Pregame: Illinois at Michigan State, Saturday, February 19th, 11:00am CT, ESPN

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#26      

Hopingfor500

H
Hopingfor500
I'm simplifying this one, just as I have the others. Given the team that we are, the offense we run and the size issues.....

If she shoot at roughly 40%(give or take) from three we win and if not, we lose.

I really do think that's the pregame analysis of this one and every game from here on out. Kofi can get 25/10. Doesn't matter. Our one other way to score is the long ball. Coaches have figured this out.
 
#27      

FlotownIllini

FlotownIllini
FlotownIllini
Once again, the team is faced with a pivotal moment heading into a game against MSU. Last time, we responded and pulled out a tough win without Kofi or AC on the court. The stakes are even higher this time. The guys have to decide what they want the rest of this season to be, and it starts with this game. Time to dig deep and put up the kind of performance we're capable of. Hoping the coaching staff takes a hard look at recent performance and makes the right adjustments to facilitate success. GO ILLINI!
 
#28      

rtbritt

rtbritt
rtbritt
Crush1 said:
Why do we never try any short 2-pt shots? It's Kofi or launch a 3. That's way too predictable, and it's easy to see what happens when one of those options doesn't work.
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Analytics. I’m not saying I 100% agree, but that is the game nowadays. Over the long run, that is the recipe for success. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense, it hurts you, and makes you easier to guard, as you said.
 
#29      

2020 Final Four

2020 Final Four
2020 Final Four
Illini will beat MSU Saturday. Book it. Prior to Rutgers I thought we would win one of these games and lose one. I still believe this.
 
#30      

CubsIlliniFan

C
CubsIlliniFan
New lineup on Sat. Belo, Trent, RJ, Hawk and Kofi. Luke for RJ, DW for Hawk, Podz for Belo, Payne for Kofi and Plummer for Trent. Ben to back either post. We need new legs in the game.
 
#32      

Whitewaterr

W
Whitewaterr
We've felt dejected less often than any other B1G fan base over the last two years and everyone has their tail in between their legs 🤣 I'm seriously wondering if anything short of a national championship will inspire confidence in some of you.

You will not find a respected analyst who writes us off before this game, so let's shed the victim role and short term memory. We laud the B1G as a cage-fight on a nightly basis, that's what we love about it. If that demoralizes you, go root for Gonzaga. We'll be fine.
 
#33      

jrichisamazing

J
jrichisamazing
Still on track. Win the home games, and steal 1 on the road. It would be really nice if it could be this one. Otherwise, the pressure would really be on in Ann Arbor. I still think each team has at least 1 loss on their schedule.
 
#34      

the juiceman cometh

T
the juiceman cometh
sacraig said:
If we play like we did today we would lose to Nebraska.
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Pop Tv What GIF by Schitt's Creek
 
#37      

jrichisamazing

J
jrichisamazing
This time of year it's useful to filter advanced rankings to see who is playing well right now. Here is how the B1G is playing over the past 3 weeks (the last weekend in January to now). This is each teams T-rank.

Ohio St - 13
Iowa - 15
Rutgers - 16
Purdue - 19
Illinois - 25
Northwestern - 27
Wisconsin - 41
Michigan - 48
Michigan State - 52
Penn St - 64
Indiana - 71
Nebraska - 138
Maryland - 140
Minnesota - 155

Rutgers and Northwestern were much tougher games than most of us thought. MSU is not playing great and their schedule is brutal, they could legitimately be a 10 seed in the dance if they can't scrape up a few W's. Iowa, OSU, and PSU at home are all trickier than I thought. But just keep in mind, since this a small sample size (5-7 games), these rankings can change drastically. For example, we were 10th before the Rutgers loss.
 
#38      

madcrazeeballa

madcrazeeballa
madcrazeeballa
The team has brutal practices this week and comes out with high energy. The effort will be there, but the shots still won't be falling. Fortunately, MSU still turns the ball over a ton and we get some easy lay-ups. Good guys in an ugly one by 4.
 
#39      

the juiceman cometh

T
the juiceman cometh
Fanview said:
I've seen Plummer do it on several occasions.
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I was being facetious, Kofi did a couple games ago too. No denying though that we shy away from those shots/don't have anyone that seeks those shots out. Normally I'm ok with that, but sometimes when we're struggling from 3 and Kofi is getting double and triple teamed, it would be nice to have a confident, dependable mid-range scorer.
 
#40      

illini80

illini80
Forgottonia
illini80
rtbritt said:
Analytics. I’m not saying I 100% agree, but that is the game nowadays. Over the long run, that is the recipe for success. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense, it hurts you, and makes you easier to guard, as you said.
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*Not directed at you*
What are the analytics on 0 for 13 shooting? I understand they have their place, but I often feel like they are an excuse for 1 dimensional play and failure to make adjustments. It happens, but it seems like a team that finds ways to create and get to the basket hurts us more often than a team that shot well from 3. See Ayo. Not a great 3 point shooter, but destroyed teams with his 2 point game.
 
#42      

ptgd1

P
ptgd1
You people writing the optimistic posts please continue. I want to say, "yes, that makes sense."

But I'm among the rare breed of Illini fans that goes back before the years of Groce and Weber. Not to continually pick on those two, but there were the great Lou Henson years with those frustrating losses. We remember why our fans hate the guy who now coaches Auburn, and that guy who coaches Michigan, and the guy who coaches at Miznoz.

We remember all the years that ended with the loss we should never have lost against the teams we should never have lost to. We remember the players who we almost got, but the coach of one team retired, and another coach of another team, took that job, and the coach that we thought was ours decided to coach the other team. And once again these coaches came into our back yards to take the players who should have stayed to play for the Orange and Blue.

We have suffered a lot, and though we have had some recent success with wins and banners and players becoming stars in the NBA and a few great recruiting classes that should give us all optimism... we all still have the scars that won't go away.

Anything short of a Conference Championship, or a loss in the B1G title game, if not the championship, or a Sweet Sixteen appearance, if not a Final Four, will be another scar added onto the others.

Sorry to be so negative. I know I'm speaking for most of us on this board. And although I still think there's hope for this season, the hope is being taken away by the poor play in recent games and all the memories of seasons that could've been special but weren't.

So you people with the optimistic comments keep it up, so us Wendy Whiners can get through the week and look forward to a B1G-time win at East Lansing.

Go Illini!!!
 
#43      

ChiefIllinois

C
ChiefIllinois
Really going to need to see some improvement outside of the Kofi or 3 pt shot offensive tactic. I do agree with Underwood that you can't expect much more out of the shots were getting. But I think we've started to panic at times when they aren't falling and have had some poor decision making.

I still believe this is an elite team, but some of the fundamentals have been severely lacking recently. Doesn't help how poorly Grandison and DMW have been as of late and it isn't just their shooting.
 
#44      

727ill

7
727ill
This is a team that has multiple guys in the dumpster in terms of their confidence. Confidence is a hell of a drug both in a positive way and a negative way.

It's also amazing how quickly confidence can swing from game to game. That's what makes the elite players so good. They can have a terrible game and still have a swagger about them to make plays.

How else do you explain Grandison making a three to start the half yesterday and then passing up one which was even more wide open? These guys are scared to miss and its showing.
 
#45      

Rocky

Rocky
Rocky
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Hope you’re right, my friend. The second half letdown vs. NU and today’s performance give me a terrifying nervousness about our “fire” right now. Countless mistakes these past two games where it was 100% just mental and due to not being amped enough. I can deal with poor play, but TOUGHNESS has been an essential part of our identity under BU, and it’s been lacking.

Beat MSU, and we are back on track.
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Perhaps the noon kickoff will revive our guys.

Dayman.
 
#46      

FloridaMan

F
FloridaMan
ptgd1 said:
You people writing the optimistic posts please continue. I want to say, "yes, that makes sense."

But I'm among the rare breed of Illini fans that goes back before the years of Groce and Weber. Not to continually pick on those two, but there were the great Lou Henson years with those frustrating losses. We remember why our fans hate the guy who now coaches Auburn, and that guy who coaches Michigan, and the guy who coaches at Miznoz.

We remember all the years that ended with the loss we should never have lost against the teams we should never have lost to. We remember the players who we almost got, but the coach of one team retired, and another coach of another team, took that job, and the coach that we thought was ours decided to coach the other team. And once again these coaches came into our back yards to take the players who should have stayed to play for the Orange and Blue.

We have suffered a lot, and though we have had some recent success with wins and banners and players becoming stars in the NBA and a few great recruiting classes that should give us all optimism... we all still have the scars that won't go away.

Anything short of a Conference Championship, or a loss in the B1G title game, if not the championship, or a Sweet Sixteen appearance, if not a Final Four, will be another scar added onto the others.

Sorry to be so negative. I know I'm speaking for most of us on this board. And although I still think there's hope for this season, the hope is being taken away by the poor play in recent games and all the memories of seasons that could've been special but weren't.

So you people with the optimistic comments keep it up, so us Wendy Whiners can get through the week and look forward to a B1G-time win at East Lansing.

Go Illini!!!
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+1000. I watched the 84 Kentucky NCAA game, watched the 89 team get beat by a team we had previously waxed twice by 30 points during the B10 season go on to win it all, and attended U of I during the lean years after the Pearl/NCAA fiasco. Opportunities to showcase All American basketball players in the tournament come about once every 16-17 years at IL. On that pace, I will be nearly 70 during the next cycle. So, for me, the time is now. That is where my critical posts come from. It is way past time for the all-time +/- Top 15 team historically in wins to shed its legacy of underachievement.
 
#47      

the juiceman cometh

T
the juiceman cometh
rtbritt said:
Analytics. I’m not saying I 100% agree, but that is the game nowadays. Over the long run, that is the recipe for success. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense, it hurts you, and makes you easier to guard, as you said.
Click to expand...
I actually agree with the analytics that those are the best shots. But I think you have to have some ability to do other things to make the offense less predictable, or to just get some points on the board and build confidence/swing momentum when the long range shots just aren't going in.
 
#48      

Rocky

Rocky
Rocky
Two weeks ago, between wins over WI and IN, BU was asked by a reporter if he worried about the February Doldrums. He said he didn't believe in that. Well, he may not, but the February Doldrums believe in BU.
 
#50      

TheFameProtector

TheFameProtector
Champaign
TheFameProtector
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Hope you’re right, my friend. The second half letdown vs. NU and today’s performance give me a terrifying nervousness about our “fire” right now. Countless mistakes these past two games where it was 100% just mental and due to not being amped enough. I can deal with poor play, but TOUGHNESS has been an essential part of our identity under BU, and it’s been lacking.

Beat MSU, and we are back on track.
Click to expand...
I'll be very surprised if they don't come out with that "fire" on Saturday. Multiple listless performances in a row isn't something we've seen very often in the BU era. But it is interesting that the team last year went through a similar stage at this point in the season but came through with Ws primarily due to Ayo (@ Nebraska, for instance). Getting the crap beat out of them at MSU (literally and figuratively) was a turning point. Hopefully getting the crap beat out of us at Rutgers is the turning point and we can do to MSU what they did to us last year.
 
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