Pregame: Illinois vs VCU, Saturday, March 21st, 6:50pm CT, CBS
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ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Right, he's way better than Groce, but if we hire him he's probably still here and we never hire Underwood. Over that full 15 year spectrum are we better off?
I like where we are but I also think very highly of Shaka and think he would have been a good fit here, and our fanbase was ready to embrace him as our savior at that moment.
We aren't the same team this year as last year. But the comparison in terms of size speed and coaching is "spot on" in your post. If anything, I think VCUs press maybe more daunting than Xavier last year.
I really feel that we got the best route to the EE for a #3 seed. We needed to put up or shut up against Penn and we did! Now it's time to do the same thing to VCU and everyone else in our path! Let's just smoke all offensive records en route to a Natty...
Dan
Admin
CBS (Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, & Tracy Wolfson)
fightingillini.com
NCAA Tournament Second Round Preview | 3 Illinois vs. 11 VCU - University of Illinois Athletics
No. 3 seed Illinois faces second-round matchup vs. No. 11 seed VCU on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. CT on CBS.
fightingillini.com
Why? Our 3pt% is OKAY (not outstanding, not terrible). And we get so many of them back.
Just don’t understand the idea that we should NEVER shoot 3s.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Tyler's gold-silver-bronze metaphor is a great teaching tool for fans as well as players.
A wide open three for essentially anyone except Andrej is a gold-medal shot. (Kinda not true for Tomi of late but we need him to keep firing through it as if it was)
But if there's any level of contest, if it's early in the shot clock that's probably Wagler-only.
Open shots and quick shots are mutually exclusive to me. For instance, there have been numerous times where Ben has received the ball while still moving downcourt and is wide open. However, he gets in such a hurry to shoot it that he is "floating" (not able to stop is momentum) which results in a make probability of 20% or less. When he is able to stop his momentum and go straight up, allowing is eyes to remain in a vertical cylinder, he absolutely needs to shoot it regardless of shot clock. In that situation he is likely near 45%....green light for certain. Floaters are difficult from 8 ft. and in but are being attempted more and more these days with players getting better at them. Add 17-22 ft. to the length of the shot and it is a poor choice. Keaton, on the other hand, seldom takes a three where he is not going straight up...even on his step back....Jake also. Kylan, like Ben, takes too many threes where he is floating, especially forward.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
I was watching some highlight show on YouTube on the Penn game, and of course they were gushing over DM. This was some national outlet, not some unknown podcaster.CBS (Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, & Tracy Wolfson)
NCAA Tournament Second Round Preview | 3 Illinois vs. 11 VCU - University of Illinois Athletics
No. 3 seed Illinois faces second-round matchup vs. No. 11 seed VCU on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. CT on CBS.
The problem was that they kept pronouncing it DAY-vid Mair-ko-VITCH. I understand it's not the easiest name but it is literally your profession to talk about these guys, can you make any effort? At least they got WAH-gler right...
I am lost here - we rebound 40% of our missed three - point shots correct?
What difference as to time on the the shot clock does is make when the shot is taken?
Where the shot clock is (time wise) has no bearing on how many ppp we score or give up.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
This cat is just so likable!CBS (Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, & Tracy Wolfson)
NCAA Tournament Second Round Preview | 3 Illinois vs. 11 VCU - University of Illinois Athletics
No. 3 seed Illinois faces second-round matchup vs. No. 11 seed VCU on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. CT on CBS.
Maybe, maybe not but I was in school during the Groce years and never saw a tourney appearance so I'm trading that for Shaka in a heartbeat.
Even if it it might be selfishly shortsighted(I think Shaka with Illinois NIL resources would probably be very good).
Shaka had pretty good resources at Texas, no? (.559 win%)
They absolutely suck at inbounds plays. It’s absolutely absurd to be at that level and seem to literally have zero out of bounds plays.
My high school coach had out of bounds plays that got us several easy buckets every game that I’m sure would work even at this level.
No excuse for this.
My high school coach had out of bounds plays that got us several easy buckets every game that I’m sure would work even at this level.
No excuse for this.
He actually did have some talented teams but it was pre-nil(maybe the very early stages his last year).
I feel like Shaka is a better coach and developer than recruiter and he would have done a better job at Texas now than he did earlier(also Texas basketball is always second fiddle).
His finishes in the big12 while at Texas were 4th, 10th, 6th, 6th, 3rd, and 3rd. So I think he was better there than even Texas fans would give him credit for.
Still I would like to see him get back to the full court pressure and Havoc defense that put him on the map. I want to see him with an entire roster full of long 6'5-6'8 guys that can move.
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