MrOizo
- Chicago
I agree, I'm increasingly calm. Not even slightly depressed. Good for my wife and kids, bad for Illinois. I am no longer obsessed, it's just a part time more and more.
Michigan 78, Illinois 68 POSTGAME
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Tom Izzo, who's a great coach, coaching an undefeated team just got blown out by Iowa because they're missing one player.
We played this game without 5 of our top 8 players. What were you expecting to happen?
The sky is falling!!! Everyone look out!!!!!
I've never been a huge fan of Groce, but the truth is that we don't have enough talent right now to compete against good teams with good players and a good coach.
We have 3 healthy good players (Hill, Nunn, Finke) 3 injured good players (Abrams, Thorne, Black) 1 one dimensional shooter/no D true freshman (JCL) 4 role players that are having to play too many minutes because of the 3 injured starters that are out, (Tate, Morgan, Lewis, Austin) and 2 true freshmen that are not mentally or physically ready to compete in the BIG (AJ & DJW)
I am not saying that Groce is on the same level as Beiein, Izzo, Painter or Matta, but I don't know how many coaches would succeed with this roster as it currently stands. If Abrams and Thorne and Black were healthy, this team would have more good players playing minutes which would limit the minutes of all 3 true freshman and all 4 role players (make it three since Lewis would not be here if Abrams were healthy)
You can call those excuses but you could also call those facts.
I am holding out hope that Black returns at some point this month and helps us on the boards and with overall toughness. The team could really use him.
I've never been a huge fan of Groce, but the truth is that we don't have enough talent right now to compete against good teams with good players and a good coach.
We have 3 healthy good players (Hill, Nunn, Finke) 3 injured good players (Abrams, Thorne, Black) 1 one dimensional shooter/no D true freshman (JCL) 4 role players that are having to play too many minutes because of the 3 injured starters that are out, (Tate, Morgan, Lewis, Austin) and 2 true freshmen that are not mentally or physically ready to compete in the BIG (AJ & DJW)
I am not saying that Groce is on the same level as Beiein, Izzo, Painter or Matta, but I don't know how many coaches would succeed with this roster as it currently stands. If Abrams and Thorne and Black were healthy, this team would have more good players playing minutes which would limit the minutes of all 3 true freshman and all 4 role players (make it three since Lewis would not be here if Abrams were healthy)
You can call those excuses but you could also call those facts.
I am holding out hope that Black returns at some point this month and helps us on the boards and with overall toughness. The team could really use him.
8 wins would be miraculous IMO. We suck at PG and we're going to get beat up by about every team at the PF/C spots.
Case closed
I imagine this will be a recurring pattern the entire season.
With weak rebounding, I would predict that any time our 3 point shooting is worse that the opposition we will lose.
Did you even read my post?
Apples and Oranges. MSU is still a quality team and lost to another talented team on the road. We just plain stink. If you objectively look at this team and staff we might be right there with Rutgers as the worst program in the Big10. YES, NU and PSU have a much better outlook than we do right now.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
How well do you think MSU would play if you took another 4 of their top 8 players out? Still think they'd be pretty good?
Your missing the point. This year is a wash. We all admit that injuries have ravaged this team but the outlook of this team going into next year isn't great. JG hasn't recruited well enough at key positions and that's left this team very one dimensional.
Just like Dakich alluded, I really believe Michigan will end up a top tier team in B10. We played well in first half but faded even though our preferred shooters were taking shots. Kudos to JCL and KN for keeping it somewhat close. I would have felt better with the loss if the refs weren't whistle happy on us and ignoring contact from Michigan and if we were more aggressive to loose balls and rebounds in 2d half.
I'll continue to maintain low expectations this year given the cards we are dealt and looking forward to our freshmen gaining great experience that will serve us well in the future.
I'll continue to maintain low expectations this year given the cards we are dealt and looking forward to our freshmen gaining great experience that will serve us well in the future.
I'm still excited to see how these freshman grow. But right now there are too many mistakes from them. Can't wait until next year.
dsboyce
- Golden, IL
Our strategy for the season has been set and it is obvious: Shoot threes and if we make a bunch we win and if we don't, well, we weren't going to win because of our injuries anyway.
If you look at the stats for the game, the two teams weren't very different. They made one more 3 than we did, but we evened that out by making three more free throws than they did. So where did they get the 10 point difference? Points in the paint: Michigan 38 Illinois 24.
Michigan scored almost half their points inside and we scored a little more than a third of ours. And remember what Dakich said before the game? "Neither team really has an inside game." Well, Michigan figured it out and found one when we wouldn't guard the lane. Unfortunately we very rarely tried going there. Because that's not our strategy.
Exactly who did you want us to go inside to?
MrOizo
- Chicago
I'm sure you're right. Painful to write off a year in college bball. We haven't been asked to do this since, what 1998/99? And BTW, that one ended well with the improbable and fun BTT run.
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Too soon to tell. If Black gets healthy and comes back that might give us some lift. If Thorne can make it back by the 2nd half of Feb (not likely) that might give us a chance for a late push. Just have to let it play out.
Everything is cyclical, we are going through an injury/bad luck period that Groce has not been to stop. For those who say Groce has not recruited a quality center, how would this team look if Thorne, Paul, and Black were playing along with Finke and Morgan. This was the plan going into the season. There is no excuse for not landing a PG though, although having Abrams would of helped. I believe Groce has to make coaching changes, a better recruiter and better asst. bench coach. The part that does bother me is what someone else eluded too, the team chemistry. His first Illini team came out firing on all cylinders almost beat a very good Miami team. Since then it seems like they have underachieved. He will have the 2016-17 to right the ship IMHO opinion. If recruiting and wins don't increase I believe the time will be to look elsewhere. I hope he does right the ship.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
That's a well thought out answer. Thanks for that.
Illinois88
- United States
I just wish Abrams was healthy. Two seasons in a row ... If only ...
The performance of this team might look very different.
The performance of this team might look very different.
Groce can do nothing about the injuries but he can work on making the team tougher. I think they're soft.
Regardless, it's AA s fault we lost....there I feel better
If JG had only played AA more, we'd have won for sure. JG should be fired for not using AA more, or something.
RichBradIllini
- Peoria
I disagree on this. What's not to like about next year? IF Thorne is back and everyone is healthy I'd say we're a top 5-6 B1G team. Granted that's not setting the world on fire but we'll have talent coming back.
+1. Been my concern for a year and a half. Will be why he's fired if that happens. Our PG ànd C play is among the weakest in the league.
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I only watched the second half today. But, I think there have been some adjustments made at least offensively. I saw them pass the ball inside a couple of times, and I saw a couple of attempted back door cuts. These plays did not work, but at least there was some occasional variation from the Nunn/Hill 1-on-1 show.
Defensively, we're terrible. The effort is poor, and even when there is effort, we lack ability. It's hard to see how it gets any better in the immediate future. Because we can't defend the ball, we can't chase guys out on the 3-point line or they'll get to the rim, where we lack interior rotations.
I'll watch the games this year, but to echo what others have said, I'm completely checked out emotionally. I have been since last year's team mailed it in.
Lastly, that 98 team was far better to watch. There was promise. We had only two upperclassmen on that team - Cleotis Brown and Victor Chukwudebe. And we were coming off a Conference Championship, not a meltdown. And we had Frankie coming in. The situations are not even remotely comparable.
Defensively, we're terrible. The effort is poor, and even when there is effort, we lack ability. It's hard to see how it gets any better in the immediate future. Because we can't defend the ball, we can't chase guys out on the 3-point line or they'll get to the rim, where we lack interior rotations.
I'll watch the games this year, but to echo what others have said, I'm completely checked out emotionally. I have been since last year's team mailed it in.
Lastly, that 98 team was far better to watch. There was promise. We had only two upperclassmen on that team - Cleotis Brown and Victor Chukwudebe. And we were coming off a Conference Championship, not a meltdown. And we had Frankie coming in. The situations are not even remotely comparable.
MrOizo
- Chicago
Honestly, for me a lot hinges on recruiting 2017. Monster class, get the guys we should have a good shot with and you get us positive again. If Frankie's son spurns us along with the other big options, we are all focusing on what Groce isn't. Recruiting hasn't gone great and Groce isn't the kind of incredible coach that can survive underwhelming recruiting classes. He screamed "solid coach, strong recruiter" coming in. We need to see it this class. It seems to set up well for us.