Pregame: Illinois at Maryland, Friday, January 21st, 6:00pm CT, FS1

Status
Not open for further replies.
#176      

GallopingGhost

GallopingGhost
Denver, CO
GallopingGhost
So I don't have much to add to these mid-week game threads except my own two cents and then just to say: reading your guys' posts has been very very entertaining. This much activity on a pre-game weekday away game unranked thread... that's a good position for the program and as fans.

That aside... a couple of thoughts on this game

- Maryland is not a killer. They are a pieced together transfer-full team that can gel AT TIMES. Since our last meeting in the beginning of January, they have one just ONE Big Ten game, on the road at Northwestern in a super ugly OT win. Don't watch the replay. I think they are losing interest in playing with each other, as are their fans losing interest in watching them. (I tuned in quickly to the rutgers game there and it just seemed hollow and empty). Their last 2 games they lost to Rutgers and scUm by a combined 30 pts.

- That being said, they played Wisconsin VERY tough at home, only lost by 1 pt. Played Iowa to within 5 in Hawkeye arena. They have flashes where their athleticism and size just gives them some advantage. With Curbelo back (which I should say is an overall positive), our guard defensive lineup gets smaller with 3 6'0" or 6'1" guys in Trent, Plummer and Curbelo, which I think we should run a lot. Their guards, outside of Fatts Russell, are much taller, 6'3-6'8" range. This could prove to be some tough matchups. I think this may be a higher scoring contest as a result- maybe more in the 80's for each team.

- We still have HUGE advantage inside. I think Kofi comes out fired up after a let-down game. He is a fierce competitor and I don't think will get dominated twice in a row. He also won't forget the nuts-to-the face Reece hanged on him. Get ready to get postered, young blood. Remember his insane +/- the 2nd half against Maryland at home. I'm not worried about the 1st-half meltdown sans Kofi happening again. BBV is going to be riding high and Payne has made great defensive strides in the past couple weeks. Not worried about the minutes Kofi will sit.

- Curbelo back and should see significant bench/rotation minutes. He lifts this team's floor and ceiling so much, I don't even think we know how important he will become. Coleman should be feeling better (i'd Imagine) and will provide good defensive/rebounding.

TLDR; i'm not cocky about it, but I think Illinois should handle business on the road. High scoring matchup, some terrible officiating, ending in a ILL win!
 
#177      

bbpeoria

B
bbpeoria
Ga65 said:
Interesting that BU compared Dain to Trevion Williams. Would be overjoyed to have him on the team.
Click to expand...
That is exactly the comparison I have told people from what I have seen of Dain. He has a very high upside and may the most skilled low post player the Illini have had (yes, big statement and does not mean 'best')
 
#178      

Nuke Dukem

Nuke Dukem
Nuke Dukem
Ga65 said:
Somehow I just have more Confidence in our beating WI than I do MSU and just dislike Izzy more. Rooting for WI.
Click to expand...
After that crap MSU pulled on Ayo, I wish they would bring back Butkus and Nitzske and play some old time smash mouth.
 
#179      

oldman

O
oldman
DMW is not getting the open looks from 3 he was given last year as defenders respect his shooting percentage and are doing a better job of closing on him. As a result the defender is not helping elsewhere, improving our overall offense efficiency. Given his defense and rebounding, as well as our other shooters and Kofi, he absolutely belongs on the court. Not to mention he is generally the first into a scrum to protect a teammate.
 
#181      

sacraig

sacraig
The desert
sacraig
CubsIlliniFan said:
In hindsight, I believe Belo learned the game from being on the bench and the game has slowed down for him. He is not as reckless and is in more control of his skills.
Click to expand...
I think Curbelo is just a year older with a year of experience in college ball than he had last year. Decision-making simply improved with experience. I don't think it had anything to do with being on the bench. The game doesn't slow down for you without being in the game.
 
#182      

bbpeoria

B
bbpeoria
InDaAZ said:
Slow motion replay reveals that the sounds were not, in fact, cheering. The crows were screaming as they were being eaten by the many “fans” who had written off the best PG in the B1G.
Click to expand...
I cannot believe how many Illini fans have said to my face 'The Illini play better without Curbelo'. My easiest quick response to them is if you want the Illini to go where this team can possibly go you NEED Curbelo. With a fully healthy Frazier, Cockburn and Curbelo this team's limit is the sky. That is not to take away the talents of Plummer, Grandison, Williams, Hawkins and a deep core of back up bigs and talented frosh trio. However, you need alphas to lead to the top and the Illini have three of them. (With Jimmy, er Curbelo, all the pistons are firing!)
 
#183      

illiniguy

illiniguy
illiniguy
Nuke Dukem said:
After that crap MSU pulled on Ayo, I wish they would bring back Butkus and Nitzske and play some old time smash mouth.
Click to expand...
It's Nitschke...don't be a nitwit.
1642710581934.png
 
Last edited:
#184      

InDaAZ

InDaAZ
Eugene, Oregon
InDaAZ
altgeld88 said:
Yeah, that's insane. The ability to watch a video clip, internalize the move, and then, with the game on the line not much more than 12 hrs later (and, oh, BTW, it's his first time playing in a game in EIGHT WEEKS) implement it while processing the split-second adjustments he needs to make, that's remarkable talent and poise.

As a fan I'm really fond and protective of our players, but there's something truly special about Belo... his incredible basketball gifts and his unusual extroverted enthusiasm. He just communicates infectious joy, as Raftery pointed out in the BTT final last season. Am so thankful he has recovered and is able to play again.
Click to expand...
Because one “Like” isn’t enough…
Like, Like, Likey (y)(y)(y)
 
#186      

ILLFAN67

I
ILLFAN67
oldman said:
DMW is not getting the open looks from 3 he was given last year as defenders respect his shooting percentage and are doing a better job of closing on him. As a result the defender is not helping elsewhere, improving our overall offense efficiency. Given his defense and rebounding, as well as our other shooters and Kofi, he absolutely belongs on the court. Not to mention he is generally the first into a scrum to protect a teammate.
Click to expand...
DMW will get more looks now that Curbelo is back. He doesn’t have to be a primary ball handler and play out of position.
 
#187      

Fanview

Fanview
Fanview
KnoxIllini2 said:
Maybe those people deserve a slight benefit of the doubt with the early season sample size, but the overall body of work that has been compiled (dude was 6th Man of the Year in the B1G as a freshman last year!) says otherwise.
Click to expand...
Ya, I don't understand people hanging on to this recency bias. We had a whole year of Belo where he played significant minutes and by the end of the year, he was stellar. I really can't recall any jarring issues in that stretch Ayo was gone. But all of a sudden, he has a few bad games, which turns out he was injured during... but we still put weight on that sample size?
 
#188      

battle

battle
battle
altgeld88 said:
Yeah, that's insane. The ability to watch a video clip, internalize the move, and then, with the game on the line not much more than 12 hrs later (and, oh, BTW, it's his first time playing in a game in EIGHT WEEKS) implement it while processing the split-second adjustments he needs to make, that's remarkable talent and poise.

As a fan I'm really fond and protective of our players, but there's something truly special about Belo... his incredible basketball gifts and his unusual extroverted enthusiasm. He just communicates infectious joy, as Raftery pointed out in the BTT final last season. Am so thankful he has recovered and is able to play again.
Click to expand...
re: internalize - when telling the story after he said he saw that move and wanted to use it, i thought he'd then say he did 30 reps that night .... amazing .... that and he described what he processed in 0.1 seconds to do a move he'd never done
 
#189      

ChiefIllinois

C
ChiefIllinois
ILLFAN67 said:
DMW will get more looks now that Curbelo is back. He doesn’t have to be a primary ball handler and play out of position.
Click to expand...
Yup people devalue how much curbelo being back helps the rest of the guys and not just adding him into the lineup for scoring. Arguably the best passer and dribbler on the team that alone is going to open up more looks.

Similar to the team playing without Ayo last year, I think Belo being out forced us to become better, and we had fuel to the fire with him coming back.
 
#191      

GBIllini

G
GBIllini
Fanview said:
Ya, I don't understand people hanging on to this recency bias. We had a whole year of Belo where he played significant minutes and by the end of the year, he was stellar. I really can't recall any jarring issues in that stretch Ayo was gone. But all of a sudden, he has a few bad games, which turns out he was injured during... but we still put weight on that sample size?
Click to expand...
Yes in all reality he probably shouldn't have came back that early. He just wanted to get back out there and play. It would kinda be like us playing a Saturday morning game in a local league hungover from the night before. You think you will be ok but it usually doesn't work out that way. At least it didn't for me. 😏
 
#194      

FlotownIllini

FlotownIllini
FlotownIllini
Fanview said:
Ya, I don't understand people hanging on to this recency bias. We had a whole year of Belo where he played significant minutes and by the end of the year, he was stellar. I really can't recall any jarring issues in that stretch Ayo was gone. But all of a sudden, he has a few bad games, which turns out he was injured during... but we still put weight on that sample size?
Click to expand...
I believe the weight of high expectations heading into the season and the concurrent lack of Kofi's presence on the court certainly intensified reactions to the errant play of those early games. It's still no excuse for how some people have dogged him.
 
#198      

altgeld88

altgeld88
Arlington, Virginia
altgeld88
doowink said:
Every day guy....in the trenches.... getter done!
Click to expand...
And a teamster in the off season if I recall correctly. Back when future NFL hall of famers actually drove trucks to make ends meet.
 
#199      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
FlotownIllini said:
I believe the weight of high expectations heading into the season and the concurrent lack of Kofi's presence on the court certainly intensified reactions to the errant play of those early games. It's still no excuse for how some people have dogged him.
Click to expand...
I honestly think Andre, God love him, didn’t know if this offense could find a bucket in crunch time with Kofi out (i.e., the Marquette game), and he tried to step up. Wasn’t the right call, but I can’t blame him for it in hindsight. He’s seen this team excel from the bench, and I think he’s confident that our guys are an offensive firepower that he can work his magic around.

Andre vs. Purdue was as good as he’s ever been.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.