UCLA 95, Illinois 94 OT Postgame

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#801      
WeWillWhen
I still can't help but wonder whether there was a "Coleman's Birthday" situation over at the W Hotel Westwood the night before the game. The guys had noticeably tired legs by the time they came out of the locker room for the second half; during the 3-minute shootaround, EVERYONE already was front-rimming shots. Too soon in a game to be seeing that. :unsure:
 
#802      
Hingle McCringleberry
LvilleILL1 said:
Everything is in front of this team.

Rightfully so, judgement will be made on how the NCAA Tourney goes. This should be no worse than a S16 and really an elite 8 team.
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Yet another year with high expectations, regular season self-inflicted losses, and then an all-or-nothing NCAA tourney run to try to salvage a successful season (and doing so from a more difficult seed line)...ugh.
 
#803      
NashvILLe05
BoiseBaller said:
Brad's Achilles heel. I'm already looking for the possible 7 seeds that dump us in the round of 32 unfortunately.
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Season 5 No GIF by The Office
 
#805      
sulli
Hessel Blvd said:
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Not sure I love that analysis. With 5 seconds left you absolutely should be in full court pressure. The problem with that was they didn't actually pressure anything, AND didn't get back.

They should have had humrichous deny the inbound, and had the two guards cover those guys much more closely. Then he can't get the head of steam and maybe even has to come back for the ball. Humrichous should be lightly denying the inbound to make sure he doesn't throw it right through him without leaving his feet, then immediately dropping to intercept any pass right back to the inbounder. The defender on the weak side (whichever side becomes the weak side) needs to HUSTLE back to beat the ball to the top of the key where he needs to really defend anything inside the 3 point line. Make the guy pick the ball up earlier and hit a runner. Both Boswell and Humrichous didn't guard anyone and Z stayed way too close to the basket (although honestly Stojakovic should have tried harder to stay in front of him so that it wasn't 1v1 vs Z).

If you can just slow the guy down at all, this ends up being a jumper on the run which is much harder and might get blocked by Z as a secondary defender.

I'd rather they risk fouling during the inbound than do what they did.
 
#806      
Chase321
Indy Illini Fan said:
I watched the game … I rewatched the game …

I have a couple thoughts …

Great teams don’t piss away a 23 point lead …

Great teams don’t make people question their effort …

AS … HORRIBLE … Missed box outs, I counted 11 on the film … That’s unacceptable … Missing FTs … You wanna get paid like an Alpha … Better be an Alpha !!!!! You don’t just get to show up when you want to …

Bam … Dent took belt to 🍑 … Tell your coaches/teammates you’ve got Dent … No switching … No nonsense … And if you are who you say you are and who I know you are … LOCK … HIS … 🍑 … UP … Let someone else beat you …

I don’t even need to break down the last play … Absolutely pathetic … Knowing how to defend that scenario is REC LEAGUE 💩 !!!!! THE EXACT SAME THING WE LET TENNESSEE DO !!!!!!!!
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I think people constantly overstate that great team don’t do this or that. For example, the 2015 national champion Duke Blue Devils blew a 17 point lead and lost against NC State earlier that season. No team is perfect and imperfect teams go to the F4 all the time.
 
#807      
IllinitripleJ
Miles Leonard said:
JCL vs Chicago St.

That’s right. We needed a buzzer beater to beat Chicago Freaking St.

One of the most shameful moments of the Groce era.
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The most shameful moment for me of the Groce era was his last year, the 2016-2017 season. Like seemingly all Illinois teams from 2007 through 2017 the Illini were a bubble team. In their last home game they have Michigan State and they beat them. All they had to do was go to Rutgers and beat a crappy Rutgers team on the road. Of course they lost, then they loss the first game of the Big 10 Tournament and good-bye NCAA tournament. Shortly thereafter Illinois fired Groce and hired Brad. Groce never seemed to have a plan B, or plan C if a targeted recruit went elsewhere.
 
#808      
Chase321
Hingle McCringleberry said:
Yet another year with high expectations, regular season self-inflicted losses, and then an all-or-nothing NCAA tourney run to try to salvage a successful season (and doing so from a more difficult seed line)...ugh.
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I don’t follow. We were preseason 17. We have spent most of the season above that and are 10 right now. How have we failed, thus far, to meet expectations? Purdue, Michigan, UCLA were all picked to finish ahead of us in the conference.

Where does this narrative come from? If you were expecting better than a 2 or 3 seed before the season started you weren’t being rationale.
 
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#809      
EmeraldCityIllini
Chase321 said:
I think people constantly overstate that great team don’t do this or that. For example, the 2015 national champion Duke Blue Devils blew a 17 point lead and lost against NC State earlier that season. No team is perfect and imperfect teams go to the F4 all the time.
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I mean…

Duke blew a 17 point second half lead to Texas tech in New York just this year lol
 
#811      
Big Jack
Chase321 said:
I don’t follow. We were preseason 17. We have spent most of the season above that and are 10 right now. How have we failed, thus far, to meet expectations? Purdue, Michigan, UCLA were all picked to finish ahead of us in the conference.

Where does this narrative come from? If you were expecting better than a 2 or 3 seed before the season started you weren’t being rationale.
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The narrative is that the majority of fans on this board think we should win every game by 25 points, never lose, never miss a shot, block every shot and grab every rebound.. Most do not live in the real world where !!!! happens. I was not happy, yelled at the screen to deny Dent getting the ball or make him come back to get it but alas something went wrong. Player or coach? Makes no difference it happened, get over it we are still ahead of the projections at the start of the season. Beat UM win out and then make the finals of the B1G tournament, then make the charge to the FF. Anyone know what Coach V's record was at NC State in 1983? I for one am hoping the adversity of the past 3 OT games helps strengthen the team going forward.
 
#814      
RedGrangeHelmet
🤷‍♂️ I find myself comparing this team to the ‘24 team. Exactly two years ago we laid a total egg against a bad Penn State team and dropped one of the final regular season games to Purdue at home. Similar story could play out against Michigan on Friday. Similarly to ‘24 we also may end up being a 3 seed.

Despite how insane Shannon’s postseason run was that year, I still think we will be a tougher matchup come March. Boswell played REALLY well in the tournament last year. If we get that Boswell in the tourney and Keaton has any March Madness magic in him…watch out
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If is all you have. If my aunt was a man she’d be my uncle
 
#815      
Hingle McCringleberry
Chase321 said:
I don’t follow. We were preseason 17. We have spent most of the season above that and are 10 right now. How have we failed, thus far, to meet expectations? Purdue, Michigan, UCLA were all picked to finish ahead of us in the conference.

Where does this narrative come from? If you were expecting better than a 2 or 3 seed before the season started you weren’t being rationale.
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What I was expecting was to have a real shot at Big Ten regular season title and a high seed (yes, 2-3 seed).

As is stands, we have no shot at the regular season title, may not even get the double bye in the B1G tournament, and we have to win against the league leading #3 team in the country or we are looking at 3-4 seed.

Does that meet your expectations?
 
#817      
ejam21
Chase321 said:
I don’t follow. We were preseason 17. We have spent most of the season above that and are 10 right now. How have we failed, thus far, to meet expectations? Purdue, Michigan, UCLA were all picked to finish ahead of us in the conference.

Where does this narrative come from? If you were expecting better than a 2 or 3 seed before the season started you weren’t being rationale.
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went back and looked at the preseason thread and the vast majority of folks were in the range of 6-10 reg season losses......There were a couple joking 31-0s.......and the best serious prediction i saw was 28-3

KP preseason had us 23-8 reg season

Torvik 22-9

So im with you not sure how ppl can think this team has missed expectations

we have an ok shot at going 16-4 in conf play, while having starters missing 9-10 games in conf.
 
#818      
Scoregasm
Need more from Andrej. I know he’s beloved by many and he gets special treatment because of his last name but his highs, lows, and overall toughness are really difficult to weather. I’m not convinced he deserves a 2nd year at the same salary. Prove me wrong AS!
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He is not consistent at all....I'm wondering if we see him back next year.
 
#819      
fatboyslim
What I was expecting was to have a real shot at Big Ten regular season title and a high seed (yes, 2-3 seed).

As is stands, we have no shot at the regular season title, may not even get the double bye in the B1G tournament, and we have to win against the league leading #3 team in the country or we are looking at 3-4 seed.

Does that meet your expectations?
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I guarantee we get that at the very least.
 
#820      
Illinijoe
Hingle McCringleberry said:
What I was expecting was to have a real shot at Big Ten regular season title and a high seed (yes, 2-3 seed).

As is stands, we have no shot at the regular season title, may not even get the double bye in the B1G tournament, and we have to win against the league leading #3 team in the country or we are looking at 3-4 seed.

Does that meet your expectations?
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Glad those were your expectations. Sorry that they were missed.

However, preseason most metrics and predictions had us worse than we are and that was fully healthy. Being top 15 is actually above most expectations.

Yes - insanely frustrating games vs Wisconsin and ucla. Reality is we did exceptionally well without Boswell at Purdue and at Nebraska. Truly crazy they weathered the storm with their defensive superstar out.

Overall, this resume is legit one of the best in the country predictive wise (crazy amount of Q1 wins and most are Q1A). Easily exceeds real pre season expectations.


Good overview

The 2025–26 Illinois Fighting Illini have not only met their preseason hype but have arguably evolved into a more dangerous team than even the most optimistic pundits predicted. Brad Underwood has successfully blended an "International Illini" roster with high-impact domestic transfers to create a top-10 powerhouse.

The Breakdown: Expectations vs. Reality
| Metric | Preseason Expectation (Oct 2025) | Current State (Late Feb 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| AP Ranking | No. 17 | No. 10 (Peaked as high as No. 6) |
| B1G Finish | Projected 4th | 2nd (13–4 record) |
| KenPom | Started 17th | 4th (No. 1 in Offensive Efficiency) |
| Overall Record | High-teens/Low-20s Wins | 22–6 |

Key Storylines
1. The "International Illini" Experiment
The biggest preseason question mark was how a roster featuring so many international freshmen would adapt.
* Keaton Wagler & David Mirković: Wagler has emerged as a breakout star, averaging 18.2 PPG, while Mirković has provided a physical presence in the paint.
* The Ivišić Twins: Tomislav has lived up to his billing as a versatile 7-footer, while Zvonimir has provided crucial depth and shot-blocking.

2. Offensive Mastery
While Illinois was expected to be good, they've become historically elite on offense. They currently hold the highest adjusted offensive efficiency rating in the KenPom era.
* The Catalyst: Senior guard Kylan Boswell (returning to his hometown) has provided the veteran leadership needed to pilot such a high-powered system.
* Scoring Depth: With players like Andrej Stojakovic (13.8 PPG) and Wagler, the Illini have multiple weapons that make them nearly impossible to outscore when they are clicking.
3. Recent Form
The Illini are coming off a grueling stretch in February. After a dominant 10-game winning streak in January (including a massive road win at Purdue), they’ve cooled slightly, losing three of their last five—all by narrow margins or in overtime against Top 25 opponents (Michigan State, Wisconsin, and UCLA).
The Verdict
Illinois has transitioned from a "high-upside team with chemistry questions" to a genuine National Championship contender. Despite a few late-February stumbles, their resume includes wins over Purdue, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Texas Tech.
 
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#821      
BalloonsTheElephant
I think my anti-Brad pinnacle was reached when Morez left. But every season Brad gets guys and we are a competitive team. I've learned to stop worrying so much at a micro level and seeing things at the macro level.

We've lost four conference games by nine points. Two of those missing one or two starters. Three of them in OT. Two of them with terrible officiating that had obvious implications on the game

We are in line for a 2 seed, not on the bubble. I get that it's frustrating to lose 3-4 games we should have won, but zoom out for a second and see where we are on the journey up the mountain.
 
#822      
joeybcrazy13
went back and looked at the preseason thread and the vast majority of folks were in the range of 6-10 reg season losses......There were a couple joking 31-0s.......and the best serious prediction i saw was 28-3

KP preseason had us 23-8 reg season

Torvik 22-9

So im with you not sure how ppl can think this team has missed expectations

we have an ok shot at going 16-4 in conf play, while having starters missing 9-10 games in conf.
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I believe I read over the summer that this years team they thought could be good but that the following year they might be”special” ... Then we played about 5 pre season games and all of sudden we were going undefeated to the Natty.... 🤔I am happy as hell with this team.... They fight like the boys did in 89... not bad... Sucked a little in overtime 3, 2, 1 loses... Just avoid OT ILL!!
 
#823      
MDchicago
ejam21 said:
went back and looked at the preseason thread and the vast majority of folks were in the range of 6-10 reg season losses......There were a couple joking 31-0s.......and the best serious prediction i saw was 28-3

KP preseason had us 23-8 reg season

Torvik 22-9

So im with you not sure how ppl can think this team has missed expectations

we have an ok shot at going 16-4 in conf play, while having starters missing 9-10 games in conf.
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If you would have told me that after 17 B10 games, that we would be tied or ahead with 5 seconds to go in regulation in every game I wouldn't have believed you. Having done that, it's also hard to believe that we have a 13-4 B10 record with the first sentence being true.

Hoping all of the hard losses came with lessons learned to avoid repetition when it matters mosts... If so, will happily take those Ls if they helped teach us how to win close games in March...
 
#824      
Chase321
Hingle McCringleberry said:
What I was expecting was to have a real shot at Big Ten regular season title and a high seed (yes, 2-3 seed).

As is stands, we have no shot at the regular season title, may not even get the double bye in the B1G tournament, and we have to win against the league leading #3 team in the country or we are looking at 3-4 seed.

Does that meet your expectations?
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Everything you just described is in line or better than where the media and polls expected us to be at the start of the season. A 2 or 3 seed exceeds those expectations by a lot. You can set unreasonable or overly-optimistic expectations all you want and continue to be bitter about it.
 
#825      
Chase321
I mean…

Duke blew a 17 point second half lead to Texas tech in New York just this year lol
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Oh. I forgot about that. Obviously they aren’t great and won’t go far.
 
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