Pregame: Illinois vs Arizona, Saturday, December 11th, 4:00pm CT, FOX

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#52      

hooraybeer

Pittsburgh, PA
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#54      
As an Arizona alum, and a rabid Illini hoops fan for over 65 years, this is not a match up I relish. I would not dare be seen at SFC for this game, but I will be wearing Illini gear while watching what I hope is an Illini victory. It is nice to see the Cats competitive after a dark and questionable period under Sean Miller, one that caused me to lose all interest in the program. I only hope and pray that AD Dave Heeke and Coach Tommy Lloyd can build the program based on integrity and compliance....while getting used to occasional but consistent disappointing losses to the Illini.
Have worn Illini gear as they played my alma mater, as well … respect! :) Sometimes you’re just born an Illini.

P.S. This happens way more than people think. Growing up as a fan of a college team and being asked to shed that loyalty because of where you decided to go to school is pretty rough. Had a beer with a Michigan grad who was decked out in Hawkeye gear this weekend simply because he grew up in Iowa and simply went to Michigan because of his undergrad program. Okay, maybe a bad example since everyone here hates those two teams, haha.
 
#61      
In getting excited for this game, I was thinking this should be the best home court atmosphere since Iowa, Maryland (which I attended) or MSU in 2019-20, but I think it takes time to create atmosphere again by getting the fans to buy in. Those games got loud in big moments, but they lacked buzz at times … that nervous quietness of fans afraid we’d blow it. Same problem with other huge crowds like upsetting #1 IU in 2013.

Looking back at the last several years, I tried to find times that (1) we had a sold out crowd, (2) we had a nationally ranked opponent in town and (3) we genuinely had the chance to score a HUGE win for the program’s reputation and our fans actually had hope we could do it. Using that criteria, this might honestly be the biggest home game since Wake Forest in 2005. Yeah, I said it.
I was at the MSU game in 2020-2021 with that comeback and it was super load. The ending was so awful, gave up the putback dunk and then Ayo got hurt on the last play. It went from level 100 to 0 real quick, drive home sucked.
 
#63      
Or perhaps it's all a ploy to make Arizona prepare for no Belo and then come tip off we see our playmaker saunter on to the floor as part of the starting 5...I've also been speculating that there could be some violation of team rules happening but think if that were the case then he wouldn't of traveled to Iowa last night so perhaps it is still medically related?
That worked on the Coach TV show once.
 
#66      
Is this advice given with or without knowledge of the situation?
I only know what’s been made public. But based on what others with info have said on this board and what coach has said, it doesn’t sound like he will magically be ready in the next week
 
#68      

GallopingGhost

Denver, CO
Also: I think I’ll set the odds at -250 for some kind of replay or “flashback” of The 2005 Comeback being played on the broadcast. Especially if Illinois finds themselves down late.

they might even cue it up on the SFC big screen 😂
 
#73      

sacraig

The desert
#74      

sacraig

The desert
Didn’t the predictor for the Iowa game look about like that but in reverse?
Sure, but a 27.5% chance of a loss is still a pretty high chance of a loss. According to BPI, if we played Arizona at home 1000 times, we would lose 275 of them.
 
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