Michigan State 79, Illinois 54 POSTGAME
It was a moral victory. The guys didn't quit and no one was crying :thumb:
Hey, we played them even in the second half!!! But seriously, they were over matched but keep competing. I respect that.
Hopefully Nunn is a new father with a healthy child.
Considering they played more second string in the 2nd half, and outside of Malcolm our whole team is second string I'd say that's a positive.
And hopefully Nunn will be in the line-up against Purdue.
1. Earlier today on hearing that the line was MSU by 13.5, I remarked "that is a big number." I would like to clarify my remark at this time. The full remark should have been, "That is a big number, but not nearly big enough."
2. I would also like to note that my favorite quote from Xerxes the Great of Persia is "I just hate the Spartans."
3. Another interesting note is that Xerxes faced 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, which is coincidentally the same number we faced on the court in East Lansing, or at least so it seemed.
4. Mav had a nice effort in this game. He has limitations, but he is becoming a legitimate contributor on the offensive end. He has improved.
5. Khalid Lewis had a very nice effort in the first half, and actually kept us in the game for a while. Not bad for a young man coming off a serious bout with the mumps.
6. Obviously not having Nunn hurt us, but I don't know why that excuses our inability to play even a semblance of a defense during much of the game. MSU is good, but they are not that good.
7. It probably wouldn't have made any difference in this game, but Malcolm does need to understand that there are times when we need him to play without fouling. Without Nunn, having Malcolm limited by fouls for much of the game was a disaster.
8. A few years back several Illini fan "experts" were making pronouncements about how the game was passing Izzo by. I can only ask, "What were you thinking? What the Hell were you thinking?"
9. Well, there is nothing left to do but come home and get ready to play Purdue. The coaches have a tough challenge to get these young men ready to play. You know the players have to be down after this game.
2. I would also like to note that my favorite quote from Xerxes the Great of Persia is "I just hate the Spartans."
3. Another interesting note is that Xerxes faced 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, which is coincidentally the same number we faced on the court in East Lansing, or at least so it seemed.
4. Mav had a nice effort in this game. He has limitations, but he is becoming a legitimate contributor on the offensive end. He has improved.
5. Khalid Lewis had a very nice effort in the first half, and actually kept us in the game for a while. Not bad for a young man coming off a serious bout with the mumps.
6. Obviously not having Nunn hurt us, but I don't know why that excuses our inability to play even a semblance of a defense during much of the game. MSU is good, but they are not that good.
7. It probably wouldn't have made any difference in this game, but Malcolm does need to understand that there are times when we need him to play without fouling. Without Nunn, having Malcolm limited by fouls for much of the game was a disaster.
8. A few years back several Illini fan "experts" were making pronouncements about how the game was passing Izzo by. I can only ask, "What were you thinking? What the Hell were you thinking?"
9. Well, there is nothing left to do but come home and get ready to play Purdue. The coaches have a tough challenge to get these young men ready to play. You know the players have to be down after this game.
Izzo just said we were missing a good player.....ummmm how about 4....or 5...
Agreed. After getting rattled in the first half, I truly liked the effort in the game.
6 lbs? Lucky mom lol.
Congrats Ken
Congrats Ken
BillyBob1
- Champaign
How does a school fly their team from Iowa to Dallas to go to their football teams bowl game. Hang around for an extra day and go to an NBA game and then fly them to Minnesota to play their next basketball game? Wouldn't some of this, especially trip to bowl game, be considered an extra benefit?
I'm going to use my well honed powers of self delusion and pretend this never happened. "We had that weird season in '15 - '16, where we only played 17 BIG games for some reason." Yeah, that will work.
Honestly, pretty easy to write off a game like this when you add up all we had going against us. Next?
Honestly, pretty easy to write off a game like this when you add up all we had going against us. Next?
Great news. Congrats Kendrick!
Freshmen got alot of tick.
We would have still lost, but KN s absence was glaring and his value and toughness can't be overstated, IMO.
I think he has scouted and seen us play multiple times. I will trust his count.
FinalFour88
- Charlotte, NC
Jim Calhoun is an awful color commentator. That's all I took from this game.
Yeah, he adds such energy to the team. Remember his first game back vs UAB? Huge immediate difference in the energy level of the entire team.
I want Calhoun and Homer Drew for a game.
I didn't think he was too bad when I could understand him