AJ don't make big improvements.
Barring injuries, there will be winners and losers at the 2/3 positions, even with Nunn gone. With Thorne and Black back, Hill will play at his natural position (3) and is hard to see him getting less than 30 mpg. At the same time, JCL will get at least 25 mpg (those numbers are a decrease from last year for both Hill and JCL). That will leave Jordan, DJW, and Kipper in a fierce battle for the remaining minutes.
I don't get this at all. Nichols hasn't played a single college game, so what are you basing this on? And no, I don't agree with "you play how you practice". Games are a completely different animal. Ask Allen Iverson.
A lot of that depends on the ticket price and how both teams start the season. But I would put it at 3,500 right now.
I think that's being generous, but even assuming so, why would we give up a game in our brand new stadium to play that game?
Why would the arena book that game, is another question
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I think everyone will agree that JCL, Mav DJW & Finke were much better at the end of the year then the disastrous beginning. I think with Thorne having more time in the system, us having 2 pg options that are much improved from last years, we should be quite a bit better. Will it be top tier big ten and ncaa tournament improved? We shall see.
That Nichols won't factor into the rotation, regardless of when he is allowed to play
Kipper isn't a normal freshman. Most freshman don't have enough strength/athleticism, have to adjust to a new system, adapt to how practices are ran, and adapt to the lifting program. Plus they are living on their own for the first time and taking college classes for the first time. On top of all that they have to worry about performing on the court.
By the time Kipper is eligible he has been doing those things for a year. All he has to do is transfer what he's learned to games. That's not easy, but if he has the talent and he trusts in what he's learned then he'll be able to adjust. And I'm not saying he'll immediately play 20 mpg, but I agree it's silly to keep him out of the rotation conversation all together.
I just think if we are going to be a good team, Kipper shouldn't be able to crack the rotation mid-season. If AJ and DJW aren't good enough as sophomores to establish a role over him, then we might be in trouble. If we are a struggling team like last year, you throw guys in there and give them a chance to stick, but if we are good, like we are expecting, he shouldn't have much of a chance to develop a major role. IMO.
The good thing is AJ, DJW, and Kipper all have different skillsets. There will probably only be around 15-20 mpg between the 3. Some games we might need AJ's shooting, other games we might need DJW's length, or we could use Kipper's defense and rebounding. So Kipper wouldn't necessarily play over them, but just provide a different dynamic.
I could see Kipper playing the Alex Austin role this season. Defending the 2/3/4, rebounding, and taking care of the ball. I know that was frustrating to watch last season, but if you have a good player in that role then that can be the difference between a win and a loss in a close game.
That's all great and I'm sure he's doing well in fitting in to the practice routine. I just don't expect him to play much next season. Who do you think he'll replace in the rotation when he becomes eligible for the Mizzou game?
Kipper Nichols will play before AJ and DJW see the floor. KN has versatility, is a good defender and a good rebounder. As I stated before I saw both KN and DJW live in HS and KN is definitely the better of the 2. To me, AJ has a ways to go to prove he can play in the B!G.
I go back to Hill's comment about Nichol's practice play and I don't know how that can be discounted.
We'll see.
P.S. Haha, WVC, it looks like we disagree.
I go back to Hill's comment about Nichol's practice play and I don't know how that can be discounted.
We'll see.
P.S. Haha, WVC, it looks like we disagree.
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