Pregame: Illinois vs Iowa, Sunday, March 6th, 6:30pm CT, FS1

Status
Not open for further replies.
#77      

Rocky

Rocky
Rocky
aaeismacgychel said:
As I said in the Penn State pregame thread, we had a number of things working against us before the game even tipped off- First we were coming off a 90+ point performance on the road against a Michigan team we don't like. Second, Wisconsin beat Purdue on an insane ending that basically nuked Illinois' chances of winning the conference. Third, the following game was against a ranked Iowa team that we hate in what will be basically half the team's final game at Assembly Hall on Senior night. Fourth, PSU is a team we hadn't played all season are in the lower half of the standings, and who you're generally apathetic towards. Fifth, that PSU team has lost by double digits a total of only 6 times ALL SEASON (By comparison we're at the top of the B10 and we've had 4)! I know people don't like saying "trap game" but Penn State certainly qualifies. I said we should probably be happy with a win even if it was the pulling your hair out variety. It was and it was.

For similar reasons to the above, I'd have a very hard time seeing Illinois not coming to play against Iowa. If you can't get up to play against a team you have a running feud with, a team ranked in the Top 25, a team who if you beat you have a chance to win the conference, on senior night, with a team full of seniors playing their final home game, then I'm not sure what you can as a player get up for. And I would bet that Trent and Damonte would rather die on the court than lose to Iowa in their final memory of playing in Assembly Hall. Illinois will be ready to go in this one- if anything they might be too amped and playing at a breakneck pace for the first 5 minutes. In the postseason you have to get hot at the right time. May this Iowa game be the start of a 10 game heater for us.

PS: If we do come out flat and disinterested in this one, then yes, I am gravely concerned, but I just can't see it happening.
Click to expand...
I agree with you on the vast majority of your post.

Keep in mind that "we hate" and "running feud with" are about the fans, and mostly the genX and Boomer ones. The older that hate and feud is, the less likely the players care like those older fans. Now, if a team has a good propagandist in their news media to constantly bring it up, there might be some carry-over to these much-younger-than-most-of-us players. But I would suspect that any angst these players have with Iowa is based upon their head to head play while they have been here. BU respects the Iowa program, and Fran the Irish Man respects the Illinois program.
 
Last edited:
#78      

mydosburns

mydosburns
mydosburns
jumpingjack said:
I'm getting the popcorn ready for DMFW vs McCaffrey.
Click to expand...
I think Connon McCaffrey may be the X factor for this game. Prior to last nights stinker he was shooting really well from outside as of late. He always plays up for us too.
 
#79      

Illini-Rule

I
Illini-Rule
Make no mistake about it, we will get Iowa's best shot tonight. Just like we always get everyone's best shot. That's what happens when you are one of the top teams in the conference.
 
#80      

aaeismacgychel

A
aaeismacgychel
Rocky said:
I agree with you on the vast majority of your post.

Keep in mind that "we hate" and "running feud with" are about the fans, and mostly the genX and Boomer ones. The older that hate and feud is, the less likely the players care like those older fans. Now, if a team has a good propagandist in their news media to constantly bring it up, there might be some carry-over to these much-younger-than-most-of-us players. But I would suspect that any angst these players have with Iowa is based upon their head to head play while they have been here. BU respects the Iowa program, and Fran the Irish Man respects the Illinois program.
Click to expand...
I tend to agree but I was talking about our players specifically. It is weird in this day and age where rivalries have all but been eradicated in the major sports that this would occur, but both Illinois players and Iowa players have spoken about their dislike of one another (Illinois and Michigan the same to a lesser extent). And for the most part that animosity has shown itself on the court (though less so this year compared to the previous one). But again, I mainly do agree with you- most younger fans will never have any idea what a real rivalry can be as it simply doesn't exist anymore. Bulls-Pistons, Bulls-Knicks, Norris Division Hockey, sigh... The last team I can think of prior to these past couple years with Iowa and Michigan that I can recall hatred between our basketball players was Illinois-Arizona in the early 2000s, so this has been a long time coming.
 
#81      

Rocky

Rocky
Rocky
aaeismacgychel said:
I tend to agree but I was talking about our players specifically. It is weird in this day and age where rivalries have all but been eradicated in the major sports that this would occur, but both Illinois players and Iowa players have spoken about their dislike of one another (Illinois and Michigan the same to a lesser extent). And for the most part that animosity has shown itself on the court (though less so this year compared to the previous one). But again, I mainly do agree with you- most younger fans will never have any idea what a real rivalry can be as it simply doesn't exist anymore. Bulls-Pistons, Bulls-Knicks, Norris Division Hockey, sigh... The last team I can think of prior to these past couple years with Iowa and Michigan that I can recall hatred between our basketball players was Illinois-Arizona in the early 2000s, so this has been a long time coming.
Click to expand...
Understandable on the basis of their recent very competitive years of playing each other. I would think that Illini players would despise the MI players even more, though.
 
#83      

GallopingGhost

GallopingGhost
Denver, CO
GallopingGhost
I wonder how “prepared” we will be for a possible Big Ten championship celebration?

I was laughing to myself thinking: ok just imagine Nebraska upsets Wisconsin. We find that out about 2 hours before game time that now we are playing for a championship on the line. But like… do we have shirts made? Do we have hats prepared or will the managers be Sharpie-ing “B1G CHAMPS” on plain white hats? Will there be confetti? Will we have to grab an impromptu pair of scissors from the SFC offices just to cut nets?

That scenario tickles me 😂
 
#86      

FromTheLogo

F
FromTheLogo
bootsy1974 said:
I know it's better than your 'color me concerned', Kris Murray can guard Kofi :ROFLMAO: breakdown. Kofi doesn't need to shoot 3's we have other multiple guys that can do that. Saying Kofi doesn't shut 3's is just 'have you watched Illinois basketball' ridiculously bad.
Click to expand...
We'll see how it plays out I guess. My point was that the match on our defensive end isn't good. Iowa uses their 3-5 positions to post smaller players or drag larger players outside. If Kofi plays the sag defense he has played in most games, they will pull the trigger on the 3. If he steps up to guard them, his lateral quickness may not be enough to stop them.

I get one of them will have to guard Kofi. But I'm much more worried about the 3-point shot than 2's.
 
#88      

InDaAZ

InDaAZ
Eugene, Oregon
InDaAZ
Rocky said:
I agree with you on the vast majority of your post.

Keep in mind that "we hate" and "running feud with" are about the fans, and mostly the genX and Boomer ones. The older that hate and feud is, the less likely the players care like those older fans. Now, if a team has a good propagandist in their news media to constantly bring it up, there might be some carry-over to these much-younger-than-most-of-us players. But I would suspect that any angst these players have with Iowa is based upon their head to head play while they have been here. BU respects the Iowa program, and Fran the Irish Man respects the Illinois program.
Click to expand...
Speaking of head to head…
1101640B-C34E-4A8D-B6C2-2B57F838ACC0.jpeg
 
#90      

GallopingGhost

GallopingGhost
Denver, CO
GallopingGhost
redwingillini11 said:
I don't want to hear one thing about a structured plan for celebrating a championship. If Nebraska wins and then we win then we can party are butts off. But there should be no confetti and no t-shirts made. That's a needless jinx that I want no part of.
Click to expand...
We will have to keep Sharpies and some scissors handy then
 
#95      

BRucks

BRucks
BRucks
Rocky said:
I agree with you on the vast majority of your post.

Keep in mind that "we hate" and "running feud with" are about the fans, and mostly the genX and Boomer ones. The older that hate and feud is, the less likely the players care like those older fans. Now, if a team has a good propagandist in their news media to constantly bring it up, there might be some carry-over to these much-younger-than-most-of-us players. But I would suspect that any angst these players have with Iowa is based upon their head to head play while they have been here. BU respects the Iowa program, and Fran the Irish Man respects the Illinois program.
Click to expand...
larrybrownsports.com

Video: Fran McCaffery has altercation with Illinois assistant Ron Coleman after win

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery is known for having a bit of a temper, and it surfaced again on Sunday afternoon. McCaffery and Illinois assistant Ron Coleman
larrybrownsports.com larrybrownsports.com
 
#97      

BoJack Underwoo

BoJack Underwoo
BoJack Underwoo
IllinoisssssssVarsity said:
It wasn’t misleading. Does it matter who he discriminated against?
Click to expand...
Yes, it does. Affirmative action does not discriminate against straight white men to oppress them; it corrects for the past and ongoing oppression of other groups. Scirotto went about it poorly, but the goal (making the police department more representative of the community) matters.
 
#98      

CubsIlliniFan

C
CubsIlliniFan
redwingillini11 said:
I don't want to hear one thing about a structured plan for celebrating a championship. If Nebraska wins and then we win then we can party are butts off. But there should be no confetti and no t-shirts made. That's a needless jinx that I want no part of.
Click to expand...
Yep. I remember in 97 where we were the 6th seed and won our game only to have the Georgia, the 3 seed lose to Tenn Chat and we got over confident and lost to them. No, I want to have our game face on and beat Iowa. I want to beat Iowa regardless of the situation.
 
#99      

Rocky

Rocky
Rocky
Status
Not open for further replies.