Pregame: Illinois at Purdue, Saturday, January 24th, 2:00pm CT, FOX
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socalini
- So Cali
IT’S. NEVER. HAPPENING.
Edit: I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other, but I’m a realist.
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Not sure if it's better or worse than playing the cash register sound from Quicken 98 when we make a FT lol.
I’d love for this not to be the “TKR is back” or “Fletcher Loyer is back” game
I’m scared by what TKR did to us last year. Him getting less touches is fine by me.
I’m scared by what TKR did to us last year. Him getting less touches is fine by me.
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
Students changed. They simply are not as present in the real world as they once were. The real world to them is on a screen, and social interactions and expressions of any kind are reserved for those platforms. I see it in my classroom all the time; students are generally going through withdrawal every day while they wait for the time they can get back to their actual life--on social media.
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
I should have added this: Even though I think it's a major contributing factor, it can't be the only reason. Other schools do still have raucous atmospheres. I haven't been in State Farm for a game since the reno, so I don't know about the effect that has. Maybe it's just the Krush leadership?
Having attended games as a kid until now i dont really look at NW as my top rival for Illinois Hoops. Its been IU with Knight vs Henson, Iowa since Pearl and Purdue with that annoying Boiler Up chant i cant stand. Always seems some Purdue fan is behind me in CU. Right now theres no team i enjoy beating more than Purdue and that annoying fan base and quieting that chant. Lets Go!
Sometimes just being at the game is the point. You can go to work the next day and tell everyone you were at the game, and they will oooh and aaah over the fact that you were actually there. This happened at another university I worked at that had just started a D1 hockey program when I arrived. This was in Omaha, NE, which, as you know, is Husker football land. My school hosted the only other D1 sport (at that time, D2 schools could have D1 hockey) outside of Creighton athletics. In no time, the hockey tickets became the coin of the realm. I bought season seats as soon as I arrived, even though I knew next to nothing about hockey at the time. It didn't take long to realize that probably 55% of the crowd was there to be seen at the hockey games, because it was new and shiny. Everyone who was anyone went to the games for the social aspect, not to watch. I remember one guy near me who always brought a newspaper to the game and spent most of the time reading it.
I think Illinois basketball has moved down that path. Tickets are bought by companies to give to clients or vendors, who go to the games to do business. The beer cave gives fans somewhere else to go and drink, so they don't need to be in their seats. Krush is too busy taking selfies and posting TikToks to be bothered to make noise, and the longtime season ticket holders just seem complacent. Funny thing is, the same thing happened to the aforementioned hockey team when they moved into the much larger Qwest Center (as it was called at the time). Bigger place, more distractions, curtained off areas to go and drink and watch Creighton basketball on TV.
I see Illinois on that path.
There's an element to this around team quality, scheduling, the quality of the conference, etc. It's not like we've been hearing much about how difficult it is to play at the RAC this year. That will happen when you're 8-3 at home and 9-10 overall.
But I think this renovation added little to nothing in terms of intimidation factor for incoming teams. It's already a cavernous building that seats 15k on a good night. Multiple rows of Krush on the floor I think is more intimidating than seeing the one woman on the left side being the only one regularly standing up and getting into it.
Does it affect wins? I tend not to believe that, not for this program in its current state.
I mean, we have the best offense in the country right now. But it's not an electric, high flying offense. It's textbook high level passing and movement, a bunch of distance shooters, and offensive rebounding.
But I think this renovation added little to nothing in terms of intimidation factor for incoming teams. It's already a cavernous building that seats 15k on a good night. Multiple rows of Krush on the floor I think is more intimidating than seeing the one woman on the left side being the only one regularly standing up and getting into it.
Does it affect wins? I tend not to believe that, not for this program in its current state.
I mean, we have the best offense in the country right now. But it's not an electric, high flying offense. It's textbook high level passing and movement, a bunch of distance shooters, and offensive rebounding.
Fun fact: This game features the two best offensive players in the sport. You guessed it, Oscar Cluff and Jake Davis.
According to Torvik, these guys have the highest offensive rating in the NCAA and both are relatively low usage players.
Could be an x-factor to watch for. Which player will make the most of their limited opportunities.
According to Torvik, these guys have the highest offensive rating in the NCAA and both are relatively low usage players.
Could be an x-factor to watch for. Which player will make the most of their limited opportunities.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Wonderful analysis. I wish I could offer further insight but can't. FWIW I grew up watching Ohio State basketball in the old St. John Arena, which had a steep balcony and sheet steel roof, and sat around 13.5k. At times that place rocked in a way I never experienced in the AH. Often, however, as a teenager I'd complain to my dad (who, when I was a senior in HS, was the same age I am now) that the oldsters who made up the bulk of the fans sat on their hands. I always found that the shallow bowl of the AH compared with, say, Mackey (my favorite BT arena for intensity), dampened the atmosphere despite the fact that I find the AH a wonderful arena.
As for the energy that Illini fans bring in Vegas, Nashville, MSG, Philly, etc..., speaking for myself I can tell you that the I cheer myself hoarse (even surrounded as we usually are by home team fans) because I love our university and our team and cherish the rare occasions when I can see them in person (it will be at least three times this season, which is remarkable). Seeing the Illini play is a scarce good for us out here among the Huns on the cold, rough edges of Midwestern civilization. I still recall the "ILL-INI" cheers in the RAC two years ago that sent chills down my spine.
However, I gotta tell you that your rapier insights pale compared with your chilling implication, about which I'm now obsessing on this Friday morning, that a 50-year season-ticket holder is not "middle aged." Having graduated 38 years ago this coming May, that shakes me to my core for a reason I can't quite pin down.
Is anyone going to this game?
Jake>Ben confirmed? I'm not fully bashing on Ben...he's doing the small things right, but making 3's is why he's getting paid.
Jake>Ben confirmed? I'm not fully bashing on Ben...he's doing the small things right, but making 3's is why he's getting paid.
Yea if these people actually care about Illini athletics, then any and all efforts to bring back the Chief should be re-directed towards creating some new tradition, because any time used thinking the Chief actually coming back is completely wasted.
Usually, crowd noise and involvement has the largest effect on home team defense, not offense. Just the overall ability to get opponents to rush shots or lose awareness of the shot clock, or make bad decisions. Give an opponent a claustrophobic feeling of uneasiness.
More generally, when I think of good crowds for basketball is how often can they trick a team into a shot clock violation or throwing up a prayer when there's still time on the clock. And how well they can get in a players head or force "unforced" turnovers. And as to that, I can't recall the last time our home crowd forced a shot clock violation or contributed to a turnover this year. I'm sure it happened but it's not coming to me offhand. In years prior this was happening nightly, and often multiple times.
While I know Brad doesn't put a priority on getting steals, let's just look at where we rank in unforced turnovers in conference:
25-26: 18th/18
24-25: 13th/18
23-24: 13th/14
22-23: 9th/14
21-22: 5th/14
20-21: 6th/14
This is where you'd expect to see fan involvement have it's largest affect. And sure enough during the Weber years for example, there was only 1 single season where Illinois wasn't in the top half of the conference in this stat. Its also interesting that most fans on this site who were talking about how quiet the House of Paign had become really started talking about it around 3 years ago, with the worst being this year. So the numbers certainly track.
And just so people understand what this difference means, over the Weber years opponents had an unforced turnover rate of around 11%. Over the past 3 years it's been less than 6%. That roughly translates to about 3.5 extra turnovers a game. And if you give the crowd half of the credit there, you're talking around 2 turnovers a game less caused by the crowd or a 4pt swing. And I would certainly say that tracks
Agreed.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Haha, to be very clear, I meant someone who’s HAD season tickets for 50 years and would this presumably be like 80! I still think of my 64-year old dad as middle aged.Wonderful analysis. I wish I could offer further insight but can't. FWIW I grew up watching Ohio State basketball in the old St. John Arena, which had a steep balcony and sheet steel roof, and sat around 13.5k. At times that place rocked in a way I never experienced in the AH. Often, however, as a teenager I'd complain to my dad (who, when I was a senior in HS, was the same age I am now) that the oldsters who made up the bulk of the fans sat on their hands. I always found that the shallow bowl of the AH compared with, say, Mackey (my favorite BT arena for intensity), dampened the atmosphere despite the fact that I find the AH a wonderful arena.
As for the energy that Illini fans bring in Vegas, Nashville, MSG, Philly, etc..., speaking for myself I can tell you that the I cheer myself hoarse (even surrounded as we usually are by home team fans) because I love our university and our team and cherish the rare occasions when I can see them in person (it will be at least three times this season, which is remarkable). Seeing the Illini play is a scarce good for us out here among the Huns on the cold, rough edges of Midwestern civilization. I still recall the "ILL-INI" cheers in the RAC two years ago that sent chills down my spine.
However, I gotta tell you that your rapier insights pale compared with your chilling implication, about which I'm now obsessing on this Friday morning, that a 50-year season-ticket holder is not "middle aged." Having graduated 38 years ago this coming May, that shakes me to my core for a reason I can't quite pin down.
They run a sing-along segment during timeouts. They usually play the same few songs (Dont Stop Believin, etc). They mixed it up against Maryland and played Higher by Creed. This did not drive higher crowd engagement.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
OK. We're good. For now. We need to have a sidebar so I understand clearly when you will cease to view him as middle-aged.Haha, to be very clear, I meant someone who’s HAD season tickets for 50 years and would this presumably be like 80! I still think of my 64-year old dad as middle aged.
When I attend a live sporting event, I am there to watch and interact with that event. I don't understand when I see people like this. These, and the people that decide to get up to go to the restroom or concessions on 3rd/4th and short yardage.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Apparently Illinois basketball needs a battalion of Seat Nazis screening fans at the SFC for demonstrated enthusiasm: "No SEAT for YOU!!!"
blackdog
- Champaign
Great idea! No seats for everyone means standing the whole game!
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Recently, I’m made a comment about myself being middle-aged. Ms. DawgClassic looked right at me and asked “you planning to live to 114?”
I didn’t dare make a comment about being on the back nine for fear she’d cut it to the back four or five.
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