altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Pregame: Illinois vs Indiana, Friday, March 11th, 10:30am CT, BTN
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altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
... as it often does.
I think our issue in the NCAAs last year was as much a lack of experience in that event as anything else. I think there is a tendency, especially when you are a very hyped #1 seed, to over-look certain opponents because of the name on the jersey.
You have to come ready for a dog fight every single possession. Be confident in what you can do, but don't under-estimate anyone... especially a mid-major. Those teams have typically won a lot of games and have experienced players. That winning mindset doesn't just go away because of your seeding.
You have to come ready for a dog fight every single possession. Be confident in what you can do, but don't under-estimate anyone... especially a mid-major. Those teams have typically won a lot of games and have experienced players. That winning mindset doesn't just go away because of your seeding.
Bigtex
- DFW
haven't seen Ohio State since they beat us but their results are horrible since then. I know they had some injuries but as hot as Nebraska is - Ohio St is that cold.
Me either, did a little digging. Hopefully just a college kid saying dumb things in the moment. Glad to see the two schools working together to make the best of the situation.
https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...ketball-keegan-mental-health-ncaa/9426547002/
My biggest concern come ncaa tourney time is correct adjustment to different refereeing. We are such a physical league.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
Last year was brutal wake up call. Our players had very limited NCAA tournament experience and it showed.
Brad had a 2-4 record in NCAA Tournament 3X with SFA and 1X with OSU but did not get the Ilini ready
We did not respect our opponent.
Loyola put together a very good game plan and executed it flawlessly.
This year's team has been much more challenged during regular season with injuries, Covid, NCAA suspension etc. They will not forget all the jokes that were made when we were upset by Loyola last year.
We are not as talented as Ayo is starting in the NBA but we are still a very good team.We are a very experienced team
Trent DaMonte - 5th year
Jacob, Alphonso - SR
Kofi - JR
Coleman - Soph
I think we will be much more prepared for the first two NCAA games.
Brad had a 2-4 record in NCAA Tournament 3X with SFA and 1X with OSU but did not get the Ilini ready
We did not respect our opponent.
Loyola put together a very good game plan and executed it flawlessly.
This year's team has been much more challenged during regular season with injuries, Covid, NCAA suspension etc. They will not forget all the jokes that were made when we were upset by Loyola last year.
We are not as talented as Ayo is starting in the NBA but we are still a very good team.We are a very experienced team
Trent DaMonte - 5th year
Jacob, Alphonso - SR
Kofi - JR
Coleman - Soph
I think we will be much more prepared for the first two NCAA games.
Agree. I think what we're seeing here is how extremely difficult it is for any team to win 9-10 games in a row against high level opponents. I don't think it has to do with fatigue or some kind of mental letdown following the tourney championship.
I say let's go win it. And if we don't, we can come back here and point to this graphic as proof that we're now statistically more likely to win a Natty
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
As I sit here thinking about it, we probably are indeed the team in the Big10 with a "target on our back":
2021 Regular Season Conference Champ (disputed): ILLINOIS
2021 Post-Season Tournament Champ: ILLINOIS
2022 Regular Season Conference Champ: ILLINOIS
2022 Post-Season Tournament #1 Seed: ILLINOIS
And you know what? I like it!!!!
2021 Regular Season Conference Champ (disputed): ILLINOIS
2021 Post-Season Tournament Champ: ILLINOIS
2022 Regular Season Conference Champ: ILLINOIS
2022 Post-Season Tournament #1 Seed: ILLINOIS
And you know what? I like it!!!!
Illini_1979
- Oregon
Well written article. Thanks for posting it.
I really appreciate how this situation has been handled by Iowa and Illinois. Hopefully some good can come from this deplorable situation.
For sure. Really seems like the Murrary brothers are good kids, so it sucks this happened. Especially after the bad press after the Ohio State game about our fans.
I finally had time to go look, and you are right. While the 1998 and 1999 BTTs were a week earlier. The NCAA Tournaments were also a week earlier those years.
Agreed, I love our fan base and I am as big a fan and as crazy for Illini basketball as any, but I don't want to be thought of as classless. We are not Duke for goodness sake.
Reeks of toxic video gamer.
OurMottoisOskeeWowWow
- Illinois
I think if everything hadn't gotten canceled in March 2020 we would have gone farther last year as you said with lack of experience in NCAA tournament considering what? It had been 8 years since.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
Agree. We probably would have won a couple games in 2020 without a target on our back.
In 2021 As a #1 seed the expectation was to reach the Final Four and we actually had some people predicting us to win it all. Coming from 2 years before where we were at bottom of the B10 it was a massive change. We were not a cinderalla story. We were expected to dominate people. We had just destroyed Michigan a fellow #1 seed at Ann Arbor without our AA star.
In 2021 As a #1 seed the expectation was to reach the Final Four and we actually had some people predicting us to win it all. Coming from 2 years before where we were at bottom of the B10 it was a massive change. We were not a cinderalla story. We were expected to dominate people. We had just destroyed Michigan a fellow #1 seed at Ann Arbor without our AA star.
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Hope he can get drafted, really love the idea of a 3 year model for success started by Ayo and hopefully carried on by Kofi.
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