+1
but at some point you have to rest your starters
This is a comically difficult thing for some posters to grasp. Most evident around the 8 minute mark of the second half last night when TJL was getting a breather.
+1
but at some point you have to rest your starters
I have begun to look forward to these posts on each game thread
It is indeed inevitable. It is our destiny.
It's not about hope, it's about knowing, with certainty ahead of time, what your minutes are.
I don't know whether that is the case or not, but the flipside of your post is TJL at tipoff thinking "I'm only in until the first TV timeout so I am going to go a million miles an hour while I'm out here".
And Tracy or Tate or whoever is on the bench going "Here I come" rather than "aw geez, I hope I get to play tonight".
Having to look over to your coach with puppy dog eyes to get in the game or stay on the floor is not a confidence-inducing thing to have to do.
Unfortunately, we are 95%+ likely to finish somewhere 8-10 to 10-8
Obviously the First Four is inevitable, but just in case I'm wrong, I'd take 20-1 that we don't finish within that range.
Com'n now... that is a soft position to take after all this.Obviously the First Four is inevitable, but just in case I'm wrong, I'd take 20-1 that we don't finish within that range.
While I don't hate, or disagree with this position, I am fairly certain the first mass substitution came at just under the 17 minute mark. At the time, up 10-0, not yet to the TV timeout and certainly with a fanbase excited to watch Lucas in his first start, I found the extremely quick trigger absurd. Now, if I am mistaken and the swap happened at the under 16 timeout, then I likely owe Groce an apology for my comments directed at him at the time.
This team befuddles me. I really don't understand anyone's sentiment suggesting we don't have the talent to compete in the Big Ten. I still watch games and dream of what this team is capable of being. How many teams sincerely have a roster with more high ceiling guys than Illinois... Wisconsin, Michigan State, Maryland, Indiana, Purdue. Those are the only sure-fire teams that its reasonable to suggest we would be trailing, given an average coach. That said, even some of those teams don't strike me as blowing Illinois away from a talent perspective. I may get roasted for this, but Purdue in particular kind of annoys me. I remain stubborn in my unwillingness to acknowledge they have a high talent level outside Swanigan/Haas. Those two just happen to be HUGE talents. Yet we play Purdue and it seriously looks like 2 different levels of play for stretches of the game. We were a TURNSTILE for their guards to penetrate and dish. I am so tired of players like "Scrubby" Spike Albrecht looking like Magic Johnson against us. Outside Swanigan/Haas, count me in the MEH category on Purdue.
Chris Collins has Northwestern rolling with a set of players that by no means were considered a miss for Illinois, or really even on our radar. Tim Miles has Nebraska higher than us in the standings with a similar composition of talent. Neither has the level of talent (subjective, I am aware) that Illinois has. We genuinely look good in our wins! Look back to the NC State game. Every win we have gotten looks about like what you would expect from a solidly in, if unremarkable, tournament team. In the VAST majority of our losses, we look like a team that doesn't belong in the NIT! It is hard to rationalize those two extremes. It also makes it darn near impossible to imply talent is at the core of the issue.
Taking a look at the balance of the schedule, just talking to the talent of our opponents:
More Talented Than Us
Wisconsin
Michigan State
Similar Talent Level To Us
Minnesota
Less Talented Than Us
Penn State (2)
Northwestern (2)
Iowa
Nebraska
Rutgers
You can debate/disagree with the assessment (particularly Northwestern), but at the end of the day, it doesn't feel very good inside posting a rebuttal that includes the comment "we can't claim superior talent to Northwestern!"
There is still a path to 11 wins. It starts by beating Penn State @ Penn State. I am not optimistic, but if they do beat Penn State... can ANY of you say you won't be turning into that Illinois/Wisconsin game thinking "if we just win this, everything gets soooooooo interesting".
Others keep mentioning our destiny as a first four team. I think I am in the exact same place, except I feel it is inescapable that we end up at 9-9 in conference. 9-9 is AWFUL, the absolute worst case scenario. I am holding out hope that something has clicked and we go on a roll, resulting in an 8-2 finish (11-7 overall) and not living on the bubble. Unfortunately, we are 95%+ likely to finish somewhere 8-10 to 10-8, just making or just missing the tournament and no more Illinois basketball following the first week of the NCAA/NIT Tourneys.
We went 3-5 in our first 8 conference games. In our final 10, I expect us to finish no worse than 5-5. 5-5 or 6-4 is my nightmare (This is my nightmare!!! ). Given that the Cubs have de-jinxed my sports world, I will hold out hope that there is this unbelievable change in team defense and ability to handle a road environment from here on out. Faith is a funny thing though, regardless of whether I believe or not, at the end of the day we all find out the truth.
#SayNoToNineAndNine #WorstCaseScenario
Penn State has wins over Minnesota and Michigan State at home and lost to Indiana by 3. After losing to a few solid teams on the road, I expect PSU to come ready to play and for us not ready to play. PSU wins 69-60.
Penn State has wins over Minnesota and Michigan State at home and lost to Indiana by 3. After losing to a few solid teams on the road, I expect PSU to come ready to play and for us not ready to play. PSU wins 69-60.
I'm just hoping for something better than that 38-33 fiasco in 2009.
Bruce Weber and Ed Dechellis produced some of the most magical anti-basketball the world has ever seen during their meetings together.
Post-2005, here are the scores:
77-67 (A shootout in Happy Valley! I do not remember this game)
What is the current line on this game? I'm guessing the Kitties are favored?
This is the current title-holder for my least favorite Illinois basketball game of all time. It beats out the lost title game to North Carolina's phony AFAM majors.38-33
This is the current title-holder for my least favorite Illinois basketball game of all time. It beats out the lost title game to North Carolina's phony AFAM majors.
Game Notes
BTN: Greg Amsigner and Bob Wenzel
http://www.fightingillini.com/news/...lini-basketball-game-notes-at-penn-state.aspx
Groce: Didn't do a lot physically yesterday. Watched a lot of film.
Groce: Thought we did some good things on Wednesday. Defense in 1st half was terrific. 2nd half was just okay.
Groce: Have always had respect for Penn State's toughness. They're talented. Like their young guys. Athletic. Good defense.
Groce: Very aggressive defensively. Take the ball away.
Groce: We're going to have our hands full. Need to compete for 40 minutes. Stay the course for 40 minutes.
Groce: Having the right mindset and energy level (key to another great start).
Groce: We moved the ball and made shots early on Wednesday. But equally as important was how we defended.
https://twitter.com/DPiperScout
This is the current title-holder for my least favorite Illinois basketball game of all time. It beats out the lost title game to North Carolina's phony AFAM majors.
What if the hands are hot because they are playing knowing they have 4-5 minutes followed by a rest?
Players like the security of knowing how much they will play and when. In the NBA, rotations are even more slavishly adhered to than in college, because players essentially demand it.
That's not "analytics", that's managing the energy and emotion of your players.