Pregame: Illinois vs Tennessee, Saturday, December 6th, 7:00pm CT, ESPN
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We have seen the Illini teams over the past 4-5 years have games they just don't show up, play with little or no energy. They have a history of playing just 1/2 game, slow starts or poor finishes. In my opinion that is on the coaching staff to not get these guys prepared to play. I could see after about 6-7 minutes into the game with UConn they didn't have it, no emotion at all. The crowd at Tennessee will be loud and scare the hell out of the Illini. Another loss, another long night of poor basketball.
I don't think energy and toughness are problems with this team. They need time to play together and figure out roles. Unfortunately, it's hard to know when exactly that will click. But this team is way too talented to have a line in the sand game. It might click now, it might click 2 weeks from now, it might not click until the end of January. But once this thing gets rolling I think it's going to be very hard to stop.
Having 3 of your best players out with injuries takes time to overcome. Especially when it's during the time of year where Brad is trying to fit all the pieces together. Plus, Lee missed playing against most of the cupcakes where he could've been gaining confidence and getting his feet wet at the college level.
Having this week off is going to be very nice. But like I said, Brad has a lot of work to do. The next 3 are all tough games, but then we get over a week off before Mizzou. By then I'm guessing we are a well oiled machine, hopefully sooner.
Agreed! We need some Rodgers type guys. Bam is the only tough, smart player. Rez is gone, he would help even if he took and missed a couple of 3s per game. Sencire Harris would make a world of difference for this team.
Who are our high caliber opponents looking over their shoulder for on the court? Who is going to pick their pocket? Who is flying around? How many flyin' Illini do you see out there? Most of these guys play like me.
Who are our high caliber opponents looking over their shoulder for on the court? Who is going to pick their pocket? Who is flying around? How many flyin' Illini do you see out there? Most of these guys play like me.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
This is where I just disagree, assuming we are talking about realizing the potential of that talent. If you are allowing your resume to slip to a #4 seed or below, you are just SEVERELY handicapping how far of a run you are likely to make in the NCAA Tournament. I admit I am jaded by Illini history, but having a #3 seed where you get to play a #6 to make the Sweet Sixteen and a relatively equal #2 seed to make the Elite Eight is SO much better than being a #4 seed where you play an equal #5 seed just to get out of the Second Round and then run into the buzz saw of a #1 seed in the Sweet Sixteen. Some teams obviously go on runs as a #4 seed, but they tend to be teams that play really tough defense and that can shoot the three. We are neither.
So, do I think a loss to Tennessee spells doom for this team? Of course not! It's such a long season, and there will be so many opportunities in Big Ten play. However, I think it will make our "track" for a top 3 seed decidedly in jeopardy, and it will require a 2021-esque run at some point to skyrocket back up the seed line rankings. That could happen, of course, but I will be bummed if we have to hope for that. Conversely, if we go into Nashville and beat this Tennessee team in an NCAA Tournament-like environment, I think it will be somewhat of a statement from these guys that something clicked after the UConn loss.
I just really don't want to be in the spot we were in for the 2023 or 2025 NCAA Tournaments, where we are hoping that a relatively lower-seed Illini team will have it all come together when it's lose-or-go-home. The 2023 team got its "good game" out of its system when we gave a top 5 Purdue team a scare at Mackey, and the odds realigned to dud performances vs. PSU in the BTT and Arkansas for a one-and-done in the NCAAs. The 2025 team shot lights out vs. Iowa, followed by an embarrassing loss to Maryland, followed by seeming like they had "figured it out" vs. Xavier and then finally a relatively flat and uninspired loss to Kentucky to end the season. And that is what I am trying to say, perhaps not in an overly articulate manner ... I want this team to develop an identity that transcends poor shooting and it "not being our night," at least to enough of a degree that we aren't IMMEDIATELY disqualified from winning a game if we all realize early on that it's going to be a cold shooting night. Those are the teams that can go on a run to end the year.
The shooting makes me wonder about the offensive scheme. BU has talked about looking for a better shot, but looking up several transfer players (KB, BH, AS) I see lower 3pt percentages for all 3 since arriving here. Small drops, but all were in the same direction, which makes me wonder how well guys are playing in the flow and how much they're thinking about their shots. There are a LOT of reasons that can explain small sample size variances, but whatever the reason, the flow needs to improve.
theNewGuy
- Dallas, TX
One of these things is not like the other...
also how embarrassing for Indiana to have Indiana state in the game and not them lol
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
That has to be a typo, right?? Also, some very notable omissions that we (at least theoretically) beat out include UCLA, Louisville, Villanova, Michigan, Wisconsin, OSU, etc...
Can't shoot. Can't defend. Not tough. Can't consistently finish at hoop. Too many of the same type player upfront with same weaknesses.1 tough player in starting lineup. And 1 potential one off the bench with Lee.
Brad can yell at the top of lungs about defense. This team assembled isn't it. (Good) teams will attack the Illini relentlessly bringing up any big on high screens if Brad is married to man defense with this team
Mid pack B1G team. 6-10 seed.
I gotta say lot of people seem pretty restless this early in the season.
Come on Fighter, let's see the fight.
Seedings. Smeedings. If you want to win a National Championship, you have to beat some great teams. So what if we get a 6 seed because we didn't gel early. As long as we are healthy and gel by the end.
You sound like we have stunk it up. But we have lost to the No. 5 team by 13 (which should have been a lot less except for a stupid banked in 4 point play) even though we shot like crap, and the current No. 12 team by 4 (even though that was one of our 2 best player's first game). We shoot just slightly better or play a little more connected on defense and we win those two games - something that can be corrected. It is not like we are No. 11 Gonzaga and got beat by 40 by Michigan on a neutral court. Tennessee is a higher ranked team - No. 13 - and we are playing in Tennessee. All you can hope for is that we continue to improve.
Oh, and as for 3 point shooting, I blame the other night on that god-awful blue floor. It is no wonder their depth perception was wacked out. We did shoot 32% and 34% against Texas Tech and Alabama respectively. Not great, but you can't just say we can't shoot 3s. We are shooting 79% from the FT line, which is pretty darn good and indicative of a team that can shoot.
I am always amazed by the lack of faith of people. They expect our players to all be dogs but, as fans, a lot of the people on here are anything but.
Some hard truths here.
Can't shoot. Can't defend. Not tough. Can't consistently finish at hoop. Too many of the same type player upfront with same weaknesses.1 tough player in starting lineup. And 1 potential one off the bench with Lee.
Brad can yell at the top of lungs about defense. This team assembled isn't it. (Good) teams will attack the Illini relentlessly bringing up any big on high screens if Brad is married to man defense with this team
Mid pack B1G team. 6-10 seed.
Actually, it doesn't take much "dog" at all to be loyal to a team that you think might be the second 6 seed ever to win a national championship. But, to keep tuning in, buying the tickets, wearing the merch even when you suspect your team could be mortally flawed - now, that's loyalty.
TN is one of the few teams in college basketball that can match the IL height. But I think this will actually help IL bc it’s big on big. I expect an ugly half court low scoring affair. A very close game. Athletic bigs vs finesse bigs. Illinois has more capable scorers so I think if Petrovic and Stojakovic have decent games Illinois will win. I just don’t see TN as an elite team. Gillespie is the only guard they got that can score.
Glad you mentioned Petro. If this team is to become "elite," it will need him running the point on a regular basis. Boswell will continue to be a load for other teams regardless.
BU is right; these guys need to play harder. On defense, particularly.
I'm gonna keep beating this horse. If I'm reading the heat map for the UConn game correctly, we were actually 1 of 1 from the COLLEGE three point line. We were 4 of 27 from or beyond the NBA three point line (with one more miss coming from in between those two lines). I would love the guys to stop the heroic shooting from NBA range!
i dont understand why they cant remove the nba line for the game it only causes confusion
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