Pregame: Illinois vs Long Island, Saturday, November 22nd, 1:00pm CT, B1G+
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Two buy games to get the guys coming back minutes.
All about peaking starting in early December.
All about peaking starting in early December.
Super intrigued to see how Petro gets worked in. 5 assists in 12 minutes tonight, and he looked like he could get into the lane at will.
Can be a nice change up if we get stagnant to spam the pick n roll with him. Given the spot and moment, I'm not sure I could be any more pleased than he gave tonight.
Can be a nice change up if we get stagnant to spam the pick n roll with him. Given the spot and moment, I'm not sure I could be any more pleased than he gave tonight.
A lot of people won't agree with me but I think Petrovic needs to be a starter and play 25+ minutes for this team to reach it's full potential.
Don't agree or disagree yet, I need to see more. But in about the first 15 seconds you could tell he has a gear the rest of the team (or practically anyone in the country) doens't have.
Curious how A) the defense looks with him out there and B) for the time he is off ball, will he give you enough shooting.
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He's probably not even at full strength yet.
They're gonna make at least 80% of their free throws and we'll think the problem is solved.
I tend to agree. Wagner has played a lot, and that’s great for his development. He’s a tough kid with a ton of potential, but… so far against high major opponents he’s 1-7 from 3 and 5-18 from the field.
It’s in there… but he’s getting sped up against good teams. Typical freshman stuff.
You don’t have to watch a ton of Petro to be able to see the poise he possesses. I think he will earn a big share of the minutes.
Good Lord. I have high hopes for Petro but we see 11 minutes from him so far this season and people want to sit Wagner? Wagner does so many things well. Amazingly well for a freshman. No way I want him playing less. He’s more of a key to this season than Petro and I expect a lot out of Petro.
Sharks play at Fordham tomorrow night at 6:00 PM CT with the game airing on ESPN+.
illiniswish09
- Northwest Suburbs
To add on and dive deeper into this...
This week is basically two games of prep before UCONN...
After we play @ UCONN 11/28 we have 7 days of prep before we play @ Tennessee 12/6
Then we play @ Ohio State 12/9 and home vs Nebraska 12/13
After we play vs Nebraska 12/13 we have 8 days of prep before we play Mizzou 12/22
This is a critical stretch of both game reps and practice to get this squad whole and rolling.
100% in agreement on this. His defense was rock solid. A 22 year old pro is going to be dominate. Wait for the matchup with Smith from PU. Believe he is the key to the team. EVERY year we bemoan the absence of a PG. this year we have him if he is healthy
blackdog
- Champaign
One important thing about Wagler is that even if his offense has been quiet against TT and Bama his defense was really solid. He's a pretty strong on the ball the defender and he doesn't make a lot of mistakes you would expect from a freshman.
...and that is going to keep him on the floor a lot. I just think in big games, and in big moments, Brad will end up going with the 22 year old pro. Not a knock on Wagler at all. He's a stud freshman, and will be a great player. Petro is going to have to come and take his minutes. I just tend to think he will. He has so much more game experience and is also extremely talented. Time will tell. A basketball season is often an exercise in attrition. These things tend to work themselves out. We are going to need them both to get where we want to go.
Really excited to see Mihailo unleashed and fully adjusted. His vision seems to be insane. That kickout to Wagler in the corner was one of the most accurate passes I've seen.
DICKnaggie
- Champaign
He looked very comfortable for a guy who was playing his first game in front of a crowd way bigger than he had ever seen. Very intrigued to see him more.
You want him to take KB, Andrej or Keaton's minutes?
Lost by 4 and shot ourselves in the foot numerous times but yes the sky is falling.
Some of these takes are incredible.
Great problem to have! KB and Keaton’s minutes need to be reduced some to preserve longevity throughout the season. There’s enough tick for all four of them and enough to avoid any of those 4 becoming disgruntled.
A little of all of them, and Keaton, Kylan, Andre and Mihailo could all be on the floor together. I actually would like to see Mihailo and Tomi together with Tomi in the pick and roll/pop. Tomi was most effective last year in that roll vs. having him at 7'-1"stand along the sideline waiting for a 3.
I am sure it will take a while to get roles & lineups figured out now that they are all healthy
KB is going to play 30-35 minutes a game barring foul trouble.
I for sure think he should take some of Keaton's mins. Keaton should only be playing 15 to 20 minutes a game if you have someone like Petro on the team.
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