Pregame: Illinois vs Indiana, Saturday, January 27th, 2:00pm CT, FOX

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#52      

skyIdub

skyIdub
Winged Warrior
skyIdub
LvilleILL said:
Well played haha. But we will in about 2 months :)
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From your keyboard to whomever is running the simulation's hard drive.

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#55      

drsmitty74

drsmitty74
Rochester
drsmitty74
LvilleILL said:
They played well enough last night to beat almost anyone on the road. Defense should have been better, but Northwestern played out of their minds. Even if you left even more open from three they would probably not replicate that shooting
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Not saying they didn't play well at NW. But there were enough lapses, mentally, that allowed NW to control that game. We should have beat them, plain and simple. I was just referring to your comment that because they are now pissed that they lost to, NW, that is their motivator to go on a roll. I simply stated that I would have expected the Maryland game to be enough of a motivator to not have the mental defensive lapses against NW.
 
#56      

rbse

R
rbse
no more obvious than Robbie Hummel, he's a Illini hater, don't know why he doesn't wear a purdue cheerleaders outfit
 
#57      

Vinegarben

V
Vinegarben
I watched the replay of the N.W. game and I have read and heard the hype this team is physical. What I saw was a different story. Looking back over the last few games the Illini are getting beat up bad inside the lane by players like Julian Reese, Young, Booie. Guards continually beating us to the basket. Booie and Young got into the lane repeatedly and shot the floaters.
The Maryland and Northwestern games have exposed a great weakness and softness in the middle defense. We don't have a strong physical defender on the team. Hawkins is 6'-10 but not physically strong, maybe Quincy is a little stronger but he is on the wing and not stopping power guys from getting to the basket. Luke, Marcus and even TJS don't seem to be able to stop quick guards from getting into the lane. Indiana will pose some size and give us trouble inside. It won't surprise me that Indiana beats us at home on Saturday.
 
#60      

IlliDan

I
IlliDan
Vinegarben said:
I watched the replay of the N.W. game and I have read and heard the hype this team is physical. What I saw was a different story. Looking back over the last few games the Illini are getting beat up bad inside the lane by players like Julian Reese, Young, Booie. Guards continually beating us to the basket. Booie and Young got into the lane repeatedly and shot the floaters.
The Maryland and Northwestern games have exposed a great weakness and softness in the middle defense. We don't have a strong physical defender on the team. Hawkins is 6'-10 but not physically strong, maybe Quincy is a little stronger but he is on the wing and not stopping power guys from getting to the basket. Luke, Marcus and even TJS don't seem to be able to stop quick guards from getting into the lane. Indiana will pose some size and give us trouble inside. It won't surprise me that Indiana beats us at home on Saturday.
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What? Thinking that Booie hitting 15 foot floaters is a great weakness and soft,come on.Quincy is double double machine PF,pretty physical,TY,TSJ,Domask are strong.physical players.Making plays,quickness,strategy all play a part also.Will be expecting a comfortable win vs. Loosiers.ILL
 
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#61      

jacekpardol

jacekpardol
jacekpardol
Vinegarben said:
I watched the replay of the N.W. game and I have read and heard the hype this team is physical. What I saw was a different story. Looking back over the last few games the Illini are getting beat up bad inside the lane by players like Julian Reese, Young, Booie. Guards continually beating us to the basket. Booie and Young got into the lane repeatedly and shot the floaters.
The Maryland and Northwestern games have exposed a great weakness and softness in the middle defense. We don't have a strong physical defender on the team. Hawkins is 6'-10 but not physically strong, maybe Quincy is a little stronger but he is on the wing and not stopping power guys from getting to the basket. Luke, Marcus and even TJS don't seem to be able to stop quick guards from getting into the lane. Indiana will pose some size and give us trouble inside. It won't surprise me that Indiana beats us at home on Saturday.
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Illinois interior defense is weak. Coleman can guard 1-5 and is extrememly versitile but his guarding at 5 is below average.
 
#64      

aaeismacgychel

A
aaeismacgychel
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Just another random thought ... waiting for a 12:00 pm CST client meeting, and I have a little downtime, haha. I have said previously that the first season I really remember is the end of the 2001 Elite Eight campaign. During that timeframe of almost 25 years now of being an Illini fan (although I have baby pictures to prove that I was BORN into fandom!), it is really interesting to see how perspectives on who our "rival(s)" is/were. I would argue it has really fluctuated based on current events, at least from my perspective:

2001 to 2006: No clear rival. Braggin' Rights was always a big deal, of course, but I think it was even more localized to Metro East/Southern IL fans during this time. Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, etc. were all generally down or just downright terrible. We were always battling MSU and Wisconsin at the top of the league, but neither ever felt particularly heated.

2007 to 2009: Very clearly Indiana. The Gordon episode plus Weber's background with Purdue (i.e., hatred of Indiana) REALLY re-sparked this rivalry to at least the same level as the Henson/Knight feud days.

2010 to 2013: Still very up for debate, but I would argue (again, at least for me) this is when Braggin' Rights really moved back to center stage. We had multiple really good games where both teams were ranked during this period.

2014 to 2019: Were we just too bad to have a rival?! MAN, this was a dark time to be an Illini fan. Mizzou always at least remained a clearly scheduled rivalry "event" and it got some additional spice with the post-Groce/pre-Brad decommits, but again ... we were just usually bad!

2020 to 2023: Iowa really re-emerged as our clear #1 rival during this time. Great games, bad blood, FINALLY a rivalry where both sides mutually saw the other as their #1 rival. There was a short-lived feud with Michigan, but it REALLY put me off how their fans claimed we like WANTED to be their rival and it wasn't reciprocated?? Lol, had total "Kid who made up his own nickname" vibes from their fan base ... good riddance, we do NOT need a program of Michigan's low stature to elevate our own, lmao...

2024: Kind of a crossroads, if you ask me. Mizzou might rebound, but they were hapless this year. Indiana doesn't exactly look to be trending up anymore. Iowa is really down, although they would still be my tentative #1, or Mizzou. JMO, but I think fans try to see a rivalry with Purdue that just is not there (two good programs does not necessarily mean a "rivalry").

With all that said, whenever the actual Indiana matchup is the next on the schedule ... man, it's easy to remember why we hate those smug has-beens. There is something especially offputting about the combination of arrogance (especially the unfounded kind...) AND a total insular/small-time bubble that they live in where they're convinced the world outside of small town Indiana water coolers thinks they or their state are in any way exceptional.

Let's crush 'em!
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So, since the 80s, in general I think Indiana is our biggest rival, though Iowa has definitely had their moments interspersed throughout that period. For somebody to be a true "rival", I think the players on each team need to truly hate each other. And as such, I do think you missed a rival though a non-traditional one:

In 2001-2006, we had an opponent where each team hated each other. There were multiple fights on the court, sensational finishes, fans going absolutely ballistic, and games played at the highest level on the highest stage, creating some of the most iconic moments forever etched in NCAA history. As I'm sure you've already figured out, it was Arizona. I would unabashedly say they were our true rival during that time period.

In fact, those games were so good, had such energy, were dripping with so much hatred, that I have long said, that we should have made that game an annual event. Two of the best basketball teams in the nation throwing punches on a regular basis. And even better, you not only make that game an annual rivalry but you have refs call that game like they did games in 90s and early 00s, i.e. hard fouls and extracurriculars, and Lucas Johnson is allowed one extra day of eligibility each year for that game for as long as he wants it. I'd pay good money for that. I think most would.
 
#65      

Emerson Bigguns

Emerson Bigguns
Emerson Bigguns
hoopsfan47 said:
LOL....actually, that should be the way to expect the Hoosiers to play. Galloway can go 5-7 from three and surely they have someone else that can career. Plan on it....then destroy their plan with tenacious defense.

Unfortunately, this team has an Achilles heel and NW found it last night with their quiver of arrows. MD and Goode are not quick footed enough to handle guys like BB (of which this league has a plethora of only one). Nevertheless, others will try to exploit that...and who knows how successfully. Others have tried, and a couple were successful (Tenn. and Marquette). It is a good thing to have two athletic guards at 6'6", but all you have to do is rub one off and bingo, Goode or MD. But it is what it is, and you have to max what you have, and both of them play hard and smart. Let's hope that is more than the Hoosiers can handle Sat.
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I'm not sure it's an Achillies heel, in that we absolutely crushed the same NW team at home.

I'd say when a team shoots over 60% from the 3-point line, including a bunch of step backs, and we miss twenty shots at the rim, we are in trouble...

I'd also avoid using the phrase "rub one off" in mixed company, but that's just me...
 
#67      

WyattEarp

WyattEarp
WyattEarp
Emerson Bigguns said:
I'm not sure it's an Achillies heel, in that we absolutely crushed the same NW team at home.

I'd say when a team shoots over 60% from the 3-point line, including a bunch of step backs, and we miss twenty shots at the rim, we are in trouble...

I'd also avoid using the phrase "rub one off" in mixed company, but that's just me...
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Coin Win GIF by Ellis D

There…fixed it.
 
#69      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
aaeismacgychel said:
So, since the 80s, in general I think Indiana is our biggest rival, though Iowa has definitely had their moments interspersed throughout that period. For somebody to be a true "rival", I think the players on each team need to truly hate each other. And as such, I do think you missed a rival though a non-traditional one:

In 2001-2006, we had an opponent where each team hated each other. There were multiple fights on the court, sensational finishes, fans going absolutely ballistic, and games played at the highest level on the highest stage, creating some of the most iconic moments forever etched in NCAA history. As I'm sure you've already figured out, it was Arizona. I would unabashedly say they were our true rival during that time period.

In fact, those games were so good, had such energy, were dripping with so much hatred, that I have long said, that we should have made that game an annual event. Two of the best basketball teams in the nation throwing punches on a regular basis. And even better, you not only make that game an annual rivalry but you have refs call that game like they did games in 90s and early 00s, i.e. hard fouls and extracurriculars, and Lucas Johnson is allowed one extra day of eligibility each year for that game for as long as he wants it. I'd pay good money for that. I think most would.
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That is a good point and a nice jog down memory lane to remember how great our series with Arizona was for a while there:

2000-01: #1 Arizona 79, #8 Illinois 76 (Maui)
2000-01: #5 Illinois 81, #7 Arizona 73 (Chicago, IL)
2000-01: #5 (2s) Arizona 87, #4 (1s) Illinois 81 (Elite Eight in San Antonio, TX)
2001-02: #7 Arizona 87, #5 Illinois 82 (Phoenix, AZ)
2004-05: #1 (1s) Illinois 90, #9 (3s) Arizona 89 in OT (Elite Eight in Rosemont, IL)

And we have had some really close/good games with Arizona since then (OT loss at the United Center in 2007-08 and 2021-22 loss at home that was a great game), but unfortunately we have not beaten them since 2005.

However, I think this touches on what makes a "rivalry." I have kind of a paradoxical view, where in SOME cases the bar should be high (e.g., Illinois/Purdue is not just instantly a "rivalry" because we are both good and the games matter) and in some cases the bar should be much lower (e.g., Georgia/Georgia Tech does not just stop being a football "rivalry" because UGA dominates the series ... it's too "on the books" or "official" for the record to matter). In that sense, I would consider these our "rivals" at least in some sense:

1. Indiana - Such a long, storied history of bad blood. A close all-time series. Two bordering states with such rich high school basketball traditions and insane fan bases. Multiple instances where bad blood has gotten even worse, such as Henson/Knight and the Eric Gordon thing. The ONLY knock on it is that Indiana has two other rivalries (Kentucky and Purdue) that mean more to its fans in most years, so that will somewhat detract, IMO.

2. Iowa - Honestly at this point our best conference rival, especially because it does NOT suffer from that last issue with Indiana ... ask Illini and Iowa fans who they hate most in the Big Ten, and I am betting both fan bases mostly say each other! It might die down if Iowa continues to decline, but man it's been awesome the last few years. I was in Iowa City for the close loss last year, but it was a REALLY good game and the buzz in the air was so quintessential of a great rivalry.

3. Missouri - This is BY FAR our most "official" rivalry. There really is nothing like Braggin' Rights. The only knocks are that (1) SOME fans far away from St. Louis care less about it (not me, though!!) and (2) once Braggin' Rights is over both teams move on and focus on their conference games, so it's a huge deal for less of the year. However, it's simply an awesome and extremely underrated (at least nationally) rivalry.

4. Northwestern - Look, I never said it was a GOOD rivalry. It totally lacks history. The schools are just WAY too different to have an Oklahoma/Oklahoma State type dynamic. You would have a TERRIBLE market if you tried to make some type of "House Divided" product for Illinois/Northwestern like you could with Iowa/Iowa State or Cubs/Cardinals in Central Illinois, etc. However, I don't get too ruffled up if people treat it like a token instate rivalry ala Tennessee/Vanderbilt. Again, acknowledging that it is SOME type of rivalry does not in any way make it a good or meaningful one.

One thing I will never understand is why Wisconsin has not become more of a rivalry over the years. Both successful, both close and you have the Bears/Packers angle. Plus Wisconsin's "main rival" - Minnesota - is bad historically in hoops.
 
#71      

moonpies88

M
moonpies88
Fighter of the Nightman said:
That is a good point and a nice jog down memory lane to remember how great our series with Arizona was for a while there:

2000-01: #1 Arizona 79, #8 Illinois 76 (Maui)
2000-01: #5 Illinois 81, #7 Arizona 73 (Chicago, IL)
2000-01: #5 (2s) Arizona 87, #4 (1s) Illinois 81 (Elite Eight in San Antonio, TX)
2001-02: #7 Arizona 87, #5 Illinois 82 (Phoenix, AZ)
2004-05: #1 (1s) Illinois 90, #9 (3s) Arizona 89 in OT (Elite Eight in Rosemont, IL)

And we have had some really close/good games with Arizona since then (OT loss at the United Center in 2007-08 and 2021-22 loss at home that was a great game), but unfortunately we have not beaten them since 2005.

However, I think this touches on what makes a "rivalry." I have kind of a paradoxical view, where in SOME cases the bar should be high (e.g., Illinois/Purdue is not just instantly a "rivalry" because we are both good and the games matter) and in some cases the bar should be much lower (e.g., Georgia/Georgia Tech does not just stop being a football "rivalry" because UGA dominates the series ... it's too "on the books" or "official" for the record to matter). In that sense, I would consider these our "rivals" at least in some sense:

1. Indiana - Such a long, storied history of bad blood. A close all-time series. Two bordering states with such rich high school basketball traditions and insane fan bases. Multiple instances where bad blood has gotten even worse, such as Henson/Knight and the Eric Gordon thing. The ONLY knock on it is that Indiana has two other rivalries (Kentucky and Purdue) that mean more to its fans in most years, so that will somewhat detract, IMO.

2. Iowa - Honestly at this point our best conference rival, especially because it does NOT suffer from that last issue with Indiana ... ask Illini and Iowa fans who they hate most in the Big Ten, and I am betting both fan bases mostly say each other! It might die down if Iowa continues to decline, but man it's been awesome the last few years. I was in Iowa City for the close loss last year, but it was a REALLY good game and the buzz in the air was so quintessential of a great rivalry.

3. Missouri - This is BY FAR our most "official" rivalry. There really is nothing like Braggin' Rights. The only knocks are that (1) SOME fans far away from St. Louis care less about it (not me, though!!) and (2) once Braggin' Rights is over both teams move on and focus on their conference games, so it's a huge deal for less of the year. However, it's simply an awesome and extremely underrated (at least nationally) rivalry.

4. Northwestern - Look, I never said it was a GOOD rivalry. It totally lacks history. The schools are just WAY too different to have an Oklahoma/Oklahoma State type dynamic. You would have a TERRIBLE market if you tried to make some type of "House Divided" product for Illinois/Northwestern like you could with Iowa/Iowa State or Cubs/Cardinals in Central Illinois, etc. However, I don't get too ruffled up if people treat it like a token instate rivalry ala Tennessee/Vanderbilt. Again, acknowledging that it is SOME type of rivalry does not in any way make it a good or meaningful one.

One thing I will never understand is why Wisconsin has not become more of a rivalry over the years. Both successful, both close and you have the Bears/Packers angle. Plus Wisconsin's "main rival" - Minnesota - is bad historically in hoops.
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I think Wisconsin seems Minnesota of course, and Michigan St as rivals
 
#74      

Vinegarben

V
Vinegarben
IlliDan said:
What? Thinking that Booie hitting 15 foot floaters is a great weakness and soft,come on.Quincy is double double machine PF,pretty physical,TY,TSJ,Domask are strong.physical players.Making plays,quickness,strategy all play a part also.Will be expecting a comfortable win vs. Loosiers.ILL
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I am not questioning their offensive ability at all. Marcus, Luke, TY and TJ are allowing opponents guards to get into the lane for open shots. Coleman can guard smaller guys away from the basket but is constantly getting strong armed down low.
 
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