Might be a good game for DGL. Tell him his only job is to stay on Tominaga’s hip and don’t get screened. Don’t worry about helping, rebounding, your own offense, etc. If Tominaga gets cooking we will have a game on our hands.
Pregame: Illinois vs Nebraska, Sunday, February 4th, 5:30pm CT, BTN
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If I'm Brad, no matter who he guards initially, I try to work the weave and get them switching until Demask or Ty have him and then booty ball. TSJ is back and will get his. He should be able to shut him down too.
We matchup very well with Nebraska. I expect an 8+ point win at home and us starting to turn the corner and gel…it seems.
I don’t hate it, but this Neb team is more than just Tominaga. He isn’t the only one that can hurt us, but I understand and agree that smaller guards have been an issue for us (though I’d argue Young and Buie have been issues for most if not all teams).
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I know this is a relatively minor thing to complain about, but I would really like to get back to the point of being even better than our baseline at home. If we beat OSU by 12 in Columbus, we should beat them by 24 at home and not break a sweat. Nebraska is a pretty good team, but I yearn for the days where teams quake entering the House of 'Paign. I thought the crowd vs. Indiana was much improved compared to the previous game vs. Rutgers (although Krush still needs some more organization to just do more chants or SOMETHING besides wait for an exciting play), but SFC still has a way to go to return to the mid-2000s days. And there is no reason we cannot.
All that is to say I want to win above all else Sunday, but to REALLY feel like we turned a corner in the second half vs. OSU, I want to win by quite a bit more than 8 with the game never truly in doubt.
Bigtex
- DFW
No idea how to or why SFC isn't a HUGE home court advantage but I hope coach figures it out and it becomes the House of Paign.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Same here, it's truly baffling.
1. Almost every conference or big game is sold out ... the ones that are not still have above 90% capacity.
2. Krush rings the entire floor and is literally right behind the opposing team's bench ... TONS of arenas have way worse setups for their student sections.
3. We have literally won more games than any other program in the Big Ten over the last 5 or so years ... and yet, I feel like places like MSU or Purdue just have objectively superior atmospheres right now.
4. As much as people like to talk about the domed ceiling at SFC not trapping noise, the corners are actually super close to people's heads and the roof does not go as high as people like to say it does, JMO. Sure, it's not FLAT like at Iowa or smaller/concrete like at Purdue, but there are much more "cavernous" arenas out there.
5. Most importantly and most puzzling, we have LITERAL EVIDENCE that the same exact building (except pre-renovation so arguably an even worse setup for fans being on top of you, even with a reduced capacity now!!) had deafening crowd noises in the past. This isn't some "Well, that's just the way SFC is!" type thing!! We KNOW it can be as loud as literally anywhere, and yet it's just not.
A couple random thoughts that struck me the other day:
1. Not sure if it's a general change in "culture" of the average fan since the mid-2000s, but we have WAY fewer chants than before. That helped provide constant background noise.
2. Fewer fans wearing orange does KIND OF detract from the intimidating feeling as a visiting team walks out the tunnel.
3. This is minor, but I noticed the Krush does some weird chant thing after we hit a three (they like do some motion that takes 2-3 seconds), and it actually takes long enough that they never really get into a loud "mode" when we are then on defense immediately after. Sounds like nitpicking, but I think it caps the "craziness" level.
4. Not sure how to fix this, but the average person in SFC now a days is just way more docile. And that's to be expected unless there is a general PRESSURE to be an active fan because the venue is just known to be that intense. I think your Average Joe at Purdue cheers and stands more than he ever expected to simply because he gets swept up in the pagenatry.
Don't get me wrong, SFC has still been awesome at times, and it is WAY better than 80% of programs get for a homecourt advantage. I just yearn for the days where it was second to none. If anyone thinks I'm misremembering the glory days, just go look up a home game from 2005 on YouTube. Even if you want to say the Wake Forest game was an anomaly, there is our full game vs. Purdue where we won by like 30, and the crowd is just relentlessly buzzing the whole time and gets so loud during big plays.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Beyond admiring your thorough and insightful analysis, I want to commend you for doing so while the new father of a 2(?)-month old baby. I get exhausted just thinking about being in your situation again.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Haha, thank you!Beyond admiring your thorough and insightful analysis, I want to commend you for doing so while the new father of a 2(?)-month old baby. I get exhausted just thinking about being in your situation again.
I almost exclusively post in either one or two manners:(1) Short, relatively simple posts from my phone while sitting on the couch and watching the game with my wife and newborn.
(2) Crazy posts that are way too long while my wife is with the baby and I am technically "working" but waiting on someone else in our firm for something.
TL;DR -- Homecourt advantage starts and ends with the Orange Krush. If they can't figure out how to be raucous and loud for the full game, we'll never have the intimidating atmosphere of Mackey or Breslin. Right now, half of Krush stands there with their arms crossed most of the game.
One of many must win games if we want to win B10 title.
I am pessimistic about beating Purdue (its been 3 years) or winning at Wisconsin. so 2 more losses
If we go 7-1 in other games that has us finishing 7-3 for a conference record of 14-6. Probably 3rd in B10.
If we run the table other than Purdue and Wisconsin we would be 13-5. Purdue currently has 2 B10 losses and Wisconsin has 1 B10 loss. Even that might not be enough to catch them. Love to have the home loss vs MD and the road loss to NW back.
However 13-5 would put our overall record 23-7 and which would probably get us a 2 or 3 seed with great chance to get to 2nd weekend. I would be very happy with that.
Without TSJ Kansas incident I wonder what this team's record could have been. TSJ was rolling and we already saw vs FAU what Marcus was capabile of.
I am pessimistic about beating Purdue (its been 3 years) or winning at Wisconsin. so 2 more losses
If we go 7-1 in other games that has us finishing 7-3 for a conference record of 14-6. Probably 3rd in B10.
If we run the table other than Purdue and Wisconsin we would be 13-5. Purdue currently has 2 B10 losses and Wisconsin has 1 B10 loss. Even that might not be enough to catch them. Love to have the home loss vs MD and the road loss to NW back.
However 13-5 would put our overall record 23-7 and which would probably get us a 2 or 3 seed with great chance to get to 2nd weekend. I would be very happy with that.
Without TSJ Kansas incident I wonder what this team's record could have been. TSJ was rolling and we already saw vs FAU what Marcus was capabile of.
Love Tominaga as a player and you don't want him hitting a bunch of 3s but Mast is the guy to worry about in this matchup. He can score at multiple levels but Coleman should be able to do a good job covering him since he's not a bruiser.
Williams is their best player but Rodgers/Shannon both have the size and athleticism to guard him.
Reminds me of the home game against #2 Wisconsin back in 2007 IIRC. Barely lost the game, but the crowd noise was incredible. Rich McBride hit a 3 late in the game and the roof of the Assembly Hall literally BLEW OFF from the roar of the crowd!!!
We need that kind of excitement back!
Wasn’t sure where to post this random opinion, but here it is… watching PU/NU and I have to give it to Purdue, they really did a great job rebranding their arena, especially the court floor. It’s so much cleaner than SFC without disjointed corporate branding and their simple light hardwood from end to end. So sharp. I don’t understand why SFC has to be so unnecessarily busy. I hate the different floor stains & the State of Illinois is unnecessary. Just the block I or Illinois in script would be much more impactful on light stained hardwood. Other arenas tone down the Libman green logos and state farm red branding also, why can’t we? Are we that much more thirsty for corporate cash? Don’t get me started on the RED State Farm logo on the court. It should be replaced with the State Farm Center logo displayed on the background during pressers… just my humble opinion.
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Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I also think a “pale” court color is so lame. Give me that yellow-y classic look, baby!!
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
That was my first game ever at Assembly Hall. When McBride hit the three, it was truly as loud as anything you could imagine. That’s why I’ll never accept these BS excuses that there’s some like architectural limitation keeping SFC from being deafening … I’ve literally been present for the proof that this claim is NOT true.
As sad as it is, the problem is us the fans. BTW, that full game is on YouTube, so you can relive the magic! Krush should frankly be forced to sit down and watch it.
I concur. I was at the game against #20 Wisconsin in February 2005 which I believe set the attendance record at Assembly Hall. The crowd was standing the entire game and there was a non stop roar in that place!! That was the loudest I had ever heard it
I hate to say it, but I think technology really deadens the atmosphere. Anytime there is a break, people pull out their phones and don't re-engage until something big happens. I wish they'd find some new "get loud" prompts. Outside of the nuggets chant, there's not a lot that gets the crowd into it.
I go 4-5 games every year and it's generally pretty calm. The two loudest games I've been to was the B1G championship clincher against Iowa a few years ago and when Underwood got rejected from the game and we made a huge fake rally at the end. Both games my ears were ringing afterwards.
It has to start with the Krush. They need to engage the rest of the arena.
I was in the front row of section B20. That was an insanely loud game. I actually won the tickets from a statewide Circuit City drawing
The Ohio State game in 2022 was even louder when Underwood was ejected, riling up the crowd as he walked off. Then it got as loud as possible when Hawkins did an amazing steal/dunk combo. If only Plummer shot a 3 at the end instead of that mess that happened
I would hate officiating on that.careful for what you wish for....
Getting back to the point of this thread, does Nebby have the players to do to us what MD did to us at our place? hope not
I haven't watched them play, but do know they are great at home and lousy on the road. Will that likely be true for our game as well?
I sure like having 3rd place all to ourselves for now until we go on what I predict will be a long winning streak to finish the reg season and probably get to the BTT semi-finals at least, hopefully starting with this Nebby game.
I haven't watched them play, but do know they are great at home and lousy on the road. Will that likely be true for our game as well?
I sure like having 3rd place all to ourselves for now until we go on what I predict will be a long winning streak to finish the reg season and probably get to the BTT semi-finals at least, hopefully starting with this Nebby game.
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