Pregame: Illinois at Maryland, Friday, December 2nd, 8:00pm CT, BTN

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#27      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
huh ?

travelling all over the world has affected your mind , my friend .........some 420 and a good night's sleep are prescribed by Illini Nation to help you regain your path in life.......take care , my friend..............
Weekend, Pru. Thanksgiving weekend. I confess that our bludgeoning of Boeheim's Bums befuddled me and I was less exact than I might have been. I will however, take your prescription. I got a good night's sleep last night. Am now in search of 420s. ;)
 
#28      
Really tough first road game against an old, long team that has had our number. However, we are a completely different team this year with much better positional size. Will be interesting to see how the game goes now that their bigger wings can’t shoot over the top of our smaller guards.

DaMonte did his best but just didn’t quite have the size to slow down Donta Scott. I’m sure he will still come into this game with a lot of confidence but I’m interested to see who guards him. Guessing Mayer or TJ but we will see. Should be a good game. Hope everyone is recovered from the bug that’s going around the team by then because we will need everybody.
 
#29      
Really tough first road game against an old, long team that has had our number. However, we are a completely different team this year with much better positional size. Will be interesting to see how the game goes now that their bigger wings can’t shoot over the top of our smaller guards.

DaMonte did his best but just didn’t quite have the size to slow down Donta Scott. I’m sure he will still come into this game with a lot of confidence but I’m interested to see who guards him. Guessing Mayer or TJ but we will see. Should be a good game. Hope everyone is recovered from the bug that’s going around the team by then because we will need everybody.
I would imagine Coleman will guard Scott.
 
#31      
Figured Coleman would guard Reese but I could be wrong and may not matter a ton as we will switch. Hope our switching gives them problems!
I would guess that Coleman, Mayer, Dain, and potentially Rodgers all get shots at Reese and switch onto Scott at times. Maybe see TSJ on Scott some too. Being able to switch all of those bodies onto them hopefully will wear them down and, fingers crossed, get them into foul trouble. Maryland's depth isn't great so far this year.
 
#32      
The game within the game is our pressure defense and switching vs their 3 Wings/Forwards...Donta Scott, Hakim Hart, and Julian Reese.

Most of the time they play those 3 together, so I think we have a good chance to create some turnovers or at least make them uncomfortable and rush things.

OTOH, they will want to take advantage of our switching and go to work in the post. That is most of their offense. Posts ups, or Jahmir Young getting in the paint. They don't like shooting 3's and they have one of the lowest assist rates in the country. It's all about taking advantage of mismatches.

Whoever does better at those 2 things (us creating turnovers vs them taking advantage of switches) probably wins the game. Maryland has shot up the torvik rankings, from 52 preseason to 17. FWLIW, I don't think they are quite that good. I'm willing to bet they find their way back to the 30s or low 40s in the next few weeks. Regardless, this would be a great win to start the title defense and a loss wouldn't hurt too much.
 
#36      
Two wins, please.
I'll take two wins but then again I guess I am selfish.

Haha, guess you missed the post I was responding to. I certainly want two wins as well, but the poster said if we split the next two which team would you want to beat? For sake of discussion, I went with beating Maryland and having a good showing against Texas. Prefer starting off 1-0 in B10 play on the road in an arena we have struggled mightily in versus the prestige of beating Texas. End of the season winning the B10 again, in a year where it's there for the taking, would certainly be better than any individual win for me. Also, a non-zero chance that Maryland gets an injury and falls apart and has the chance to become a quad 2 loss.

However, <insert girl "Why not both?" image here>
 
#37      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
I would guess that Coleman, Mayer, Dain, and potentially Rodgers all get shots at Reese and switch onto Scott at times. Maybe see TSJ on Scott some too. Being able to switch all of those bodies onto them hopefully will wear them down and, fingers crossed, get them into foul trouble. Maryland's depth isn't great so far this year.
with the way our D has played so far I think you will see everybody guarding everybody else.....switching D has had some mismatches but I have also seen switching back when the opponents O stops for a second or two.......We have a highly intelligent BB IQ squad with the mental capacity to help out on D and smother the opponent at any given time.....

We also are seeing the benefits of the Fletch conditioning program and a great substitution pattern by the staff to keep a fresh quintet out on the court as much as possible....

When Luke gets back we will have a solid 10 man rotation that will definitely wear down many of the teams that don't have our depth.....

I believed before the season started that we had a squad able to contend for a B$G title and now moreso with a bonus of maybe reaching a
S16 or E 8 without any more injuries happening.........

We have a team where anyone can be the leader in points or rebounds and that ability will help when someone has an off night with so many able to pick up the slack....

I sure wish we had pressed the cav's like we did cuse last night.......might have been a different outcome but it's in the past now .....let's just press the twerps into submission and go 1-0 in the B$G..............

LETS GO ILLINI.................................

OIP (31).jpg


I'm ready to go turtle hunting .......................I really really really am....................
 
#39      
Really tough first road game against an old, long team that has had our number. However, we are a completely different team this year with much better positional size. Will be interesting to see how the game goes now that their bigger wings can’t shoot over the top of our smaller guards.

DaMonte did his best but just didn’t quite have the size to slow down Donta Scott. I’m sure he will still come into this game with a lot of confidence but I’m interested to see who guards him. Guessing Mayer or TJ but we will see. Should be a good game. Hope everyone is recovered from the bug that’s going around the team by then because we will need everybody.
To echo your point, during the last couple of years, it seemed the opponents were able to score going one-on-one against the Illini guards.

With all their length and size, I don't see that happening as much which will make things harder for the opponent. That's why I think the good guys can win this game.

This seems like a pick 'em game: Illinois 76 - Maryland 72.
 
#41      
It's pretty clear at this point that Terrance is going to be matched up with the best offensive player on the other team. Therefore, I fully expect him on Donta Scott.
 
#43      
Two wins, please.
Betting my beach blanket (don't have a house and don't like the beach much) that every single Illini cager plans on two wins. This kind of stretch is what they came to C-U to do....win big games.

But I would like to know if the team will stay on the East Coast or fly home after the Terps game? I assume they are staying as returning would be the worst thing they could do in prep for Texas.
 
#44      
We are going to need to shoot better from 3 out of the gate and convert at a much higher rate from the charity stripe when we get there. At one point against Cuse we were 3/10 from the line.
 
#45      
To echo your point, during the last couple of years, it seemed the opponents were able to score going one-on-one against the Illini guards.

With all their length and size, I don't see that happening as much which will make things harder for the opponent. That's why I think the good guys can win this game.

This seems like a pick 'em game: Illinois 76 - Maryland 72.
Agree. I think it was PSU last year that had a bigger guard and their entire offensive strategy against us was to clear it out and let him back down Trent or Belo (can’t remember if Belo played in that game). Really simple but clever game plan for an otherwise overmatched team and it kept them in the game until the very end.

Don’t believe we can be exploited the same way this year and this game might be our first big test.
 
#46      
I would guess that Coleman, Mayer, Dain, and potentially Rodgers all get shots at Reese and switch onto Scott at times. Maybe see TSJ on Scott some too. Being able to switch all of those bodies onto them hopefully will wear them down and, fingers crossed, get them into foul trouble. Maryland's depth isn't great so far this year.
Just keep the 🥜 out of his face
 
#47      
Be interesting to see how the freshman respond to the first road game. Crown will be into it and loud. I have a feeling they won’t be intimidated.
 
#49      
Really tough first road game against an old, long team that has had our number. However, we are a completely different team this year with much better positional size. Will be interesting to see how the game goes now that their bigger wings can’t shoot over the top of our smaller guards.

DaMonte did his best but just didn’t quite have the size to slow down Donta Scott. I’m sure he will still come into this game with a lot of confidence but I’m interested to see who guards him. Guessing Mayer or TJ but we will see. Should be a good game. Hope everyone is recovered from the bug that’s going around the team by then because we will need everybody.
Last year played 3 small guards, SF and Kofi
Trent 6'2"
Plummer 6'1"
SF Damonte 6'3"
PF Grandison 6'6" or Coleman 6'10"

we did not have size or lenth except for Kofi and Coleman

This year

Sky 6'3"
TSJ 6'6"
RJ 6'7"
MM 6'9"
Coleman 6'10"

We could not switch and Kofi a first team AA was just an average shot blocker.

We are so much better defensively this year. I do miss Plummer 3 point shooting. Our bench is much deeper with Dainja, Jayden playing serious minutes
 
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