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

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#101      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
Hey, it's not like I'm going to wake up Friday and NOT be thinking we will win! :cool: I could just see the first road trip being a bit rough.
I specifically bought tickets directly across the court from the Illinois bench so that the players will clearly register my displeasure if they're trailing and resolve promptly to do better.

BTW, encyclopedic analysis. Well done.
 
#105      

hin10

O'Fallon, MO
Skyy is due but think this could be a Mayer game as well.
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#108      
So watched some of the Miami Maryland game during my lunch. Scott is quite a player and a tough guard. Miami had decent positional size on the wing but he had the quickness/handle to drive past Miami’s defenders or take them down on the block and bully them at 230 lbs. Reese is really active on the offensive glass and effective at getting to the rim via rolling or slipping screens. And it looks like 4 of their starting 5 are legit threats from deep.

I will say, Miami has decent size on the wing ( a few 6’5-6’7 guys) but no one over 200 lbs. I will be interested to see if Scott can bully our 2-5 (TJ, Mayer, RJ, Hawk) like he bullied the canes. And I really think we may be best off keeping glued to their shooters and trying our best to keep Reese of the glass, which may mean Scott has a big night.

On defense, one thing I found interesting is it does look like they play a fair bit of drop coverage with Reese, and I say that’s interesting because he seems mobile and athletic enough to switch. But if they play drop against us, I think Epps and Skyy should be able to exploit that. Epps in particular could have a big night with his midrange/floater game.

First road game is always tough, especially for an inexperienced group like us. Would be a great game for Mayer or TJ to go off. It’s a game we can win but we may need to play our best game of the year so far to do so. And we will need to play hard.
 
#109      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
Mayer does look "clean", but I don't think that's the best look for him. The guy has "character". Bring back whatever semblance of the mullet he can.
I worried early on that a Samson effect existed concerning Mayer playing well and the length of his hair. I'm much less worried now than I was a couple weeks ago; however, to be safe, he should restore the mullet. Why take chances?
 
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#110      

InDaAZ

Eugene, Oregon
I worried early on that a Samson effect existed concerning Mayer playing well and the length of his hair. I'm much less worried now than I was a couple weeks ago; however, to be safe, he should restore the mullet. Why take chances?
Why not fast-track such a vital adjustment?
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#116      
I laud my fellow Loyalty devotees' creativity. However, my friends, it's gotta be organic. Its power derives from the mullet being rooted in his scalp and, hence, his very soul.
I’m probably on an island with this one…but hear me out:

I dug the mullet. But maybe he’s ready for something else…a new slate
Fortune favors the bold. Sometimes you gotta just go for it, man.
Perhaps, he needs something new/different that fits his credo…and signifies his re-baptism as an Illini:
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The dude could totally pull off this look:

A Matthawk? A Mayhawk? (The name is a work in progress.)
 
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#117      
Money is nice, but do you know what is also nice? An extra semester with a light course load to have the time of your life with relatively little responsibility.
Spoken like true former student rather than a father. I get it and I get it.
 
#120      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
So watched some of the Miami Maryland game during my lunch. Scott is quite a player and a tough guard. Miami had decent positional size on the wing but he had the quickness/handle to drive past Miami’s defenders or take them down on the block and bully them at 230 lbs. Reese is really active on the offensive glass and effective at getting to the rim via rolling or slipping screens. And it looks like 4 of their starting 5 are legit threats from deep.

I will say, Miami has decent size on the wing ( a few 6’5-6’7 guys) but no one over 200 lbs. I will be interested to see if Scott can bully our 2-5 (TJ, Mayer, RJ, Hawk) like he bullied the canes. And I really think we may be best off keeping glued to their shooters and trying our best to keep Reese of the glass, which may mean Scott has a big night.

On defense, one thing I found interesting is it does look like they play a fair bit of drop coverage with Reese, and I say that’s interesting because he seems mobile and athletic enough to switch. But if they play drop against us, I think Epps and Skyy should be able to exploit that. Epps in particular could have a big night with his midrange/floater game.

First road game is always tough, especially for an inexperienced group like us. Would be a great game for Mayer or TJ to go off. It’s a game we can win but we may need to play our best game of the year so far to do so. And we will need to play hard.
As nasty as I find the Maryland fan base generally, I have to say I enjoyed watching its teams year in and year out when Turgeon coached. You're right on about Donta Scott and Reese. Scott impressed me a lot when he played sparingly as a freshman and now, as a senior, he's the team leader. He also dropped 30 lbs in the off-season (he was at 260), which makes him much quicker off the ball than last season.

He's 6'8" and plays a stretch-3, but he has an unusually broad game. As a sophomore he was forced to play center quite a bit and so developed some skill playing with his back to the basket.

Without Kofi last year during the game in College Park we simply didn't have anyone who could stop him. I feel a lot better about the road game and personnel matchup this season given our depth and length. Their first true road game will be a coming-of-age experience for the freshmen. I believe it will be a very entertaining game, which we win. :illinois: :chief:
 
#123      
Team has shown a very high ceiling in its first 6 games

1. TSJ has established himself as 20 ppg #1 option. His improved 3 point shot makes him lethal.
2. Hawkins showed in UCLA and Syracuse game his greatly improved defense and passing. He does not need to score to make an impact. He is a unicorn at 6'10" with his mobility.
3. Epps has forced his way into the rotation with is outside shooting and ability to drive to the hoop. Very effective for freshman -- unexpected by most.
4. Dain is offering Kofi like inside scoring and rebounding. unexpected by most.
5. Skyy Clark has provided solid PG play and scoring. Very calm and effective. Still getting used to college ball - I think there is a lot of upside here.
6. Sencire showed in UCLA game he can contribute on defense this season - 1 man press. - Unexpected by most.
7. RJ shows flashes of potential - I think there is upside here
8. Mayer shows flashes of potential - I think there is upside
9. Still missing Luke Goode outside shooting - hope he can come back in January
10. Rogers shows potential on defense and passing. Needs to develop more offense. Undersized at 6'6" to play PF. About what we expcted

I was worried most about our post defense and rebounding in B10. I think Dain will help a lot here with his size.

I was worried adding 6 new players - TSJ, Jayden, Skyy, Sencire, and Matthew would have terrible chemistry but people are filling roles nicely. Skyy seems to let the game come to him. Does not feel the need to get his point.

Playing at MD is a great test. MD has 3 solid road wins - @SLU, @Miami and @Louisville. If we can win at College Park with our the swarming defense I am hopeful of another B10 title and elite 8 appearance.

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#124      
I'd argue it was not all that competitive starting in the second half. Michigan blew a double digit lead because Virginia is better than them and recovered from a rickety start.
Michigan had some homer ref calls go there way too. The Dickinson elbow in the 4th quarter should have been a flagrant with a pending suspension. Cylinder my eye.... He pushed the Virginia kid away ,then elbowed him. There was definitely intent to harm. A goon just like his coach.
 
#125      
BU's joking about starving Skyy for going 0-10 was perfect. He took a chance that everybody would know he was kidding in order to make a really good point. I always used that approach to make kids laugh and help them realize what's important. I once had a kid pitching for me that gave up a HR that cleared the fence by 50+ feet. When he came into the dugout I paraphrased the Bull Durham line, "The last time I saw something fly that far that fast it had a stewardess on it!" In fairness to that kid and my son (who was playing SS at the time), they looked at each other after it finished flying and bust out laughing on the field. Just the 2 of them. They had their heads screwed on right.
 
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