Pregame: Illinois vs West Virginia, Thursday, November 24th, 1:30pm CT, ESPNU
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Illini1221
Peru,IL
WV-77
Ill-59
Hope Im wrong, but this is just solely from what ive seen this season so far
Ill-59
Hope Im wrong, but this is just solely from what ive seen this season so far
We'll turn it over 25 times and get our doors blown off if we play like we did tonight.
So, key to the game: don't play like we did tonight.
So, key to the game: don't play like we did tonight.
illinoisfan11
- Peoria, IL
PM me if you'd like to offer that line. I'll take.UI +20 for whatever you'd like to bet.
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BlindLoyalty
- FartNoiseMotivation
I have seen enough Press Virginia games to know this one will be U-G-L-Y from both teams. I am talking turnovers everywhere and fouls seemingly every other possession. If Hill shows up and we hit 3s we have a chance.
Advice that the team would do well to heed for the remainder of the season. =P
I'm going to go out on a limb and predict an angry Illinois team coming out and playing for a hard-fought and well-earned win by 6.
Maybe I'm wrong but this game won't really tell us anything. We won't face a team like West Virginia the rest of the season. So if we can break the press, take care of the ball, and come away with a win it really doesn't mean much (other than a good mark on the resume). And same goes if we lose.
I just wanted to put that out there because I will probably stay away from this place for a few days after we inevitably lose by double digits and look like a mess in doing so.
I just wanted to put that out there because I will probably stay away from this place for a few days after we inevitably lose by double digits and look like a mess in doing so.
Serious Late
- Peoria via Denver via Ann Arbor via Albuquerque vi
We play a tight game, losing by 5 or less. It further prompts division in the fan base, reasonably so, making our favorite sports related website more difficult to read.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
I think they come out determined and focused and it is a hell of a game.. I want to predict a win but I can't quite go there. I think they make this competitive and close.
I think a win would more than cancel the loss. Good win > bad loss.
frozenrope9190
- Aurora, IL
Groce needs this game. Really, really, really, really, really, really needs this game. Finally getting some recruiting momentum, but all the recruiting in the world cannot offset not winning on the court. He knows that; his players know that.
Illini by 3.
Illini by 3.
Deleted member 3875
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Guest
Bob Huggins agrees with all you points.
Illinisteve25
- Champaign
Excited to see what this team is made of. Will never miss watching a game as I am a true Illini fan win or lose!
Really hate to be over-dramatic here, but the next four games are pretty much our season. We've got to at least get two wins or our chances of making the tourney more or less drop to close to 0%.
Groce just hasn't shown the ability to consistently win in the BIG conference (never over .500) and only having one quality non-conf. win paired with a weak conf. schedule would make it really tough.
Groce just hasn't shown the ability to consistently win in the BIG conference (never over .500) and only having one quality non-conf. win paired with a weak conf. schedule would make it really tough.
Illini play well in tournaments (at least tip off ones 
). I don't expect a win, but I expect a team that plays like they want to. Game winner by Finke, maybe a putback dunk to makeup fr the Providence lose last year.
). I don't expect a win, but I expect a team that plays like they want to. Game winner by Finke, maybe a putback dunk to makeup fr the Providence lose last year.
Just out of curiosity-- how would this board feel if we do win two out of the next four? Say, loss to WVU, win against temple/fsu, win against NC state and a loss to VCU? (Assuming the losses aren't total train wrecks).
This was the assumption all along... meaning we would lose to WVU, win against temple/FSU and go 1-1 between the next two games... but the asusmption was always we would beat Winthrop.
I'd be please to have that result. Right now chances of making the tourney are still good. If we go 1-3 over the next four, those chances drop dramatically. The only thing the lose to Winthrop did was erase some of the margin of error in terms of our ROS W/L.
I'd honestly feel OK since it might show that we have the ability to battle against decent competition, which could bode well for doing OK in the conference season.
With the results you mentioned, I think we'd have to hope that a.) we beat BYU and Mizzou and b.) that NC state, BYU, and Mizzou all perform well in their respective conferences to give us a few top 100 wins come tourney resume time.
Mizzou will not come close to sniffing the top 100. The other 2 are pretty safe bets, along with VCU.
I would feel about the same, but what shape our tournament resume would be in really depends on which of those teams we beat and how good they end up being.
The nasty thing about early season basketball is that the teams you surprise very often end up being less of a surprise in hindsight.
illinoisfan11
- Peoria, IL
To me, this game comes down to 3 huge keys. One is taking care of the ball. They're going to obviously pressure like crazy. If the guys can take care of the ball, they can beat that press and get good looks. Second is boxing out. Can't be giving second and third chances to WVU. And the last is free throw shooting. That hectic, pressing style that Huggy plays lends itself to a lot of fouls, especially the way the game is called anymore. Handle those three areas, and they can absolutely win this game.
So #22 WVU has pretty much decimated their opponents in winning their first 3 season games: 131-56 with WVU Tech (exh), 87-59 with Mt Saint Mary's, 107-66 with MS Valley St, 100-41 with UNH (34 turnovers by UNH). Will be tough for the Illini to match up with this team, but will be a good test for us after a critical loss. Hope we can keep it close. Will this game be rebroadcasted on BTN on Friday?
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