Pregame: Illinois at Minnesota, Saturday, January 23rd, 7:30pm CT, BTN
- Status
It will be a battle to see who wants to be at the bottom of the standings. This will be a winnable game, we just have to do it.
Losing team's coach gets fired.
illynifan34
That's a winner!!
- OH
I'm going to watch. I'm not sure why, but I won't stop watching.
89illinigrad
- Chicago
After tonight's game, I thoroughly expect that this team will come out and win this one going away. I liken it to the Purdue game after the MSU debacle.
The team will have a chip on its shoulder and will take it to a very bad Minny team.
(Of course, that just means we'll follow it up with a loss to tOSU at home.)
The team will have a chip on its shoulder and will take it to a very bad Minny team.
(Of course, that just means we'll follow it up with a loss to tOSU at home.)
RedRocksIllini
- Morrison, CO
I didn't see us winning more than 6 or 7 conference games coming in to B1G play. If the team doesn't get their act together and win this game, 6 wins will look like an impossible mountain to climb. Minnesota is not a good team but Groce may have already lost this team similar to the way Weber lost several of his squads during the conference season. IMO, a loss here is the death knell for the Groce era. (It may have already happened after the Indiana whipping and I'm just slow to realize.) I'm hoping the IU game pulls this team together and Groce can build something from this. I really want to see him succeed but for all I know, we may have an interim coach for this game.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
Minnesota is 0-6, that's true, and their coach is a toddler in a nice suit who happens to have a famous daddy. Minny played IU way closer than we did, kept it within 8 against MSU (were actually within 2 with 2 minutes to go), but have had big losses to bad teams, so they're just as much a cipher as we are.
I think whoever wants to lose it more will do so.
Minny 53
UI 51
I think whoever wants to lose it more will do so.
Minny 53
UI 51
illynifan34
That's a winner!!
- OH
We will lose by 10.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
I wish that I could be in Minnesota to cheer them on. The team needs some support and I would be thrilled to yell for them, but its just too far. C'mon team, restore some energy !
Pitino just got an extension a couple months ago, don't see him getting the axe soon. Though I believe they are in a similar state w/o a permanent AD?
We've played pretty well in the Barn over the past couple of decades, but this team is really the proverbial box of chocolates, so who knows?
BlindLoyalty
- FartNoiseMotivation
I don't think there is any doubt that Illinois has significantly better talent available to play than Minnesota has available on its roster. With that said, the effort, organization and execution displayed recently indicates that our cumulative talent really doesn't appear to matter.
Good news is that Minnesota has lost 10 of 11 and they rank eighth or worse in every single Big Ten statistical category except turnover margin. They are Bruuuuuutal. Pitino recently said Minnesota needed to "Pitch a perfect game" to win a Big Ten game.
A loss @ Minnesota would likely torpedo attendance and fan support the rest of the way and probably be terminal for Groce's career at Illinois.
Good news is that Minnesota has lost 10 of 11 and they rank eighth or worse in every single Big Ten statistical category except turnover margin. They are Bruuuuuutal. Pitino recently said Minnesota needed to "Pitch a perfect game" to win a Big Ten game.
A loss @ Minnesota would likely torpedo attendance and fan support the rest of the way and probably be terminal for Groce's career at Illinois.
I'm giggling immoderately at this.
This is probably the biggest game of the year thus far. A loss alone wouldn't mean Groce's job is in danger. We're going to have bad games despite playing with effort. We are a jump shooting team with poor rebounding and poor defense. That means we're going to lose some games we shouldn't and also win some games we shouldn't. The only way Groce gets fired this season is if they players stop playing for him. What we saw against IU had no resemblance of what Groce preaches, offensively or defensively. One bad game doesn't mean a team has quit, but if we come out the same way Saturday then it's a pretty significant sign as to how the players are feeling.
Illini vs Gophers
I see this as a tight game throughout. I am hoping the return of Big Mike is the return of offensive rebounding and we win by 5.
PS I am as disappointed as everyone else with our IU performance (and the season thus far) but I think we have some wins left in the schedule. Looking forward to celebrating when they have success.
I see this as a tight game throughout. I am hoping the return of Big Mike is the return of offensive rebounding and we win by 5.
PS I am as disappointed as everyone else with our IU performance (and the season thus far) but I think we have some wins left in the schedule. Looking forward to celebrating when they have success.
frozenrope9190
- Aurora, IL
Illini by 15. Why the hell not, eh?
I raise you to 16.
illini80
- Forgottonia
I'm not thrilled with our offense either, but I don't think that's why we are losing. We can't stop anyone and we are not good enough offensively to run other teams out of the gym. Play some D and we will be in the game. A few years ago we couldn't score to save our lives, but we were in every game. No I'm not pining for those awful games either. I just think the offense is good enough if the defense was there.
Chambana13
- Charleston, IL
All these points are poor execution which fall on the coach...the players are quitting on him. point blank.
How do you go from beating Purdue, to quiting on the coach in 2 games? I think a lot of the players are being immature in terms of how they are responding to adversity. Yes part of that is on the coach to get the ready so they aren't immature and he did recruit them. At some point though as a person/player don't you fight back regardless of what you think of the coach for your own sake. Because if you can't do that then you shouldn't be playing.
frozenrope9190
- Aurora, IL
If players are quitting on the coach midway through the season, then they're lousy players. This is their college career, firchrissakes. They're going to quit trying hard because they're disgusted with the coach's schemes and instructions? Pick yourself up and stop moping.
No, I think the players are getting beat because they're not as talented, not put in the best scheme to stay competitive, not cohesive because they haven't spent enough time together healthy to gel. And why would they quit on a coach for one game (Indiana, Michigan St.), then play their butts off for others (Purdue, Ohio St.)? Pick a lane.
Illini by 15.
No, I think the players are getting beat because they're not as talented, not put in the best scheme to stay competitive, not cohesive because they haven't spent enough time together healthy to gel. And why would they quit on a coach for one game (Indiana, Michigan St.), then play their butts off for others (Purdue, Ohio St.)? Pick a lane.
Illini by 15.
frozenrope9190
- Aurora, IL
- Status