Yep, the stretch where we were up 4 and three straight trips we failed to score while they rattlled off 5 straight to take the lead. We did not have the killer instinct last night. We will learn from this and we will be better
Michigan State 85, Illinois 82 OT Postgame
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The Illini had the lead very late in the game and gave up a very wide three-pointer, even with all the obstacles they faced.
This is a very good team and will be even better when Boswell gets healthy.
Hold home court next two games and hopefully, he'll be available for the West Coast swing.
I absolutely loathe Izzy and Fears and hope we play them in the Big10 tournament. Illinois is the last team they want to meet again especially with Bam next time. We learned a lot from that game and will be motivated and ready much like the Nebraska game.
We have been basically living with heavy minutes for 7 guys and it finally took its toll last night. It’s ok, UConn and Duke lost tough away games and they aren’t sweating a bit. Winning 2 of the 3 tough road games is better than the alternative.
To get over the big hump, Underwood has to be a better in-game strategist. Call it what you want to call it, the game was lost in the margins. Wagler needed to be benched or at the very least told to stop shooting the ball. Not his night, it's OK. Pass the the damn ball to the open man.
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
Anyone playing MSU should just bring their biggest end of the bench guy on early and foul Fears HARD. If the officials won’t deal with it, then the players will.
apologies if something similar to the following has been posted. Prior to the game I did a quick check on our B10 3 point shooting.
Keaton was at 46.7 and the rest of the team was 33.5.
With Mirk at 38, Z at 36 and Jake at 41.
If Keaton isn't hitting his 3's we look very similar to 24-25 and 22-23 teams shooting 3's.
but even with these numbers we are 11-2 overall in conference and were in it to the end last night despite the terrible shooting and playing one of the best defense teams in the nation (which has been a knock on us by some talking heads).
Jake is a great 3 point shooter but he's not a starter on a big ten contender. I think his extra mins and the pressure have hurt his shooting (but for those 2 FT's with ice in his veins) which is one of several reasons getting Kylan getting back is so crucial. Less mins will help Jake out. Kylan's D may not have stopped Fears entirely but he would have been forced to give it up more often down the stretch and OT.
They played 10 players. We played 8 including Lee's seconds. Our boys need to get some rest. Logging a lot of mins.
don't see us getting lot of rest over the next 5 games but should over the last 2 heading into tournament(s) play.
Keaton was at 46.7 and the rest of the team was 33.5.
With Mirk at 38, Z at 36 and Jake at 41.
If Keaton isn't hitting his 3's we look very similar to 24-25 and 22-23 teams shooting 3's.
but even with these numbers we are 11-2 overall in conference and were in it to the end last night despite the terrible shooting and playing one of the best defense teams in the nation (which has been a knock on us by some talking heads).
Jake is a great 3 point shooter but he's not a starter on a big ten contender. I think his extra mins and the pressure have hurt his shooting (but for those 2 FT's with ice in his veins) which is one of several reasons getting Kylan getting back is so crucial. Less mins will help Jake out. Kylan's D may not have stopped Fears entirely but he would have been forced to give it up more often down the stretch and OT.
They played 10 players. We played 8 including Lee's seconds. Our boys need to get some rest. Logging a lot of mins.
don't see us getting lot of rest over the next 5 games but should over the last 2 heading into tournament(s) play.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
My biggest takeaway from this game is nobody got hurt. That was in my mind the biggest goal from this game. In that sense, mission accomplished.
I didn't say it wasn't. I said MSU has peaked under Izzo. His best days are behind him.
From 2009 to 2019 they went to 4 Final Fours, 7 second weekends, and finished in the AP Top 5 four times.
Since 2020, they've been to two second weekends and have finished the season unranked four of the last five years.
Pretty clear his program isn't as dominant as it was a decade ago.
A few random thoughts:
--Fears is really good...and really dirty. Both can be true. The trip on Mirk was not only intentional, it is one of his go-to moves. Until the B1G steps in, it will continue.
--When the Patriots upset the Rams in 2002, the way they stopped the Rams' offense was to grab Faulk every time he tried to go out of the backfield to run a pass route. The officials called it a couple times, but swallowed their flags another 20 or so times. The Patriots knew that the officials would not turn the Super Bowl into a flag fest. What MSU did on defense last night followed the same strategy on a basketball court. Wagler got hit on virtually every drive. They called a few, but looked the other way on many more. Fears got a much more favorable whistle against a team that is coached not to foul. The fact that the number of fouls called was pretty even is really misleading when one compares the level of contact.
--This the game where Boswell was missed the most. He will elevate this team when he returns and gets the rust off.
--Disappointed that a big opportunity playing with house money got away in the final minute...but this game may have prepared the Illini for a deep tourney run more than any other game. Wagler was off his normal game. Shots didn't fall. Very physical game. The refs played an outsized role in the outcome. Hostile crowd. Against a team that, while not as talented as the Illini, physically matched up with them about as well as any team. Yet they hung in until the end.
--Fears is really good...and really dirty. Both can be true. The trip on Mirk was not only intentional, it is one of his go-to moves. Until the B1G steps in, it will continue.
--When the Patriots upset the Rams in 2002, the way they stopped the Rams' offense was to grab Faulk every time he tried to go out of the backfield to run a pass route. The officials called it a couple times, but swallowed their flags another 20 or so times. The Patriots knew that the officials would not turn the Super Bowl into a flag fest. What MSU did on defense last night followed the same strategy on a basketball court. Wagler got hit on virtually every drive. They called a few, but looked the other way on many more. Fears got a much more favorable whistle against a team that is coached not to foul. The fact that the number of fouls called was pretty even is really misleading when one compares the level of contact.
--This the game where Boswell was missed the most. He will elevate this team when he returns and gets the rust off.
--Disappointed that a big opportunity playing with house money got away in the final minute...but this game may have prepared the Illini for a deep tourney run more than any other game. Wagler was off his normal game. Shots didn't fall. Very physical game. The refs played an outsized role in the outcome. Hostile crowd. Against a team that, while not as talented as the Illini, physically matched up with them about as well as any team. Yet they hung in until the end.
Think your numbers were slightly off if you were looking prior to the game:
Keaton 39-82 (.476)
Mirkovic 22-50 (.440)
Jake 20-51 (.392)
Ben 15-46 (.326)
Z.Ivisic 11-31 (.355)
Tomi 19-60 (.317)
Andrej 7-34 (.206)
After last night's game:
Keaton 41-90 (.456)
Mirkovic 23-55 (.418)
Jake 21-56 (.375)
Ben 17-50 (.340)
Z.Ivisic 12-37 (.324)
Tomi 21-66 (.318)
Andrej 8-36 (.222)
Team is at .360 in conference play, which is obviously bolstered by the top 3 guys there
The bigten.org website has a stats page where you can easily filter for B1G games only by team: https://bigten.org/mbb/stats/?split=conf&teamValue=Illinois
True…. a poor night shooting and losing the battle on the glass was our down fall … a little better on either or both we win. Brought our c-/c+ game and were pretty even. Our B game would be a 8-10 pt win.
We are a much better team than MSU but not every night!
Credit to MSU… they played hard and won the glass and pushed fast transition. That is their game… they did it well. I do not like that team btw
Shooting aside - we need AI to replace these refs ASAP. It’s 2026 - train an AI model on what’s a good / bad call with tape and implement. Have a human just in case. We have these idiot officials that want to make a name for themselves and are paid off across the country. Enough is enough - everyone sees this crap. Happens in all sports but NFL and college is pathetic. Izzo is also trash
Now that's the spirit!
MadtownIllin
- Madison, WI
Did anyone else notice that almost every time their bigs rolled down to seal our bigs for Fears'drives, they would wrap their arms around the backs of our guys to hold them? Never called...
UCLA and USC on the road might not be a pushover and Wiscy and IU at home won’t be easy
IF a team defends the three well… we lose. MSU was playing tight at all 5 positions around the three, not once, I will repeat, not once, let me say it again, not once, if you didn’t hear me, not once… did we flash into the paint and try to run a back door cut that Bobby Knight would have gotten tons of layups against us on.
That's what I was saying in my original post-game post. He gets a lead blocker every trip! It's not like he's that phenomenal of a ball handler or quick to get into the lane so easy. They're going to be toast on the tourney when non-B1G refs see that.
You can't just look at the stats and say oh well the fouls are even so the officiating wasn't really a factor. Michigan State should have been called for about 40 fouls and us around 12. That's how bad the officiating was.
What did that accomplish for Dusty and his team? Might be satisfying for fans to have that done in the open but the most effective way is to do that privately with the conference. And if there’s anything he wants to say personally to Tom same thing. Personally I’m glad that we have a smart, strategic and emotionally intelligent coach.
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