Pregame: Illinois vs Alabama, Wednesday, November 20th, 8:00pm CT, SECN
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Fans of the state of Illinois sports feel like a unique group. Have had very rare periods of utter dominance which has you chasing that dragon for eternity. Unfortunately it’s been generally a whole lot of mediocrity. Illinois men’s basketball is currently the most consistent winner in the state and should maintain huge fan support as such.
Going to be hilarious if IU hosts Notre Dame in the College Football playoff this year. Half of them won’t know who to cheer for.I always find this phenomenon SO bizarre, lol. I like to read opposing fans' message boards before we play them to get a sort of opposite perspective on our Illini, and it is always such a bummer and a disappointment when schools we've played in the past like Miami (FL), Notre Dame, Florida State, etc. literally have like no online presence. When you look around and see how active and big the Illini FOOTBALL fan base is online over the years ... I really struggle to see why these schools' fans often cannot even be bothered to care when they have nationally ranked basketball teams.
On a slight aside, I really do enjoy that the (traditional) Big Ten fan bases are by and large some of the better "two-sport fan bases" in the nation ... with obvious exceptions for when a program is just awful, all of the old Big Ten schools generally have great support for both football and basketball within reason. The only exceptions I can really think of are:
1. Northwestern's inherently tiny fan base, but they have proven they can come out and support them.
2. The exceptionally cringe "Reversible Jacket" trend in Indiana, where IU basketball fans are Notre Dame football fans.
3. Penn State (if you will count them as "traditional") basketball in general having really bad fan support compared to the other big state schools in the league.
Attendance ebbs and flows with bad programs, of course, but in general ... a little excitement can fill up the arenas at Minnesota or Iowa pretty easily. And the basic point is that I am glad that there do not seem to be hardly any reversible jacket scenarios in our conference, with the exception of the Indiana example. In general, Illini basketball fans are Illini football fans, and Iowa football fans are Iowa basketball fans. I have literally read online about people who are Alabama football and Duke basketball fans or Clemson football and UNC basketball fans. That would be so incredibly lame and infuriating if you didn't even feel like you could "get Alabama back" during basketball season because a disproportionate number of their fans just bandwagon a random Blue Blood.
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
That is not a good human.
Chad Fleck
- Eureka, IL
I've been in Central Illinois my entire 39 years. I hate Chicago everything.
Therefore:
Illini
Cardinals
...
.....
Cowboys sort of. (I don't really care about the NFL.)
Based on these teams...I'll say that he's in his mid 30's?
Also, your acquaintance is a massive bandwagon jumper...AKA
We've gotta play well because this Bama team is clearly talented and it's basically a home game for them without being a home game.
And yet, sadly, has never won a championship.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
We’ve pretty much returned to my “original norm” when I came of age as a sports fan, with the pleasant addition of Illini football being way better … in other words, Chicago sports are disappointing to a huge degree, and Illini basketball is my only consistent, championship-contending team.
Giving you a thumbs up would be acknowledging that it's true. Take a
in 
spirit instead!
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2010-15 Blackhawks? I can count the amount of times that I've watched a NHL regular season game on one hand. The finals were a different story. That game 6 against the Bruins was insane (last 90 seconds). Without that dynasty, or the 90's Bulls, Illinois has to be top 3 in all time bad sports luck
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We've won plenty of championships in the BIG tournament.
Bama will be psyched up after this loss. Illini will have to play their best game of the year.
Actually other than flipping allegiances with Lebron’s landing spots, he’s not a bandwagon jumper at all if he has always rooted for those teams. He’s just a “front runner” fan. Well except for Dallas of late.Based on these teams...I'll say that he's in his mid 30's?
Also, your acquaintance is a massive bandwagon jumper...AKA
And big ten regular season. There’s a segment of people in this country that only believe March Madness matters. If you don’t have a national championship, everything else is irrelevant. Obviously we know that isn’t the case.
Bama will be a very tough test, but through 4 games I think they look more like the 10th best team in the country than the 2nd. There’s a chance we saw a better defense in Oakland than we’ll see in Alabama (I’m half serious, but I do think we’ll get open shots and KJ will have an easier time as a creator). I feel better about where we are defensively than I did on November 3rd. Kylan needs to put the clamps on Sears, and Tomi really needs to have a strong showing against Omoruyi. In particular, we can’t let them carve up our drop coverage because Cliff will be there for the lob dunk every single time.
I worry about who guards Grant Nelson. 6-11, 230, can shoot and pass, and plays the 4. Same concern I have when we play Duke and have to face Flagg. The 4 spot is by far our weakest spot defensively, IMO. This is where it’d be nice to still have Coleman. Ben hasn’t shown enough defensively to make me think he can contain a guy like Nelson. I’d love to be wrong, but I think it’s going to become painfully obvious we’ll need to hide him on defense as much as possible as the season rolls on. Booth could get some tick, but he’s had some lapses on that end against lesser opponents too and don’t know if he’s laterally quick enough. If we go small with Riley, that gives Nelson and co. a clear size advantage inside, but Riley’s really held his own defending on the perimeter. Will be interesting to see how that plays out. I think even if we “concede” their 4 having a good game and Bam/KJ/Dra can keep Sears and Philon somewhat in check, we’ll have a shot.
I worry about who guards Grant Nelson. 6-11, 230, can shoot and pass, and plays the 4. Same concern I have when we play Duke and have to face Flagg. The 4 spot is by far our weakest spot defensively, IMO. This is where it’d be nice to still have Coleman. Ben hasn’t shown enough defensively to make me think he can contain a guy like Nelson. I’d love to be wrong, but I think it’s going to become painfully obvious we’ll need to hide him on defense as much as possible as the season rolls on. Booth could get some tick, but he’s had some lapses on that end against lesser opponents too and don’t know if he’s laterally quick enough. If we go small with Riley, that gives Nelson and co. a clear size advantage inside, but Riley’s really held his own defending on the perimeter. Will be interesting to see how that plays out. I think even if we “concede” their 4 having a good game and Bam/KJ/Dra can keep Sears and Philon somewhat in check, we’ll have a shot.
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