Pregame: Illinois at Iowa, Sunday, January 11th, 11:00am CT, FOX

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#76      
illinibbcz
Illinois, a little easier than against PSU but not as easy as Rutgers, Illinois 77-69.
 
#77      
chiefini
altgeld88 said:
I was in my mid-20s when his malicious, premeditated lies took away most of the '90s from our basketball program at its absolute zenith and sullied the final years of our beloved coach and his top assistant. So, yeah, it kinda matters to me and those of my generation and older. I'll grant you, however, that it's visceral in the way the Slush Fund scandal isn't, as I was in diapers when that occurred and many years away from joining the Illini family.

Pearl never expressed credible remorse. I have found him consistently over the past 35 years, in a memorable phrase that Christopher Hitchens used about a public figure, entirely "insanitary."

I've been to exactly one sporting event at Iowa: the Michigan football game in 2003. It was a thriller, Iowa upset them, and it was the true beginning of Ferentz' reestablishment of the program after Fry kinda ran it into the ground in his dotage in the late '90s. I was obviously a neutral observer that day but the tailgating and pregame atmosphere were wonderful, it was an idyllic October day, and the fans were friendly, even when we made clear that I was an Illini (I may have been wearing my Champion reverse-weave that day) and my brother a Wolverine.

So, Iowa: don't like them but have no animus toward the people.

Bruce Pearl: insanitary. He's not a wound that hasn't healed; he's a flatulent cloud that surfaces around us occasionally, or excrement on the sidewalk left there inconsiderately by his sociopathic owner that I must step over.
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I totally agree, @altgeld88. I HATE Iowa. I don’t think the young Illinois fans really understand what it was like. As an Illini who lived through that horrible time, I will never forget or forgive Pearl, who not only tried to destroy the University of Illinois Basketball Program, but also ruin the lives of a wonderful man and a 17 year old kid. He almost succeeded in all three. Illini Nation calls Pearl ‘Satan’ for a very good reason. He made it hell on earth for Jimmy and Deon. Even though the courts found Pearl’s allegations untrue, Illinois did receive sanctions for other unrelated minor violations they self-reported to the NCAA and was given penalties for lack of institutional control, which cost Illinois a possible Final Four that following year and set the program back for many, many years. Pearl’s history has proven over and over that he is and always has been a liar and a cheat. The boos for him (including my own) when Illinois played and beat UW-Milwaukee in the 2005 run to the Final Four at the Horizon were resounding and well-deserved. The roles of Phelps, Ellis, Mims, Hilliard, and Slive will never be forgotten, either. The hurt still runs deep. A good summation of what happened can be found in this article for those too young to know or remember.
deadspin.com

Deadspin | Bruce Pearl’s First Con, And The World That Created A Monster (Deadspin Classic)

Deadspin | Bruce Pearl’s First Con, And The World That Created A Monster (Deadspin Classic)
deadspin.com deadspin.com

Go, Illini, beat the Hawkeyes.
 
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#78      
altgeld88
chiefini said:
I totally agree, @altgeld88. I HATE Iowa. I don’t think the young Illinois fans really understand what it was like. As an Illini who lived through that horrible time, I will never forget or forgive Pearl, who not only tried to destroy the University of Illinois Basketball Program, but also ruin the lives of a wonderful man and a 17 year old kid. He almost succeeded in all three. Illini Nation calls Pearl ‘Satan’ for a very good reason. He made it hell on earth for Jimmy and Deon. Even though the courts found Pearl’s allegations untrue, Illinois did receive sanctions for other unrelated minor violations they self-reported and was given penalties for lack of institutional control, which cost Illinois a possible Final Four that following year and set the program back for many, many years. Pearl’s history has proven over and over that he is and always has been a liar and a cheat. The boos for him when Illinois played and beat UW-Milwaukee in the 2005 run to the Final Four at the Horizon were resounding and well-deserved. The roles of Phelps, Ellis, Mims, Hilliard, and Slive will never be forgotten, either. The hurt still runs deep. A good summation of what happened can be found in this article for those too young to know or remember.
Bruce Pearl’s First Con, And The World That Created A Monster (Deadspin Classic)
Go, Illini, beat the Hawkeyes.
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💯

Amen, sister. It's a luxury to have come of age under the Self and early Weber teams. The suffering we endured from ~ '07-'17 was akin to the self-inflicted trials of an addict. What Pearl did was attempted capital murder.
 
#80      
BrownTown
illinibbcz said:
Illinois, a little easier than against PSU but not as easy as Rutgers, Illinois 77-69.
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Game is completely contingent on getting an early lead. That causes Iowa to get out of there slow pace. If you come out flat, prepare to be suffocated with 25 second possessions just to go down to the other end and try to score quick.

Anxious to see how they handle the TOP matchup. Intriguing clash of offensive concepts.

Offensive rebounding will be the key to a win.
 
#81      
dewda
altgeld88 said:
I was in my mid-20s when his malicious, premeditated lies took away most of the '90s from our basketball program at its absolute zenith and sullied the final years of our beloved coach and his top assistant. So, yeah, it kinda matters to me and those of my generation and older. I'll grant you, however, that it's visceral in the way the Slush Fund scandal isn't, as I was in diapers when that occurred and many years away from joining the Illini family.

Pearl never expressed credible remorse. I have found him consistently over the past 35 years, in a memorable phrase that Christopher Hitchens used about a public figure, entirely "insanitary."

I've been to exactly one sporting event at Iowa: the Michigan football game in 2003. It was a thriller, Iowa upset them, and it was the true beginning of Ferentz' reestablishment of the program after Fry kinda ran it into the ground in his dotage in the late '90s. I was obviously a neutral observer that day but the tailgating and pregame atmosphere were wonderful, it was an idyllic October day, and the fans were friendly, even when we made clear that I was an Illini (I may have been wearing my Champion reverse-weave that day) and my brother a Wolverine.

So, Iowa: don't like them but have no animus toward the people.

Bruce Pearl: insanitary. He's not a wound that hasn't healed; he's a flatulent cloud that surfaces around us occasionally, or excrement on the sidewalk left there inconsiderately by his sociopathic owner that I must step over.
Click to expand...
Considering Bruce Pearl, I like John Lennon's line . . . time wounds all heels.
 
#82      
Fighter of the Nightman
OrangeBlue98 said:
The 2024 game was something like a 5
PM tip. My sons and I had a late lunch prior to the game and were in CHA for that one.

However, Illinois did beat Iowa in an 11AM tip back in 2005. I remember that game because a group of us stayed at the same hotel as the team and some doofus Iowa fan pulled the fire alarm at the hotel at 3 in the morning.
Click to expand...
I was at both of these, and they were wonderful memories. I would give literally anything for a photo or video from that 2005 game! Papers reported anywhere from 3,500 to almost 6,000 Illini fans in the building, plus the Krush. I’m frankly inclined to believe the higher estimate! There seemed to be orange in every section, a pretty solid ring of orange around the entire top of the stadium and the sections behind each basket was - no joke here - 75%+ Illini fans. It was such an incredible memory to experience as a seventh grader, and the Krush even formed a conga line around the concourse after we won. 🤣🤣

We’ve never had QUITE that much orange in the building since, but we always have a good showing. 2024 was definitely solid.
 
#83      
jezzadownunder
altgeld88 said:
I was in my mid-20s when his malicious, premeditated lies took away most of the '90s from our basketball program at its absolute zenith and sullied the final years of our beloved coach and his top assistant. So, yeah, it kinda matters to me and those of my generation and older. I'll grant you, however, that it's visceral in the way the Slush Fund scandal isn't, as I was in diapers when that occurred and many years away from joining the Illini family.

Pearl never expressed credible remorse. I have found him consistently over the past 35 years, in a memorable phrase that Christopher Hitchens used about a public figure, entirely "insanitary."

I've been to exactly one sporting event at Iowa: the Michigan football game in 2003. It was a thriller, Iowa upset them, and it was the true beginning of Ferentz' reestablishment of the program after Fry kinda ran it into the ground in his dotage in the late '90s. I was obviously a neutral observer that day but the tailgating and pregame atmosphere were wonderful, it was an idyllic October day, and the fans were friendly, even when we made clear that I was an Illini (I may have been wearing my Champion reverse-weave that day) and my brother a Wolverine.

So, Iowa: don't like them but have no animus toward the people.

Bruce Pearl: insanitary. He's not a wound that hasn't healed; he's a flatulent cloud that surfaces around us occasionally, or excrement on the sidewalk left there inconsiderately by his sociopathic owner that I must step over.
Click to expand...
Anyone remember the “Iowa bugs us” pins?
 
#84      
21ChampaignSt
Really looking forward to this game. A win would negate the Nebraska loss, IMO. Also will be our most difficult test since that Nebraska loss. Have we turned a corner (specifically on defense) or have we been excelling against inferior opponents?

Will be a low possession game. Would think it'll come down to limiting turnovers and extending possessions with offensive boards... which should tilt the matchup in our favor.

Barring a bad day from behind the 3 pt line, I'm thinking like an 8 point win gving the fledglings their 3rd B1G loss.
 
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#85      
STLflyinIllini
And he has spent the last 34 years being a vile lifeform wherever he went, while Iowa continues to Iowa. There is no forgiving or forgetting.
 
#90      
Dan
Did a quick browse on fightingillini.com.

10-game losing streak for tipoffs on or before 11:30am CT. Go Illini

Nov 28, 2025- UConn L, 61-74
Jan 19, 2025- at Michigan State L, 78-80
Jan 11, 2025- USC L, 72-82
Dec 9, 2023- at Tennessee L, 79-86
Mar 5, 2023- at Purdue L 71-76
Feb 26, 2023- at Ohio State L 60-72
Feb 18, 2023- at Indiana L, 68-71
Dec 10, 2022- Penn State L 59-74
Mar 20, 2022- Houston L, 53-68
Mar 11, 2022- Indiana L 63-65
Feb 19, 2022- at Michigan State W, 79-74
 
#91      
SummerofGeorge
altgeld88 said:
I was in my mid-20s when his malicious, premeditated lies took away most of the '90s from our basketball program at its absolute zenith and sullied the final years of our beloved coach and his top assistant. So, yeah, it kinda matters to me and those of my generation and older. I'll grant you, however, that it's visceral in the way the Slush Fund scandal isn't, as I was in diapers when that occurred and many years away from joining the Illini family.

Pearl never expressed credible remorse. I have found him consistently over the past 35 years, in a memorable phrase that Christopher Hitchens used about a public figure, entirely "insanitary."

I've been to exactly one sporting event at Iowa: the Michigan football game in 2003. It was a thriller, Iowa upset them, and it was the true beginning of Ferentz' reestablishment of the program after Fry kinda ran it into the ground in his dotage in the late '90s. I was obviously a neutral observer that day but the tailgating and pregame atmosphere were wonderful, it was an idyllic October day, and the fans were friendly, even when we made clear that I was an Illini (I may have been wearing my Champion reverse-weave that day) and my brother a Wolverine.

So, Iowa: don't like them but have no animus toward the people.

Bruce Pearl: insanitary. He's not a wound that hasn't healed; he's a flatulent cloud that surfaces around us occasionally, or excrement on the sidewalk left there inconsiderately by his sociopathic owner that I must step over.
Click to expand...
This would be a great 30 for 30 episode. Especially if created from an Illinois perspective:
 
#93      
altgeld88
From the cheap seats said:
If ESPN produced it, it would be told from the SEC perspective.How the unfairly maligned coach brought winning basketball to Tennessee and Auburn. Never mind the lies and cheating at every stop.
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Illinois as the jilted party that can't move on after decades, while the hero is unjustly cast into the wilderness (ostracism, shame, and then coaching UW-Milwaukee... but I repeat myself twice) and then floats into the sunny uplands of hooker-and-blow-fueled Tennessee and Auburn recruiting and a final four appearance that, per the Friday Night Lights film, falls inches short of the goal line and victory.

The show-cause penalty from his UT days will be completely swept under the rug.

It's no accident he ended up in the SEC. Twice.
 
#95      
Cary67
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I was at both of these, and they were wonderful memories. I would give literally anything for a photo or video from that 2005 game! Papers reported anywhere from 3,500 to almost 6,000 Illini fans in the building, plus the Krush. I’m frankly inclined to believe the higher estimate! There seemed to be orange in every section, a pretty solid ring of orange around the entire top of the stadium and the sections behind each basket was - no joke here - 75%+ Illini fans. It was such an incredible memory to experience as a seventh grader, and the Krush even formed a conga line around the concourse after we won. 🤣🤣

We’ve never had QUITE that much orange in the building since, but we always have a good showing. 2024 was definitely solid.
Click to expand...
Was at the 2024 game also. CHA was half full as the writing was on the wall that these were the end of times for Fran. Didn't help that lots of Hawkeye fans were in Minny to watch Caitlyn Clark win the Big 10 women's tournament earlier that day. Believe she made an appearance during the mens game at some point. IL jumped to early lead. Never really threatened
 
#97      
mysterio2525
Dan said:
Did a quick browse on fightingillini.com.

10-game losing streak for tipoffs on or before 11:30am CT. Go Illini

Nov 28, 2025- UConn L, 61-74
Jan 19, 2025- at Michigan State L, 78-80
Jan 11, 2025- USC L, 72-82
Dec 9, 2023- at Tennessee L, 79-86
Mar 5, 2023- at Purdue L 71-76
Feb 26, 2023- at Ohio State L 60-72
Feb 18, 2023- at Indiana L, 68-71
Dec 10, 2022- Penn State L 59-74
Mar 20, 2022- Houston L, 53-68
Mar 11, 2022- Indiana L 63-65
Feb 19, 2022- at Michigan State W, 79-74
Click to expand...
gross, time to start a new trend.
 
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