Nebraska 83, Illinois 80 Postgame

Status
Not open for further replies.
#426      
ILL-Intentions
it sure doesn’t seem a coincidence there are so many career nights against us.

A few other notes, I thought Drej was just getting going and taking over and he gets taken out for a break. Iirc it was around the 8 minute mark. I’m sure it was to get a breather for the home stretch but seems like poor timing.

We went from a spectacular FT performance to a terrible one. These things win or lose you games. Facing tougher opponents, the focus shows through. Then of course a lot of other gripes that have mostly been hashed out here. A lot to figure out still.
 
#428      
EmeraldCityIllini
Second place is 1st loser said:
Bingo. It's the same fans, who have nothing else to bring to the table from a technical game standpoint, that fall back on lazy comments. There is a reason why Mirkovic's a$$ was on the bench and deservedly so. Tomi should have been right with him. Playing solid team defense for 30 seconds, just the have one player get broken down is not on the coach.

If I was to criticize Brad of anything, it's his obsession with the Euro/international game. It works if you have NBA caliber shooters, but if you don't, you're stuck with a roster that lacks explosiveness and athleticism, which is why we're having the issues on both ends.

Nebraska played today how Brad wants us to play. He wants all five guys being able to shoot the perimeter jumper. Right now, Nebraska is on a hot streak. We did the same year when we went on the road and blitzed Oregon and Indiana because we were unconscious from three. It's unsustainable, but in the NIL arena....it's inexpensive.
Click to expand...

1000%

The constant screaming about “outcoached” doesn’t annoy me because I think Brad is without critique, it’s that I think it’s the totally wrong thing to focus on.

We get NOTHING in transition. I’m not saying it’s required to have TSJ every year, but my lord, can we produce some easy ones?

The defense under Brad is what is, and the years you hover in the top 20 range on that end, the identity is such the offense will have you truly contending - no matter how much we complain about iso ball/3’s, the offense is good
 
Last edited:
#429      
Second place is 1st loser
Indy Illini Fan said:
Fact of the matter is this … I don’t see ANY EDGs on that court anymore …

Until that changes … These frustrating losses and getting bounced before the 2nd weekend will continue to happen …

Who’s the leader on this team ??? I don’t see anyone stepping up …
Click to expand...
I don't think that we can find EDG caliber players in Europe. The whole theory behind the EDG term was having a team of guys who are all over the floor, swarming, they'll hit the floor, get floor burns, willing to get nasty and will bust you in the mouth before they let up back to back hoops. Those were the days where Brad would get irate at his guys and light them up on the sidelines prior to them sitting out. I loved that style and I loved the insane Brad on the sideline. Kids like Epps didn't like it, transferred, then the fans didn't like it. So, we got the nicer Brad and my now fans want him to go back to being fiery.

Outside of Boswell, who remotely fits that category? I'm just not a fan of our style or identity. We have a finesse bunch(European players) and to expect kids who have grown up relying on size and skill to all of a sudden get an nasty edge to them just isn't rational. I think/hope, this will be the last time we go that route.

All that said, as we found out the last two years, our NIL money doesn't stretch as far as we thought it did, so we have to glue pieces together. Could you imagine what TSJ would have been worth in today's market?
 
#431      
BalloonsTheElephant
Ever go to Costco and get a sample and think, "Man, that's really good, I will buy this huge bag!" Then you get home and they are just ok after the first few?

I feel like Brad got a KJ and Tomi sample last year and bought a big bag of Euros. They are basically the equivalent to a big bag of cheetos puffs. A few are great but too many makes you soft.
 
#432      
Thaillini22
Second place is 1st loser said:
I don't think that we can find EDG caliber players in Europe. The whole theory behind the EDG term was having a team of guys who are all over the floor, swarming, they'll hit the floor, get floor burns, willing to get nasty and will bust you in the mouth before they let up back to back hoops. Those were the days where Brad would get irate at his guys and light them up on the sidelines prior to them sitting out. I loved that style and I loved the insane Brad on the sideline. Kids like Epps didn't like it, transferred, then the fans didn't like it. So, we got the nicer Brad and my now fans want him to go back to being fiery.

Outside of Boswell, who remotely fits that category? I'm just not a fan of our style or identity. We have a finesse bunch(European players) and to expect kids who have grown up relying on size and skill to all of a sudden get an nasty edge to them just isn't rational. I think/hope, this will be the last time we go that route.

All that said, as we found out the last two years, our NIL money doesn't stretch as far as we thought it did, so we have to glue pieces together. Could you imagine what TSJ would have been worth in today's market?
Click to expand...
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with what you're saying, but it is a bit of a generalization. I don't think it is a stylistic issue. I mean, it is possible to be a "finesse" player and also get pissed off and scratch and claw on defense. I'm sure we can think of both Euros and Americans who would fit that description.
 
#436      
derrick6
Second place is 1st loser said:
I thought it was Hamer's fault?
Click to expand...
Appalling we suffered through reading the blame put on him.

There is a philosophical issue with this defense!

Also, the lack of rebounding comes from a lack of desire and toughness that isn’t being instilled in this team.

Bring out the football pads like Izzo!

Brad is very slow at adjusting philosophies, which is why we deal with these types of losses. Consistently.
 
#437      
WhereDoWeStandWithStorr?
Relax, if that last three didn’t go we win in OT, just like the last time they played here. They just made every shot.

It’s an off the dribble, desperation shot with 1sec. Fairly contested. I’m not sure there’s a ton of blame on Keaton there.
 
#439      
Second place is 1st loser
21ChampaignSt said:
I don't know about that. But I have wondered if our defensive woes are at least partly due to prioritizing skilled offensive guys who aren't known for defense and then thinking we can just coach them up for 8 weeks over the summer and turn them into elite defenders. We need to recruit guys who take pride in that end of the court.

We actually played a solid offensive game tonight but with how we play defense, our offense needs to be almost perfect to beat decent teams. IMO, it's a recipe for volatility.
Click to expand...
BINGO!!!!!

WINNER!!!!

POTD!!!!!!

This is 1000000000% what it is. We have a lot of skill and height, which is fun to watch, but we have no intangibles, no speed, no quickness, no explosiveness, no grittiness and no nastiness. You either have to cultivate those guys as freshmen and have them grow in your system (MSU) or you go out and pay for it and our NIL funds are that of a top 15 - 20 program, and low and behold.....here we are.
 
#440      
CleverHandle1
FloridaMan said:
When you post out numerous times that "nobody will work harder or play harder than us" and then regularly - meaning that it has happened multiple times and become habitual in the last two years - get outworked and out hustled by less talented teams (on paper) it is not a good look. And that is what we have seen. It's one thing to lose a well contested game. But we did not CONTEST much today.

Unexpected losses - especially those on our home court when we have been fairly heavy favorites - in large part are the reason for lower seeds and early exits in the tournament. Looking more and more like a repeat of that result this year.
Click to expand...
Just tired of hearing and reading about ceilings, being elite, fanbase accepting horrible losses, staff ok with allowing players to torch you, blah, blah.

It's ironic that your supposedly best three- point shooter does not shoot three pointers anymore because he can't make them, but he's in there because he plays great defense. Not sure how great, but this is where the Illini are at.
 
#441      
Second place is 1st loser
zentrails said:
Mirk, just not today
Click to expand...
He is just so slow and clumsy when he gets the ball or when defending outside the paint. His lateral quickness is a problem, as is his explosiveness. He's most effective on the perimeter and is damn hard to stop.....when hitting the three.

I don't see him as someone who will tear your throat out to get to the ball first.
 
#442      
the juiceman cometh
zentrails said:
He was gassed and asked to come out. Can't blame EVERYTHING on Brad
Click to expand...
This board tonight:
1000018393.gif
 
#443      
CleverHandle1
Indy Illini Fan said:
Nobody’s punishing anybody … Facts are this … 1 second weekend since 2017 …

That’s unacceptable at elite level programs … And hey if we wanna be a good program, maybe 1 second weekend since 2017 is acceptable …

Maybe losing to Nebraska at home is acceptable for good teams …

I don’t wanna be f’ing good … I want to be ELITE … And both of those things are UNACCEPTABLE in ELITE programs …
Click to expand...
+10! When the fanbase and admin accepts mediocrity, there's no incentive to be elite.
 
#444      
Todd99
I haven’t read through this whole thread. I’ve read enough to know we have the usual sides after a loss. We have the ‘doom and gloom’ side and we have the ‘we’ll be okay let’s move on crowd’. For the record I’m somewhere in between.

My question is; if Nebraska misses that last shot and we go to OT do we pull out a win? I think I’m 50/50, I really don’t know.
 
#445      
BatteredWifeSchwartz
People in here talking about this teams toughness as if we didn’t play one of if not the most physical team in the country and took it to them 🤣

It’s freaking December. Let’s just take a breath and see how this team develops over the next 2.5 months. Nobody remembers how a team plays in the Fall. It’s all about March.
 
#446      
Fly Illini Fly!
Indy Illini Fan said:
Wherever this team eats …

Getting to the point where I feel we may never get to witness this greatness again …

When people come into our house, I want them to be afraid that it’s gonna be a brawl … And with this team and last years team too, I don’t feel it … We ain’t got no toughness … No Dawgs … No EDGs …

View attachment 45704
Click to expand...
TBH, putting up 39 minutes, 23&5 in your first B10 game as a 18 y/o freshman… and then following it up with 40 minutes, 19&10 four days later… 79 minutes back to back games… sounds like an EDG to me 🤷‍♀️.

I’m not trying to override a freshman as we did it with KJ last year, but without Wagler we aren’t winning OSU and this is a near blowout. Andrej also had 19&10. Kylan had 20.

I really think we’ll have the advantage in most, if not all games in the backcourt. The problem is our bigs are way too easily beat on D, and inconsistent as a whole. An athletic, fierce PF/C (think Morez prototype) would do wonders for this team right now, IMO.
 
Last edited:
#447      
derrick6
I called the over the top European recruiting LAZY back when it was unfolding and still feel that way. Need a balanced team that isn’t easily exploited due to a collective fault, imo.
 
#448      
PROCK
Settle in guys, another one of those Brad's teams that will play great once in a while and get you excited, but we know they are easy to dissect/out-coach, don't have the toughness/athleticism to hang with the big boys, and just don't have the "it" factor. Our ceiling perennially is the 2nd round and if we're lucky the Sweet 16. And it sucks but I'm just getting used to that being our reality. I try and enjoy the season knowing I just can't have these lofty expectations until we start big boy recruiting (and no, Euro's are NOT the complete answer)
 
#449      
Mistakenj
Better win one we shouldn’t now….Im about to give up on this team. Slow unathletic defense is not what I signed up for and I’m sick that this team is getting passed by friggin’ Nebraska
 
#450      
abchew2
EmeraldCityIllini said:
1000%

The constant screaming about “outcoached” doesn’t annoy me because I think Brad is without critique, it’s that I think it’s the totally wrong thing to focus on.

We get NOTHING in transition. I’m not saying it’s required to have TSJ every year, but my lord, can we produce some easy ones?

The defense under Brad is what is, and the years you hover in the top 20 range on that end, the identity is such the offense will have you truly contending - no matter how much we complain about iso ball/3’s, the offense is good
Click to expand...
Neb gives up rebounds to prevent transition. Problem is we didn’t dominate on the boards as much as we should have against that style. The lack of consistently strong rebounding each game may be one of the more frustrating things with this team
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back