(forcing myself to be optimistic and put on the orange tinted glasses)
Nebraska had their back against the wall and had some juice in the building with their Football dunk contest & Cook's farewell, we come out with our hair on fire Sunday.
Pregame: Illinois vs Ohio State, Sunday, February 2nd, 12:00pm CT, CBS
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Nebraska had their back against the wall and had some juice in the building with their Football dunk contest & Cook's farewell, we come out with our hair on fire Sunday.
Oregon we were +4.5 and won.
DICKnaggie
- Champaign
It's weird. He is supposed to be that sick but not only travels with the team, but has also been seen practicing with the team in the last week...
I would argue he got out coached the entire game.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
I am not sure how you are intending for this set of questions to be perceived, but it is a testament to the quality of teams that Coach Underwood has put out on the floor the last few years that the Illini are favored to win so many games. Yes, Illinois won as road dogs at Oregon, but there are much fewer opportunities to pick up underdog wins.
When you are consistently ranked higher, it is much more difficult to pick up underdog wins and more prominent to pickup an upset loss. Just part of the business of being a top ranked program.
sacraig
- The desert
I'm sure I'll get back here eventually, but right now, the wound is still too fresh and our team keeps picking it for me every time it starts to scab.
That turned into a grosser post than I meant. Sorry.
sacraig
- The desert
When we're cooking, we're a top 5 team nationally. When we're slumping, we are a bottom third of the B1G team.
I'll say this: we have range.
Haven't checked Loyalty since yesterday at the 10 minute mark in the first time but yeesh a whole lot of scorched Earth talk for a board called Loyalty...
Losing sucks but IMO, this team still has a few more Penn State losses to go before we're 2023 level, and even the 2023 team still had potential. One of the main issues was closing games, most of the games towards the end were tight. We probably should have benched our old transfer 3-pt specialist (looking at you Matthew), maybe we should learn a lesson from those days this season.
Do you know what else happened in 2023? UConn lost 6 of 8 Big East games from 12/31 - 1/25 before finding a rhythm and going on to win a national championship. Imagine what their loyalty board equivalent looked like on January 26th.
Losing sucks but IMO, this team still has a few more Penn State losses to go before we're 2023 level, and even the 2023 team still had potential. One of the main issues was closing games, most of the games towards the end were tight. We probably should have benched our old transfer 3-pt specialist (looking at you Matthew), maybe we should learn a lesson from those days this season.
Do you know what else happened in 2023? UConn lost 6 of 8 Big East games from 12/31 - 1/25 before finding a rhythm and going on to win a national championship. Imagine what their loyalty board equivalent looked like on January 26th.
sacraig
- The desert
This pains me because I like Boswell. And earlier in the season, he seemed to really be cooking, playing with confidence but within himself.
Now, it's like he's gotten over confident and is trying to do too many cute things that really aren't his game. I don't get it.
But DGL has been outstanding, so I'm still on board for this.
sacraig
- The desert
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
"You boys were on track for a #2 or #3 seed a couple weeks ago, and a loss on Sunday would have us sitting at 14-8 (6-6). Is that acceptable to a single one of you?"
If that pregame speech doesn't literally WILL a group this talented to beat OSU on our home floor, we're hopeless.
If that pregame speech doesn't literally WILL a group this talented to beat OSU on our home floor, we're hopeless.
Mysterious and quite sickening.... one was almost a turnover and runout...
Your question is based on an observation that has bothered a bunch of posters here for weeks now. In my view, the team has gotten noticeably better at inbounding the ball. Nonetheless, that has raised performance in this regard from utterly inscrutable to merely shakey.
It just looks like they don't practice this much. And that fits with something that Steve Bardo has mentioned: he thinks there is significantly less formal team practice time now than there was back in his days with the Flyin' Illini.
I bet the guys on teams in this era practice very hard. But maybe more time is devoted to individual training and shooting. Or maybe viewing film? But whatever basketball stuff they work on, it may be that there is less time available for formal, team practice. So: few inbounding plays or rules, few set plays where precision timing and cuts and screens have to be repeatedly practiced.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
I understand why the first two were so difficult, as Nebraska could guard very closely (they were not worried about fouling since that was the plan anyway). The third one, there is no excuse for not working back to the ball. The Illini were actually fortunate to get an ok look from Riley, all considering. Still, that was very frustrating.
sacraig
- The desert
Lack of discipline/effort.
illiniswish09
- Northwest Suburbs
IMO
KJ
Bos
Tre
Will
Morez
... Shorter leash for Bos if sloppy turnovers and poor shooting continue
KJ
Bos
Tre
Will
Morez
... Shorter leash for Bos if sloppy turnovers and poor shooting continue
BigE
- Hayward WI.
We need to stop using the excuse of this guy or that guy are out so we're going to struggle without them. How many games did TSJ miss last year, also when Ayo got a concussion and his face broke? It's always been next man up, play tough, grind it out and find a way to win. Let's get it together, play tough and figure out a way to get this W. We need to get tougher if we're going anywhere in March!
Close, but I would swap out Ty for Will, burn the redshirt. I would go with the following:
Dre - dont take him out cause he does not get tired
Morez
Ty [burn the redshirt, man do I miss him]
KJ
Bos
This team needs some dudes to grow up fast and this list, along with Tre, are about all we got right now. Soft aint gonna get it done - its a mindset, plain and simple. You cannot spend the entire game reacting to your opponent, try making your opponent react to you once is a great while. Ty's shot has to be better than what we have seen so far this year, and if not, at least he can take it to the rack and get to the line. Just sayin....defense may not be pretty, but it's how we have succeeded in recent years.
I thought on watching replay of the that last minute of the half that Will actually made a mistake: he had a pretty good passing lane to get the ball to KJ, as KJ cut diagononally across the free-throw line and directly towards Will. KJ's arms were extended and his hand were clearly signaling for the ball.
If KJ had gotten the ball right there, I think he would have had a chance to get off a good, short range shot.
Instead, Will hesitated, then pivoted away to launch an unrushed moonshot from the corner. Even after that shot missed, there was still 1-2 seconds on the clock. So I think there would have been plenty of time to complete the pass to KJ, and for KJ to make a move with the ball (dribble and/or footwork) and then comfortably attempt a short shot.
sacraig
- The desert
He would have to agree to that. It's not like we told him to redshirt. It was his decision.
There's no certified guarantee Ty would've been the answer. We already have lack of shooting... would adding more make things all that much better?
no one forced ty to abandon the team, he made that decision last minute in the days leading up to the season opener.
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