Pregame: Illinois vs Penn State, Thursday, March 9th, 5:30pm CT, BTN
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Illini takes lots of Threes... and doesn't make the right percentage of them. But they shoot those Threes because they have to. They just don't have enough guys right now that are great at penetration and mid-range. Yes, the Illini need better shooters from Threeland but they also need these other weapons of a well-balanced offense. And also, better ball-handling in general and not so many silly turnovers.
Defensive pressure is going to be ramped up in the Tournaments so the Illini will have to work extra hard to get decent looks from Three. Lots of quick ball movement... open up somebody on the weak side... and rifle the ball to him for a decent Three attempt. And crash the boards.
And dust off some room in the trophy case (hey, set the right tone in the locker room, right?
Preach it Pru!
I’d like to see Matt drive more and draw fouls
I'd like to see Matt occasionally pass the ball to a teammate who is in better position to score
This... a million times THIS!!
This. Same thing for the NCAA tournament. We can make a deepish run, or get blown out by an underachieving 9 seed. I really believe those are our only two options.
Sadly, I don't think TSJ or MM are driven by incentives like this....
Maybe we offer free Monster drinks for life if they go all out??
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
First thoughts were major disrespect to Northwestern (lower percentage than us and barely higher than Iowa) and Penn State (almost HALF the odds as Rutgers?!).
GallopingGhost
- Denver, CO
I don’t know the emotions and thoughts of the guys and if they come out strong, rebound and take care of the ball I think we win.
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Giving Purdue a 28% chance of winning the tournamnet given their five conference losses seems high
I have pulled back on betting on colllege basketball, emotion, poise during last 2 minutes and momentum (runs/streaks) play too great a role.
I might be inclined to bet on good passing teams like NW and Penn State to cover. Last I looked Penn State was +2.5
How about big tourneys from TJ, Coleman, and Dain? A Chicago guy and 2 with ties. Hopefully they are amped to play in the UC.
Can we hold Picket to his season average and find a way to make a dent in their 3 point shooting?????
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www.inquirer.com
So according to our handy calculator, the Nittany Lions went 24-for-53 from 3-point range (45.3%) in the two games, Illinois went 14-for-50 (28.0%), and Penn State finished a combined plus-27 on the scoreboard — despite getting outrebounded by a combined 61-52 margin.
Now, there’s a good chance you’re thinking, “Big whoop — two games is hardly a big sample size.” And you’d be right.
So let’s analyze some season-long stats, beginning with this one:
No team in the Big Ten made more 3-point shots this season both overall (334) and in league play (209) then Penn State. And it wasn’t even close, as Iowa checked in at No. 2 both overall (254) and in conference (169).
What about 3-point shooting percentage? Penn State has made 38.9% of its treys overall, which ranks 12th in the nation and second in the Big Ten (behind only Michigan State at 40.1%).
In conference-only games, Penn State (39.4%) again trails only Michigan State (41.5%).
Which Big Ten teams do the Illini trail in 3-point shooting? Every single one. Yep, Illinois is 14th in the 14-team league at 31.0% overall and a woeful 29.1% in conference games. That 31.0% figure? It ranks 334th out of 363 Division I schools.
Back Penn State to score upset over Illinois in Big Ten tourney opener
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www.inquirer.com
So according to our handy calculator, the Nittany Lions went 24-for-53 from 3-point range (45.3%) in the two games, Illinois went 14-for-50 (28.0%), and Penn State finished a combined plus-27 on the scoreboard — despite getting outrebounded by a combined 61-52 margin.
Now, there’s a good chance you’re thinking, “Big whoop — two games is hardly a big sample size.” And you’d be right.
So let’s analyze some season-long stats, beginning with this one:
No team in the Big Ten made more 3-point shots this season both overall (334) and in league play (209) then Penn State. And it wasn’t even close, as Iowa checked in at No. 2 both overall (254) and in conference (169).
What about 3-point shooting percentage? Penn State has made 38.9% of its treys overall, which ranks 12th in the nation and second in the Big Ten (behind only Michigan State at 40.1%).
In conference-only games, Penn State (39.4%) again trails only Michigan State (41.5%).
Which Big Ten teams do the Illini trail in 3-point shooting? Every single one. Yep, Illinois is 14th in the 14-team league at 31.0% overall and a woeful 29.1% in conference games. That 31.0% figure? It ranks 334th out of 363 Division I schools.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I never really thought about this, but given Shannon hasn't played our traditional game at the United Center like many past Illini, I hope our lone Chicago guy has some extra zip playing in the Madhouse on Madison and has a GREAT BTT! Because when he's on, we look damn good.
Thinking about last Sunday's game. Go small with Hawkins at the 5 and let the chips fall where they might.
the answer is simple, execution extremely difficult:limit the amount of three pointers taken, limit Pickett doing anything offensively. Make them beat you shooting 2s.
1. I know it was one game…but the Michigan game for instance…looked like a dunk fest
2. I think it’s more like certain players simply settle too much…I have no problem with good threes obviously.
3. We’re long and athletic…certainly better at penetrating than last year
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