Rutgers 62, Illinois 59 POSTGAME

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#76      
Yup, just give your best defender and highest energy guy 5 minutes...makes perfect sense.
 
#78      
Agreed

That was horrible!!!! How does the ref overturn that call!!

I cannot understand that call either. The ball was clearly off their player. There wasn't any replay that showed a clear enough reason to overturn that call. You cannot overrule that. Love to hear the explanation. Of course groce won't say anything.
 
#79      
Just when you start think that maybe... maybe... Malcolm and Marv and the other guys might see a Tourney bid, Lucy yanks the football away once again.

Feel bad for them. Fire Groce.
 
#80      
I posted in some thread awhile ago that the coaching situation would work itself out. Easy decision now, unless we win the BTT. Even beating UM and Purdue wouldn't be enough after a loss to the #171 team according to RPI. No signature wins, 14 losses (if we lose in the BTT). Not even on the bubble anymore.

Groce will likely get a good faith opportunity to win the conference tournament, but if he doesn't he'll be fired before the NIT.
 
#81      
I cannot understand that call either. The ball was clearly off their player. There wasn't any replay that showed a clear enough reason to overturn that call. You cannot overrule that. Love to hear the explanation. Of course groce won't say anything.

Tracy was clearly out of bounds when he touched the ball. It was the right call.
 
#83      
Yup, just give your best defender and highest energy guy 5 minutes...makes perfect sense.

He only got 5 huh? Wow. Meanwhile, LB never showed up and Finke played a horrible game, and your best player is toast and gassed at the end of the game. Coaching scared.

P.S. Oh, and putting Malcolm on Sanders at the end when he was clearly gassed was basically cruel. Does anyone trap to get the ball out of a player's hand anymore? Might've been a nice idea while Sanders abused us on the drive 4 or 5 trips in a row.
 
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#84      
I posted in some thread awhile ago that the coaching situation would work itself out. Easy decision now, unless we win the BTT. Even beating UM and Purdue wouldn't be enough after a loss to the #171 team according to RPI. No signature wins, 14 losses (if we lose in the BTT). Not even on the bubble anymore.

Groce will likely get a good faith opportunity to win the conference tournament, but if he doesn't he'll be fired before the NIT.
Uhhh... I would consider Purdue (if it happens as you posited) a "signature win"...
 
#85      
Today they missed shots they've been making. That's the only difference between today and the last few weeks.

Feel bad for Malcolm and Mav - they both brought it today. 16 points and 8 rebounds for Mav. 7 assists for Malcolm. Mav has improved as much as any Illini player in the last several years. He's definitely going to make some money overseas.
 
#86      
tracys foot was out of bounds but you could not exactly match where his foot was when he swiped at the ball. it has to be conclusive. not highly probable.
 
#87      
Uhhh... I would consider Purdue (if it happens as you posited) a "signature win"...

Fair point. I still don't think a 20-14 squad losing halfway through the conference tourney as a 9-seed with the wins and losses we've accumulated has any kind of shot. Might be wrong, though. Make the BTT title game and I guess we're back in the discussion, but I doubt it.
 
#89      
Sorry (but not sorry), the feelings of two seniors and one 6th year senior do not give me the slightest pause in hoping for change. I'm sick of one-on-one offense with poor shot selection and porous defense. If this "L" was needed to make a change, so be it.

Agreed.

I like the seniors, I really do. I love Illinois, I really do. I don't wish Illinois to lose, ever.

BUT, Groce did this to himself. He took the double barrel and shot each of his feet. I dont feel sorry for him. I think he created this problem.
 
#90      
Quick little anecdote:
My dad, busy guy, used to love Illinois hoops. Kinda checked out after the 2014-15 meltdown - wasn't fun for him anymore and the team repeatedly let him down. Wasn't even fun to watch, as we all know.

Been talking up Illinois a bit since they went on this little run (I know, shame on me.) He came over early today to watch the game with me - first time in over a year. Was really impressed by some of the ball movement, sharp passing and quick play. Wasn't always pretty, but damn even today you could see what made Illinois capable of their run.

Then Rutgers hit some 3s. Tejon got his 4th foul. Sanders hit two layups and Illinois puckered. And up two with 4 minutes to play, Illinois sat down. They sat down on the ball. They dribbled out the clock, settled for garbage isos, made a great effort to get the big oReb and then went back to sitting on it. It was terrible. It wasn't how they beat MSU or NW. It wasn't how they went up 10 on Rutgers. And as soon as they started reviewing that call underneath, we knew it was over.

The Rutgers big hit an awesome shot that usually isn't in his wheelhouse. Kudos to him, he had a great game and earned it. Dad and I said no words, walked downstairs, and probably won't be talking Illinois basketball for a while again. For 4 years, this has been a team that just rips your heart out. It's too much for Dad to waste his time tuning in for every game and making the time to travel down to Champaign. His fandom didn't die - it got f****** stolen.

I guess there's always next year. Hopefully the new coach can hunt it down and give it back.
 
#91      
Not ONE FG in last 4:30 of game. Not a good way to close out a game with 3 Seniors on the floor.
0-6
 
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#92      
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#93      
Agreed.

I like the seniors, I really do. I love Illinois, I really do. I don't wish Illinois to lose, ever.

BUT, Groce did this to himself. He took the double barrell and shot each of his feet. I dont feel sorry for him. I think he created this problem.

When I graduated in '05, I never thought the program could consistently finish worse than 8th in a 14-team conference. I've watched progressively fewer Illini games each year of Groce's tenure as there is much better basketball to watch. Can't justify making time for a sub-500 team that looks disorganized and mismanaged.
 
#94      
Quick little anecdote:
My dad, busy guy, used to love Illinois hoops. Kinda checked out after the 2014-15 meltdown - wasn't fun for him anymore and the team repeatedly let him down. Wasn't even fun to watch, as we all know.

Been talking up Illinois a bit since they went on this little run (I know, shame on me.) He came over early today to watch the game with me - first time in over a year. Was really impressed by some of the ball movement, sharp passing and quick play. Wasn't always pretty, but damn even today you could see what made Illinois capable of their run.

Then Rutgers hit some 3s. Tejon got his 4th foul. Sanders hit two layups and Illinois puckered. And up two with 4 minutes to play, Illinois sat down. They sat down on the ball. They dribbled out the clock, settled for garbage isos, made a great effort to get the big oReb and then went back to sitting on it. It was terrible. It wasn't how they beat MSU or NW. It wasn't how they went up 10 on Rutgers. And as soon as they started reviewing that call underneath, we knew it was over.

The Rutgers big hit an awesome shot that usually isn't in his wheelhouse. Kudos to him, he had a great game and earned it. Dad and I said no words, walked downstairs, and probably won't be talking Illinois basketball for a while again. For 4 years, this has been a team that just rips your heart out. It's too much for Dad to waste his time tuning in for every game and making the time to travel down to Champaign. His fandom didn't die - it got f****** stolen.

I guess there's always next year. Hopefully the new coach can hunt it down and give it back.
Thanks for sharing that. Let's trust in Whitman to right this wrong...
 
#95      
Don't let him on the team plane. Make him Uber home

Wrong. Shake his hand. Thank him for representing himself and the university with dignity. Tell him you'll be rooting for him in his career because he's a good man. Then fire him in whatever way provides him the most dignified exit, while also attempting to hang on to signed recruits.
 
#96      
Well, at least the "keep Groce" people don't have any other excuses to use. Final nail in the coffin. I feel bad for the seniors, especially Malcolm and Mav.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#97      
The layup was anything but uncontested. And let me tell you something everybody who coaches or plays basketball knows - When you're the better team and you fail to get up against a team that's far worse than you, it falls on the coach.

It falls on bad planning. Bad prep. Poor subs. Lack of motivation. Inexcusable scheming. This one is on Groce and Co. Sure, TA missed and layup and Kipper missed a dunk (that they quickly got back). Groce is the one who's lack of coaching or planning resulted in our twice injured guard taking it into the trees for a final shot. He's the reason Leron Black was in the game so much and the reason Leron is an offensive black hole. He's the reason Corey Sanders got to the rack 4 times in a row like it was nothing - it's pretty clear JCL isn't suited to guard guys like that.

Execution is important. Too often, these guys weren't given a chance to execute. That's on the coach.

Abrams layup was a very easy layup. He blew an easy shot. It happens.
 
#99      
When Rutgers hit that three at the end, I just laughed. That's where I'm at in my fandom now.

I just knew that if it were a 1 or 2 possession game in the last minute and a half that we'd find a way to lose.

Hill and Mav looked like the only guys in synch all game. JCL, too, but for a lot fewer minutes than I'd have liked.
 
#100      
Wrong. Shake his hand. Thank him for representing himself and the university with dignity. Tell him you'll be rooting for him in his career because he's a good man. Then fire him in whatever way provides him the most dignified exit, while also attempting to hang on to signed recruits.

i'm in this boat. really like Groce, have been hoping against hope that he could make it work here
 
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