Maryland 66, Illinois 63 Postgame

#176      

IlliniTarHeel

IlliniTarHeel
Topsail, NC
IlliniTarHeel
This team can not handle succuss. We lost to Baylor because they are the better team but after that we have lost after looking really good.
Beat Duke- lose to Mizzu. Destroyed Minn- lose to Rutgers. NW second half- lose to Maryland. We have some freshman but with 2 seniors and a junior as the leaders this should not happen.
 
#177      

Goode-for-3

Goode-for-3
Goode-for-3
Elgin7680 said:
Coleman was playing well, was much better matchup to defend the 4 and we never see him again. What is up with that Brad?
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This is the most mind boggling thing to me. It was one thing when Brad didn't play Tevian or Alan as Freshmen because both would make silly defensive errors and then ride the pine. But Coleman looks ready to play, often better than Grandison. He came down with a rebound and scored, and then the next clock stop he was on the bench. I just don't understand it at all.
 
#178      

Goode-for-3

Goode-for-3
Goode-for-3
kyillinifan said:
Why didn’t DMW take some threes? He gave up the shot to drive. Need to see more of Hawkins. Kofi was getting mauled several times.
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Williams has been doing it all season. Unless he's 100% feeling it, he just wont shoot. I think he's way too much inside his own head. He needs to ignore the percentages and stats and just take open shots when they come to him. Stop looking to pass when you're wide open and just take the shot.
 
#179      

Ubermensch

Ubermensch
BOOM! Feed my ego.
Ubermensch
IlliniTarHeel said:
This team can not handle succuss. We lost to Baylor because they are the better team but after that we have lost after looking really good.
Beat Duke- lose to Mizzu. Destroyed Minn- lose to Rutgers. NW second half- lose to Maryland. We have some freshman but with 2 seniors and a junior as the leaders this should not happen.
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Welcome to the 2020-21 college basketball season. These ups and downs are happening to everyone not named Gonzaga or Baylor.
 
#181      

TheFameProtector

TheFameProtector
Champaign
TheFameProtector
We really struggle against lengthy defenders, and Maryland has a lot of them. Too few guys that can create their own offense (I always hold my breath when Damonte starts dribbling) and the space for our shooters dries up when defenses are able to recover so quickly. Too many times where Ayo is just stuck in 2nd gear. He just stood there and did nothing while Maryland hit that late 3, and then immediately gives the ball up to Belo. :sick: It doesn't look good when he forces it either, but it's just plain and simple that he can do things on the court other guys can't, and needs to take advantage wherever possible.

This team looks more and more like we thought it would -- we will go as far as Ayo and Kofi can take us. Our complimentary pieces can be a lot of help but rarely are we going anywhere if those two don't take us there. The 2nd half against NW underscored what that looks like when everything clicks -- this showed the opposite.

I'm fine with Belo struggling tonight. He's young and while it's painful, this gives Underwood a good reason to light his a** up in practice and give him material to learn from. If it weren't for the stupid :poop:, he really does look like Nash out there at times. That dime to Kofi was just unbelievable.

On the plus side, Miller seems to be slowly getting his groove back. He's still too loose at times, but man does he have a beautiful looking shot. He may be our X factor come March, if he can continue to improve as most highly touted freshmen do. I would love to see him improve off the dribble, but we need guys knocking down shots too off Belo and Ayo.

I expected a comedown from NW, but this was certainly disappointing. All you can do at this point is learn from it and move forward. Let's go do that.
 
#182      

TheFameProtector

TheFameProtector
Champaign
TheFameProtector
illiniCA said:
The defense was packed i on kofi and we did not adjust.
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Yeah, Kofi was dominant for 30 min but then the double- and triple-teams really got him out of his groove. His passing ability underscores how raw he still is.

We need Belo or Trent on the court to be able to break down defenses, since DMW and Miller are limited there, but I would like to at least get a look at a lineup with Ayo, Miller, DMW, Grandison or Hawkins, and Kofi. 4 shooters around Kofi to try to give him a bit more space to operate. If Belo and Trent are both having rough games, it's at least worth a shot.

Also, give us more Coleman!! I love that guy. So much more active than I would have anticipated for a freshman. He is going to be really good and I don't want to lose him in the transfer portal. I want to see him next to Kofi more often rather than being relegated to whatever minutes Giorgi gets.
 
#183      

Deleted member 747840

D
Guest
Deleted member 747840
This team has a few major deficiencies. And perhaps even the best coach wouldn't eliminate them all, but a lot of the struggles we've seen this year are on BU IMO.

Slow starts, poor FT shooting, wasted half court offensive possessions, hero ball, questionable playing time, etc. all rest pretty heavily on him. I still think we could make a run in the tournament, and the B1G too. We still have our best start to a B1G season since 05. The wheels are falling off, we just get to see how our negatives can outweigh our positives.

I'd like to think come bigger games, we play more up to the skill level we have. But there's no reason we shouldn't beat teams like Maryland, down there best player, by double digits.
 
#184      

DICKnaggie

DICKnaggie
Champaign
DICKnaggie
Goode-for-3 said:
This is the most mind boggling thing to me. It was one thing when Brad didn't play Tevian or Alan as Freshmen because both would make silly defensive errors and then ride the pine. But Coleman looks ready to play, often better than Grandison. He came down with a rebound and scored, and then the next clock stop he was on the bench. I just don't understand it at all.
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Ya, I don't get the playing time for Coleman who in limited minutes plays hard and plays smart. At the same time, Curbelo makes the same turnovers every game repeatedly and seems to have a pass (and yes I know he is amazing at times as well, but the last two games have been not so good). The matchups last night seemed really well suited for Coleman.
 
#185      

TheFameProtector

TheFameProtector
Champaign
TheFameProtector
Miles Leonard said:
You gotta hand it to Maryland. They came in and played at a high level. We simply did not execute down the stretch
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Exactly. We played terribly down the stretch, but a lot of the credit for that needs to go to MD. Their defense seemed to give us as much trouble as any we've seen, save for Kofi.
 
#186      

the juiceman cometh

T
the juiceman cometh
Ubermensch said:
Welcome to the 2020-21 college basketball season. These ups and downs are happening to everyone not named Gonzaga or Baylor.
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There's more to it than that. We are the only top ten team in Kenpom with more than 2 losses. We have 4. This is a highly talented team, but also a highly inconsistent team - moreso than other teams with similar talent levels.
 
#188      

Homecoming 2019

Homecoming 2019
Chicago
Homecoming 2019
Needed a loss like this to ground us a bit. Can't keep escaping games with wins where we aren't giving it 100% mentally. Losses like this really sting though with a B1G title on the line, and NCAA tourney not ever being a guarantee (covid reasons, not because we won't make it).
 
#189      

Emerson Bigguns

Emerson Bigguns
Emerson Bigguns
That was frustrating in many ways. Kudos to Maryland for staying together and continuing to fight for 40 minutes. They hit a lot of tough shots throughout the game.

Get the ball to the big guy. Early, often, and throughout. This shouldn't be hard to figure out. When the big man gets touches, everyone gets more room. Kofi needs to be better at passing out when the defense collapses, but in his defense they didn't give him many opportunities to do so late. He tore the hearts out of the Wildcats just a few days ago, apparently the rest of the team forgot...

I hate the mindset in close games that Ayo is just going to bail us out. This was a replay of the Rutgers game. They threw a lot of rangy athletes at Ayo and forced him left. He did not make an adjustment, and neither did the team. Just forced attempt after forced attempt. I'd rather see our worst player take a good shot than our best player take a bad shot.

In some of the biggest moments of his career, Michael Jordan passed the ball to the open man.
You don't have to make the shot to make the play. That's the next step for Ayo.
 
#190      

GallopingGhost

GallopingGhost
Denver, CO
GallopingGhost
Emerson Bigguns said:
That was frustrating in many ways. Kudos to Maryland for staying together and continuing to fight for 40 minutes. They hit a lot of tough shots throughout the game.

Get the ball to the big guy. Early, often, and throughout. This shouldn't be hard to figure out. When the big man gets touches, everyone gets more room. Kofi needs to be better at passing out when the defense collapses, but in his defense they didn't give him many opportunities to do so late. He tore the hearts out of the Wildcats just a few days ago, apparently the rest of the team forgot...

I hate the mindset in close games that Ayo is just going to bail us out. This was a replay of the Rutgers game. They threw a lot of rangy athletes at Ayo and forced him left. He did not make an adjustment, and neither did the team. Just forced attempt after forced attempt. I'd rather see our worst player take a good shot than our best player take a bad shot.

In some of the biggest moments of his career, Michael Jordan passed the ball to the open man.
You don't have to make the shot to make the play. That's the next step for Ayo.
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Though he did pass the ball to Belo on the second to last possession and that didn’t end up well..
 
#191      

Chillinini

C
Chillinini
This is just me thinking out loud and using my non basketball IQ.

Would love to see a mashup in the lineup where they have Kofi, Georgi and Coleman out in front and maybe Ayo and Belo/Frazier/DMW in back. Georgi utilizes his passing, Coleman can stretch out, Belo or Frazier can penetrate and dish. Just so many variations and sets you can cycle thru that would confuse the defense.
 
#192      

Orange Wave

O
Orange Wave
Goode-for-3 said:
This is the most mind boggling thing to me. It was one thing when Brad didn't play Tevian or Alan as Freshmen because both would make silly defensive errors and then ride the pine. But Coleman looks ready to play, often better than Grandison. He came down with a rebound and scored, and then the next clock stop he was on the bench. I just don't understand it at all.
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I'm with you. What really gets me is it clearly is an advantage having his size and athletsism out there. Maybe not play 4 guards all the time?
 
#193      

rtbritt

rtbritt
rtbritt
Chillinini said:
This is just me thinking out loud and using my non basketball IQ.

Would love to see a mashup in the lineup where they have Kofi, Georgi and Coleman out in front and maybe Ayo and Belo/Frazier/DMW in back. Georgi utilizes his passing, Coleman can stretch out, Belo or Frazier can penetrate and dish. Just so many variations and sets you can cycle thru that would confuse the defense.
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Ehh.. The game has gone smaller, not bigger. Hawkins isn't a 3; Giorgi isn't a 4.
 
#194      

FromTheLogo

F
FromTheLogo
illini80 said:
I don’t think it’s effort or ability. It’s focus. We play hard but there is a huge difference when we are locked in and focused. It’s up to the team leaders to take charge of that and correct it. BU said the practices weren’t good. That’s focus. It’s mental. I love this team and the talent we have. Let’s hope the leadership is there to create the toughness and focus we had at the end of last year.
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I agree. Giorgi's breakdown on the side line is evidence. The ball popping out of Ayo's hand resulting in a TO is evidence. Not feeding the most dominant player on the night in the final 10 minutes is evidence. Focus is the issue.
 
#195      

Ubermensch

Ubermensch
BOOM! Feed my ego.
Ubermensch
1 or 2 threes drop in and we're not having this discussion. Sometimes you play bad. It would be all about "Our guys didn't play great but still gutted it out and found a way to win. That's the sign of a great team."

We played poorly. What's that mean? We didn't make shots. It happens.
 
#196      

Fr8trn16

F
Fr8trn16
CogDog said:
Spot on. We struggle against length.
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That's what Illinois has been needing and lacking since seems like Brian Randle. A long athletic player and players who can attack the rim relentlessly. Slashers. Curbelo puts pressure on the rim, but he small and we don't have players that cut to the rim when he does that can finish over taller players and draw fouls. Trent is a good player but he's very limited and really can only shoot off the spot up mostly. He really can't create his own shot very often. Or attack the rim. DaMonte is the same way. Adam Miller hasn't shown the ability yet but he can buy he's got to learn how to against the talented taller players in this level. We need length and athleticism and slashing rim attacking ability!
 
#198      

Deleted member 747903

D
Guest
Deleted member 747903
Fr8trn16 said:
That's what Illinois has been needing and lacking since seems like Brian Randle. A long athletic player and players who can attack the rim relentlessly. Slashers. Curbelo puts pressure on the rim, but he small and we don't have players that cut to the rim when he does that can finish over taller players and draw fouls. Trent is a good player but he's very limited and really can only shoot off the spot up mostly. He really can't create his own shot very often. Or attack the rim. DaMonte is the same way. Adam Miller hasn't shown the ability yet but he can buy he's got to learn how to against the talented taller players in this level. We need length and athleticism and slashing rim attacking ability!
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What annoys me is that we are the only team in the top half of the B10 that doesn't have such a player.
 
#199      

dish3

D
Seattle
dish3
To be fair, I also thought the refs were blessing us some home-court benefit of the doubt, particularly in the 1st half. Not super unusual in Big10 play but an additional concern that we need to meaningfully improve to win tough games down the stretch on neutral/away courts.
 
#200      

fulton steamer

F
fulton steamer
FromTheLogo said:
I agree. Giorgi's breakdown on the side line is evidence. The ball popping out of Ayo's hand resulting in a TO is evidence. Not feeding the most dominant player on the night in the final 10 minutes is evidence. Focus is the issue.
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Absolutely correct. And there is nothing more difficult to maintain than focus. AND there is nothing more difficult to install in players than focus. The great coaches can do that. Not that I don't think BU is a great coach; I do. But every player struggles with maintaining focus and every player may need to be managed differently in that regard.