Look, in college basketball, who knows what will happen? But I'm a noted pessimist and I feel very differently. So far, I've seen a readiness to play at this level in our freshmen that I would have never expected headed into this season. I think they rise to this occasion. Am I just high on orange koolaid? Maybe. I'm really excited for this game, though.
Pregame: Illinois at Texas Tech, Tuesday, November 10th, 7:00pm CT, Peacock
- Status
Traveling down to Texas to play an undersized but athletic defensive-minded team in front of a hostile crowd.
Worked out pretty well for us last time
Without Mirk and Jake, it'll be important for QC, Andrej, Vaaks, et al. to not get sped up and make the right reads. Forcing what isn't there and turning it over is where I could see this one going awry.
Feel like we get it done though.
Illini pull away in the last 10 minutes to win by 8.
Worked out pretty well for us last time
Without Mirk and Jake, it'll be important for QC, Andrej, Vaaks, et al. to not get sped up and make the right reads. Forcing what isn't there and turning it over is where I could see this one going awry.
Feel like we get it done though.
Illini pull away in the last 10 minutes to win by 8.
97-73 good guys.
QC locks down DGL with a significant block party by Tomi/Z/LW on his attempted drives.
TTU gets frustrated with AS driving and getting whatever he wants over the top and starts hacking. AS ends up with 10+ from the free throw line and 26+ total.
Vaaks, EB and ZZ combine to shoot over 50% from 3.
Tomi has 8+ assists.
Rebound margin isn’t even close.
QC locks down DGL with a significant block party by Tomi/Z/LW on his attempted drives.
TTU gets frustrated with AS driving and getting whatever he wants over the top and starts hacking. AS ends up with 10+ from the free throw line and 26+ total.
Vaaks, EB and ZZ combine to shoot over 50% from 3.
Tomi has 8+ assists.
Rebound margin isn’t even close.
Can’t believe these teams agreed to play a basketball game on the anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald /s
Illinois averages 13.9 seconds per offensive possession.
Texas Tech averages 15.4 seconds per offensive possession.
Illinois averages 15.9 seconds per defensive possession.
Texas Tech averages 18.9 seconds per defensive possession.
Illinois offense vs Texas Tech defense:
13.9 + 18.9 =32.8
32.8 / 2 =16.4 seconds per possession.
Texas Tech offense vs Illinois defense:
15.4 + 15.9 =31.3
31.3 / 2 =15.65 seconds per possession.
16.4 + 15.65 =32.05 seconds per cycle.
There’s 2,400 seconds in a 40 minute college basketball game.
2,400 / 32.05 =74.883 possessions per team.
…..
I think both teams will be good offensively.
So in a 75 possession game — let’s say Illinois scores 1.25 points per possession (what we averaged last year), and let’s say Texas Tech scores 1.177 points per possession (what they averaged last year).
Score prediction:
Illinois: 94
Texas Tech: 88
(P.S. this math is just for fun and definitely wrong for several reasons, one of which being that an offense has way more control over possession length than the defense does. Illinois will definitely have more urgency to push the pace, than Texas Tech will!)
Texas Tech averages 15.4 seconds per offensive possession.
Illinois averages 15.9 seconds per defensive possession.
Texas Tech averages 18.9 seconds per defensive possession.
Illinois offense vs Texas Tech defense:
13.9 + 18.9 =32.8
32.8 / 2 =16.4 seconds per possession.
Texas Tech offense vs Illinois defense:
15.4 + 15.9 =31.3
31.3 / 2 =15.65 seconds per possession.
16.4 + 15.65 =32.05 seconds per cycle.
There’s 2,400 seconds in a 40 minute college basketball game.
2,400 / 32.05 =74.883 possessions per team.
…..
I think both teams will be good offensively.
So in a 75 possession game — let’s say Illinois scores 1.25 points per possession (what we averaged last year), and let’s say Texas Tech scores 1.177 points per possession (what they averaged last year).
Score prediction:
Illinois: 94
Texas Tech: 88
(P.S. this math is just for fun and definitely wrong for several reasons, one of which being that an offense has way more control over possession length than the defense does. Illinois will definitely have more urgency to push the pace, than Texas Tech will!)
Last edited:
Whole offense is based on speeding up!Traveling down to Texas to play an undersized but athletic defensive-minded team in front of a hostile crowd.
Worked out pretty well for us last time
Without Mirk and Jake, it'll be important for QC, Andrej, Vaaks, et al. to not get sped up and make the right reads. Forcing what isn't there and turning it over is where I could see this one going awry.
Feel like we get it done though.
Illini pull away in the last 10 minutes to win by 8.
Too soon
I was wondering, too, and since, as I am writing this, no one has educated us, I thought I might as well see if I could find an answer. I found the following. I am guessing it is what the T-shirt is referencing.
Team Noah is a fundraising group inspired by Noah Moore, a congenital heart defect survivor, that has raised over $1 million for the American Heart Association to support heart research and awareness. The team participates in the annual American Heart Association Beach Ride, which is a five-day equestrian event aimed at combating heart disease and stroke.
Good for Andrej
There is a difference between playing fast (push the ball, quick decision making) and playing sped up (rushing, hurrying).
"Be quick. Don't hurry." - John R. Wooden
Not going to predict that big a blow-out, but I do like the match-up. Think the size advantage will make it a lot harder for them to rebound and close us out. Watched some of their highlights, and without Toppin, just don't see them as a top-25 team.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Yeah, if DGL is your highest usage player, you aren’t a contender. But in a one game sample size, a player like DGL can absolutely go off. Need to make sure that if that happens, it’s on low efficiency.
band camp
- STL City
His defense on the PG (when Penn created that switch) was terrific. There were times where I thought the opportunity to switch back on defense was available, but they didn't. Then when Tomi was the point man on the press, I just started laughing. There are so many "things" this team can throw at the opponent (on both ends). I thought Tomi had played a great game, then when I saw the box score: only 2 pts (only took 3 shots), but 7 assists, 3 blocks, 0 PF, and +36 (team lead) in 20 minutes. He must have been doing the right things
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Been talking about the Edmund Fitzgerald to my wife since we woke up at 4:00 am to catch our flight, and she’s about to lose her mind.
Pour one out for the 29 today, lads.
Chad Fleck
- Eureka, IL
I predict we will hold our own in this game.
Tonight's lineup:
Ethan Brown
QC
Lincoln Williams
Andre
Tomi
First players off the bench:
Vaaks
Zens
Ethan Brown
QC
Lincoln Williams
Andre
Tomi
First players off the bench:
Vaaks
Zens
That was the full court no pressure layup to end it, correct?
TT rolling out a pretty small roster without Toppins. They have a lanky international big that they start with that's all of 210lb. Sick Q on Gibbs and slow him down. It's a matchup that looks favorable on paper, should kill them on the glass.
Nope, that was the following year at our place. The 2023 game was at UT. it was close like 5-10 points, but not a buzzer beater.
stlrunner
jakeyjakey
- St Louis, MO
That was ‘24, I believe, and a home game. I think ‘23 was an early non-con game for TSJ’s final year. I think we were in this game for a most of it, and maybe even took a lead at half or early second half, but then Tennessee just took a lead and kept us at arms length.
Scenario 1: Much growing pains from the freshmen. Turnovers, crowd becomes a factor, and the new free-flowing offense stalls. Illini trail throughout.
Scenario 2: Freshmen rise to the occasion fairly easily. Game may be tight for a while, but Illini put the game away toward the end.
Scenario 3: Everyone starts the game off strong for the Illini. Whether it's their superior game plan and execution, or merely the opponent's inferior game plan and execution, or just TT being outmatched without Toppin. Illini take lead by second half and cruise to victory the rest of the way.
Prediction: mostly scenario 2, with maybe some jitters early.
Scenario 2: Freshmen rise to the occasion fairly easily. Game may be tight for a while, but Illini put the game away toward the end.
Scenario 3: Everyone starts the game off strong for the Illini. Whether it's their superior game plan and execution, or merely the opponent's inferior game plan and execution, or just TT being outmatched without Toppin. Illini take lead by second half and cruise to victory the rest of the way.
Prediction: mostly scenario 2, with maybe some jitters early.
- Status