Iowa 104, Illinois 97 OT POSTGAME
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
They were attempting. The lack of size killed us. We couldn't get the ball into any of the soft spots in the zone. When we did passes got deflected or we didn't pass out well. The length Iowa had on the court killed us.
I was extremely excited for him too, but I thought that some of the expectations we were heaping on him were unfair. He doesn't have nearly as much basketball experience as the other freshman do. You can tell he's doing a lot of thinking out there. I think he will figure it out. Don't give up on him yet.
IlliniDent
- Chicago, IL
He's a freshman barely halfway through his first season. It is ridiculous that people expected so much from these guys as freshmen.
Post season should be the last thing from the mind set if we cannot get a single win in the regular season. More importantly, we have to figure how to recruit high level talent to a program that is at the bottom of the B1G.
icengineer
- Southern Illinois
U n me bro! We got this! Tomorrow, when we've chilled a bit, we can work this out! ;-)
This all starts with Underwood. If he can't get these guys to play hard for 40 minutes that's on him. If they can't guard anybody that's on him. I mentioned a couple days , ago, this defense is not working. 104 points are you freaking kidding me! I don't hold the players blameless, but HE sets the tone.
Stop waiting for someone to step up and be a leader! The previous 2 coaches were always harping on this. He is the leader! If someone steps up fine, if not he will have to bust their butts and drag them as long as necessary.
Please, stop all the freshmen excuses! Teams all over the country are playing freshmen. It is not an excuse!
What bothers me is how recruits will view what's going on. They want to win! They want to go to the tourney!
I'm in Underwoods corner, but I won't make excuse for him or the team.
Stop waiting for someone to step up and be a leader! The previous 2 coaches were always harping on this. He is the leader! If someone steps up fine, if not he will have to bust their butts and drag them as long as necessary.
Please, stop all the freshmen excuses! Teams all over the country are playing freshmen. It is not an excuse!
What bothers me is how recruits will view what's going on. They want to win! They want to go to the tourney!
I'm in Underwoods corner, but I won't make excuse for him or the team.
I dunno, I interpreted it as a positive. Tent gave it his all and he's tired of losing. I think Trent is starting to embrace the leadership role, full stop
After letting tonight's game and presser percolate...
Frazier's 27 is the most any Illini has scored in a single game this year so far.
The last time an Illini scored more than that was when Hill hung 29 on UCF in his swan song. Before him you have to go back to Tracy's 31 on Cent Michigan the same season. No Illini scored 27 or more in the conference season last year... but Malcolm did it several times the year prior (2 seasons ago).
Re: Underwood's presser. Hoo boy, he's talking about culture. I guess he's diplomatically confirming what we've been saying on this board: team is soft. No backbone (outside of Frazier and Black). Ebo is beginning to get his swag on, but based on his comments, we're still going to see Finke starting.
But what I hear is him throwing his hands up and saying at some point these young men have to decide to grow up. Frazier is trying to drag them along, but he can't do it alone.
These losses suck. But we all rationally knew that Underwood was taking on a rebuilding process. It is unfolding in a way that we didn't expect in that players are behaving differently than we had envisioned (remember talking about 20ppg Alstork and a dominant Smith?) and also our record is worse than most of us anticipated.
It will get better. This is better than Groceball. We have an influx of young talent and a coach to use it properly.
EDIT: oh, I definitely read Trent's tweet as the stance of a leader unwilling to accept poor team performance. Definitely did not come across as whiny or self-defeating. There's a leadership vacuum and right now there is a single young man who is stepping up to fill it.
Frazier's 27 is the most any Illini has scored in a single game this year so far.
The last time an Illini scored more than that was when Hill hung 29 on UCF in his swan song. Before him you have to go back to Tracy's 31 on Cent Michigan the same season. No Illini scored 27 or more in the conference season last year... but Malcolm did it several times the year prior (2 seasons ago).
Re: Underwood's presser. Hoo boy, he's talking about culture. I guess he's diplomatically confirming what we've been saying on this board: team is soft. No backbone (outside of Frazier and Black). Ebo is beginning to get his swag on, but based on his comments, we're still going to see Finke starting.
But what I hear is him throwing his hands up and saying at some point these young men have to decide to grow up. Frazier is trying to drag them along, but he can't do it alone.
These losses suck. But we all rationally knew that Underwood was taking on a rebuilding process. It is unfolding in a way that we didn't expect in that players are behaving differently than we had envisioned (remember talking about 20ppg Alstork and a dominant Smith?) and also our record is worse than most of us anticipated.
It will get better. This is better than Groceball. We have an influx of young talent and a coach to use it properly.
EDIT: oh, I definitely read Trent's tweet as the stance of a leader unwilling to accept poor team performance. Definitely did not come across as whiny or self-defeating. There's a leadership vacuum and right now there is a single young man who is stepping up to fill it.
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
Did he delete It? All I see is "we gotta figure this out" "this one hurts"
Frustration emoji, nothing more
Any rational person would think that if even some...some of the close games that we lost in under 10 points, would of have been wins, this team would be about where we all had hoped it would be 2-3 or 3-2 in conference.
The reality is we (as we always tend to do) get to high on the mediocre success' and way to low on the failures. This team is in between right now and our expectations should be as well.
The way we are losing is the ONLY thing that anyone should not have factored in, even from a new coach (s), system, freshman players, etc...This is to the extreme and needs corrected as does our expectations moving forward. Progress, buy in, leadership really the only thing to look for improvement the rest of the way.
icengineer
- Southern Illinois
We ARE going to get better, I have no doubts about that, and I cannot afford to think otherwise. We are young. We need to learn how to win.
Our next 3 or 4 recruits will definitely tell us where this program is headed. Yeah Cap'n Obvious, haha, I know...
Our next 3 or 4 recruits will definitely tell us where this program is headed. Yeah Cap'n Obvious, haha, I know...
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Biggest problem is our lack of presence in the paint. Too many third opportunities for Iowa tonight. Our defense is not good because of this. If our perimeter players take risks, there's no big down there that can scare them away from driving to the paint. Once that happens it's like we're playing 4 on 5 because we're always trying to recover for the next guy. I'm hopeful for that transfer big and a 6'6" long athletic wing. Following that we need Okoro and Liddell.
Also, we need to figure out how to use Smith and Williams better on the offensive end. Smith doesn't seem like he's a slow kid, but seems very hesitant to make any moves. Hoping things start to become instinct to him and he starts moving quicker.
Also, we need to figure out how to use Smith and Williams better on the offensive end. Smith doesn't seem like he's a slow kid, but seems very hesitant to make any moves. Hoping things start to become instinct to him and he starts moving quicker.
Didn't Underwood start 0-6 in Big 12 play last year?
Just saying.
Just saying.
Apples to oranges. This team should be judged on its own merits
SKane
- Tennessee
Underwood: Changing this culture is more challenging. Last year I was fortunate that I had a guy who is playing for the Clippers.
Underwood: Jawun Evans dragged other guys with him, and senior Phil Forte could lead his teammates. We don't have that right now.
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
If he turns this around this year, he's a COY candidate. That's a pretty tall order.
Finke is killing us hes basically giving us nothing when the two things we need the most are things he should be able to provide.
I am watching him against the zone and he flat out didn't want the ball when hes the one guy that should be floating to the open spots within the zone and letting it fly .
I just don't see the effort from him that you should be seeing from a 3rd year big ten player.You don't have to be able to do everything but just be ready and bale to do the things you can do .
I am watching him against the zone and he flat out didn't want the ball when hes the one guy that should be floating to the open spots within the zone and letting it fly .
I just don't see the effort from him that you should be seeing from a 3rd year big ten player.You don't have to be able to do everything but just be ready and bale to do the things you can do .
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
It's too bad. I thought Lucas could be a very solid point guard going forward for the Illini considering how he came on in the second half of the season last year. He obviously has had a ton of trouble adjusting to Underwood. At least 50-50 he transfers at the end of the season.
I am extremely pessimistic about Illini sports, but this should ring true for almost everyone. Smith has had a hard time adjusting to the speed and skill of high-level college basketball, and I expect a big jump next season (truly, i really mean it).
If he continues to make boneheaded plays at the rate he does now, then I'd be very disappointed. The lackadaisical loft pass that turned into points the other way was just the perfect Illini way to respond to the other team embarrassing you on your home court.
Had an evening meeting so I DVR'd the game...almost thought about not watching when I got in my car and heard we were up at halftime...thought I could get ahead of some business dealings for tomorrow...but decided to sit down and watch. Cant imagine if I would have not watched then found out we lost afterwards. I wouldn't have believed it.
Not much to say...seems like the players are waiting for something negative to happen as much as the fans are. Unfortunately we are a flawed team, about 2 inches too short across the roster...not athletic enough, not long enough, not able to create our own shots, and we haven't responded very well to adversity.
I'd let Ebo take all the minutes he wants and have Black/Finke play exclusively at the 4. Leron is in foul trouble all the time anyway...then Ebo needs a quick rest, zone it up and have Finke, Black and maybe Kip play as bigs, depending on who is in foul trouble, and who is playing worth a crap.
But I'll take the one Juco kid who has a motor and rebounds everything, or Cunningham, or the dude from Mississippi State..or if there is some dude like Garza who is awkward but skilled and plays longer than he is and gets all jazzed up, I'll take that dude too. I went and looked at his bio on their roster and I guess he wasn't a stiff, he was a fringe 90-110 guy and DC area Gatorade player of the year and he's listed at 6-11.
I'm frustrated, but I've been a fan for 35 years and I'll be one for another 35, God willing. But no matter if we had high expectations or low ones, I'm sure the players felt they could make the tourney. Having a year slip away has to be excruciating when you only have 4 or less. I hope they figure something out, but I'll cheer them on regardless.
Not much to say...seems like the players are waiting for something negative to happen as much as the fans are. Unfortunately we are a flawed team, about 2 inches too short across the roster...not athletic enough, not long enough, not able to create our own shots, and we haven't responded very well to adversity.
I'd let Ebo take all the minutes he wants and have Black/Finke play exclusively at the 4. Leron is in foul trouble all the time anyway...then Ebo needs a quick rest, zone it up and have Finke, Black and maybe Kip play as bigs, depending on who is in foul trouble, and who is playing worth a crap.
But I'll take the one Juco kid who has a motor and rebounds everything, or Cunningham, or the dude from Mississippi State..or if there is some dude like Garza who is awkward but skilled and plays longer than he is and gets all jazzed up, I'll take that dude too. I went and looked at his bio on their roster and I guess he wasn't a stiff, he was a fringe 90-110 guy and DC area Gatorade player of the year and he's listed at 6-11.
I'm frustrated, but I've been a fan for 35 years and I'll be one for another 35, God willing. But no matter if we had high expectations or low ones, I'm sure the players felt they could make the tourney. Having a year slip away has to be excruciating when you only have 4 or less. I hope they figure something out, but I'll cheer them on regardless.
I thought so as well but his inability to shoot and his size gets exposed, especially in conference play when teams are really familiar with you. When guys are sagging 5 feet off of you, it make it REALLY tough to drive.