Pregame: Illinois vs VCU, Saturday, March 21st, 6:50pm CT, CBS
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The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
Feels pretty darn good that this is up with 5:00 left.
IlliniwekKDR
- Colorado Springs, CO
Love the confidence hahaha
Illinois by 8
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Mirkovic in the same group as Joe Smith and Tim Thomas with having 25+ pts and 15+ rebs for a freshman in the NCAA tournament is a great sign that he is a future NBA player....just not this coming year. He is for sure going to be preseason All Big 10 player if he sticks around. Love how our freshman are leading the way along with the senior Boswell. 1st half was a slog and what felt like a slow start and allowing Penn to stick around but they just put it into another gear in the 2nd half. That was just like the beatdowns in non-conference action. Feels good that the game was not competitive in the 2nd half
Also feels really good that Wisconsin and North Carolina lost today. We will have to get our UNC revenge another year
Also feels really good that Wisconsin and North Carolina lost today. We will have to get our UNC revenge another year
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
Can't ask for anything more than a double-digit seed to make the Sweet Sixteen. No excuses.
Another A-10 team in the second round
Even though we should win pretty handily on-paper, I'm not gonna overlook VCU, especially after they upset UNC.
I know I said that for Penn as well, but that goes for every opponent in MM. Anything can happen.
But again, we should easily win this if we repeat our performance from this game tonight.
I know I said that for Penn as well, but that goes for every opponent in MM. Anything can happen.
But again, we should easily win this if we repeat our performance from this game tonight.
Same thing as two years ago and against another A-10 opponent. First Duquesne and now VCU.
We get another double digit seed team for a trip to Houston. The last two times we made it to the S16 we had to beat a double digit seed. Slow Hill down and we should be in good shape.
Going into Selection Sunday, if anyone had told you we had to beat VCU to advance to the Sweet 16, there's nobody here who wouldn't take that.
It's not going to be a cakewalk, but we should be heavily favored.
It's not going to be a cakewalk, but we should be heavily favored.
As Brad always says, he is a great coach and underpaid when the team is hitting shots. Not sure how he feels about this one as there were many contrasting moments, but the good dominated and they hit shots. My greatest wish is that they build momentum and confidence on this foundation. VCU will be an entirely different experience in degree of challenge...but the outcome must be the same. Victory...Ill...in..ois...Var...si...ty!!!
Really is no excuses. Strap it up. Guard your butts off, crash the boards and pound them.
Looking ahead... Is there any chance whatsoever A&M can give Houston a game Saturday?
illiniswish09
- Northwest Suburbs
Gonna be a scrappy one. Better come mentally ready
Dominated the boards tonight. Need to dominate them against VCU.
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
I think everything depends on what that game did for VCU. It was a tense, emotional game. VCU had to expend a ton of energy to come back. They had to play an overtime.
I don’t think there is a lot of middle ground. Either VCU is energized by that comeback against a power conference team and they come out like a house ablaze Saturday, or they have nothing left in the tank and are flat from the jump. I think it will be the former, but hope it’s the latter.
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