Agreed
Indiana 96, Illinois 80 POSTGAME
Agreed
Although I agree, I don't see it as a knock on TJL. Groce is going to hold TJL extra accountable because he sees the potential & knows how vital he'll be moving forward. It's tough love. On a separate note, nobody should be shocked Lucas made freshman mistakes in this game- Btown is awfully tough to play in for anyone let alone a freshy... If he's still around in a few years you'll get used to hearing Groce rant and rave about Lucas.
Illini1221
Peru,IL
I loved what I saw from Kipper on the defensive end as well. Moves his feet better than anyone on the floor.
MrOizo
- Chicago
It is what it is, though. Very sad, but let's face facts. Injuries are the worst...
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2 games in a row where's he's been attacking the basket, scoring at the rim and getting to the FT line instead of settling for difficult 2 point jump shots. We definitely need more of that.
Illini1221
Peru,IL
If we get consistent effort like we did from Hill, Mav, and JCL, as well as Tejon and Kipper getting more tick, I definitely see us making the tourney. Mav has turned himself into one of the better big men in the big 10, especially offensively. Yesterday should be a huge confidence booster for JCL going forward, which will only open up the floor more for Malcolm. Also, Kippper is the best defender on the team, from what I saw yesterday in terms of moving his feet. Besides the result and the terrible start, I think there were plenty of positives from yesterday.
MrOizo
- Chicago
Absolutely, he realizes this is his last "go round", to quote Channing Frye. He has done the work necessary to play at a very high level and is stepping into the opportunity. So, so happy for him. To play like this at this level, amazing to watch.
I hope he can keep it up. To do so, he will need more threats around him. JCL is doing his part. People will game plan Malcolm better if we don't produce more at the 1, 4, and 5.
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RichBradIllini
- Peoria
I agree. Columnists, fan forum boards, announcers...really anybody with an interest in the game were talking all week about how IU was going to come out angry, with something to prove and ready to play. There should have been some recognition on our end the level of intensity IU was going to bring and what would be needed to compete. This is a conference game at !!!-embly Hall for pete's sake.
The team had a pregame practice on the court that morning. They do all the preparation then and stay loose in warmups. Doesn't mean they're not focused.
You really think the team was unaware?
RichBradIllini
- Peoria
Were they prepared?
They didn't play well. You don't know how they prepared.
Welcome as a new poster!! You have interesting stuff. Don't let the bullies run you off. Thanks.
JCL had one of his better games, but he has not been a consistent scoring threat either. Actually, Abrams, Mav, and Leron have been averaging more points per game than JCL. Players need to step up, so hopefully what we saw from JCL is an indication of more things to come. JCL seemed to be playing with a purpose yesterday, being from Indiana and all.
MrOizo
- Chicago
Very true, you're right about Black, Mav, Abrams. JCL has much more to prove, though I do feel like JCL has been getting a little better over the last few games. Abrams is the strangest one for me. The Maryland/Indiana funks were so intense. We just can't survive those ups and downs from a key senior guard... And they make no sense.
Also, I know Hill had 3 fouls early but why sit him? We aren't going to beat Indiana without him. By sitting him for 10 minutes in the first half that is the same as him fouling out with 10 minutes left in the game. You might as well play him until he fouls out and hope we can win at the end without him. Plus, he might now foul out.
I learned this lesson as an assistant high school coach years ago. We were in the regional championship and our best player got 3 first half fouls. The head coach looked at me and said he has to play. He yelled out "don't foul" and he played the rest of the game and finished with 3 fouls. We played really hard pressure defense too so it wasn't like he was hiding in a zone. Every game after that if a key player got into "foul trouble" we left them in. They never fouled out. I know everyone sits people when they get 2 or 3 fouls but if in our case we aren't going to win without Hill so he might as well play until he fouls out, which I am betting he won't do hardly ever.....
I learned this lesson as an assistant high school coach years ago. We were in the regional championship and our best player got 3 first half fouls. The head coach looked at me and said he has to play. He yelled out "don't foul" and he played the rest of the game and finished with 3 fouls. We played really hard pressure defense too so it wasn't like he was hiding in a zone. Every game after that if a key player got into "foul trouble" we left them in. They never fouled out. I know everyone sits people when they get 2 or 3 fouls but if in our case we aren't going to win without Hill so he might as well play until he fouls out, which I am betting he won't do hardly ever.....
The pack line was designed as an alternative to an "on the line, up the line" deny defense. It's purpose is to compensate for a lack of high quality athletes by keeping them more packed in, and thus less susceptible to being dominated defensively by superior offensive athletes. The counter point is that if you help on drives from one pass away you are very susceptible to kickout 3s. Sound familiar? Players who can play well in deny defenses can also play well in the pack lines, like the guys at Virginia. They could all play in both. However, pack line guys can't go the other way as easily. You seem to want to play a more aggressive defense without the personnel. Or your concept of the packline is reversed. For our personnel and lack of overall athleticism we are playing the right defensive system.
We do. If you see practice videos the court is taped for it. The one pass away defense is in a driving gap. I'm not a fan of it necessarily but I know we can't play a deny defense with out lack of athleticism so...yeah idk
Yeah in theory we shouldn't give up layups at the rate we do. My guess would be a lack of execution in adjustments per the scouting report. For example, "you can't help off this guy in your gap the way you normally would so instead of true help you're just gonna stunt and recover to your shooter." It would then be up to the next line of defense to recognize who the original stunter is guarding, realize that initial help guy has to get back to his man to prevent a 3, and then step up.
Exactly my thoughts.
Coaching mistake and he threw Lucas under the bus. Starting to act desperate.
Well, that was the plan after he picked up his 2nd foul, wasn't it? But he still got #3 minutes later. And he ended up playing another 4-5 minutes in the first half, so he wasn't kept out completely. Played the entire 2nd half and ended up at 28 min, not that far off his avg of 32.
It's not just the missed shots, turnovers and bad hands. His defensive presence is small for a guy that big, his rotation is slow to help and his awareness of baseline presence in the zone is poor..btw Mav is way too slow to rotate and provide help too.
I would like to see a Black, Kipper/DJW, Hill at times playing small ball.
Tough to understand the funk of both Abrams and Black. Neither was an asset in the game. Sure don't like to see the 3 pointer from Black, particularly early on when we are getting blitzed. We need these guys to be better and don't see how you blame the coaching for that. Felt much better about their reaction as opposed to FSU when they faded at the end.
I DVR'd the game and thought I'd watch this morning even after knowing the outcome. Turned it off after the first 12 minutes of game action. There is a lot of other basketball out there to watch, can't watch the John Groce product anymore.