UConn 77, Illinois 52 Postgame
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hooraybeer
- Pittsburgh, PA
not the way we wanted it to end but i really enjoyed this team and this season. ILL
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
This game will take a long, long time to get over. I still love this team. I just need to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind this one out of my memory hole.
If Easter is your thing, I hope you have a really lovely one tomorrow. If not, I hope tomorrow is beautiful in its own way.
If Easter is your thing, I hope you have a really lovely one tomorrow. If not, I hope tomorrow is beautiful in its own way.
Great season. A lot of fun after Penn St game. Don't understand our game plan/lack of adjustments when it was clear refs were not going to get Klingan in foul trouble, but that's for another day I guess. Thanks to team and staff for a great run to the Elite 8!
The best thing about this game? That the Illini got here at all. As for the rest?
A Quick Game Recap:
The Illini got an initial punch and were down 9-0 at the first timeout. Then the Illini got settled and closed to being down just 15-13 at the 10-minute mark. U-Conn extended their lead to 19-13 at the third timeout as Illini offense stalled and did not score for four minutes. Foreshadowing for what was yet to come.
Shannon and Quincy and Hawkins got off to slow starts and the Illini got little from them in the half. Domask kept the Illini in the game and right on U-Conn’s tail. U-Conn led 23-21 at the fourth timeout. Another bucket from Domask and the Illini caught up to tie at 23. But he got no help from the other Illini.
Then, Illini offense went stone cold dead again and Huskies got the lead back 28-23 at the half. Illini shooting for the game had been terrible so it was fortunate the Illini were still that close. Shannon was kept under control by Huskies and the Illini were not draining their usual Threes. In general, not a great half offensively for the Illini except for the play of Domask. But Huskies were not dominating yet, either. The game was still on the table. But not for long...
Illini came out sloppy and cold in the second half and quickly got down 35-23 at the first TO of the second half. And the bleeding didn’t stop as Huskies then took a lead of 53-23. Nothing (except for Domask) was working for the Illini. Illini shooting was as cold as a Chicago winter. A nasty and unbelievable 30 to 0 run against. A total collapse by the Illini. And Huskies were killing the Illini in the paint.
The rout was on. At this point, the Huskies could name the final score.
A really bad taste to end with to what had been a magical season. The Illini had been blown out as many of the Eastern media had anticipated.
The worst thing about this game? The Illini did not play Illini ball. At all. And that the Illini don’t get to move on. There are lots of Illinois people now living in Arizona that would have loved to see the Illini in the Final Four... just as the rest of Illini Nation wanted to see. That won’t happen now.
The best thing about this season? That it happened – except for this final stinker of a game. And that we were here to share it all the way through.
Domask rose to the occasion. None of the other Illini did.
The Illini have much time now to figure out what went wrong. Losing to a ‘better’ team is one thing. But not playing anything like the kind of game you are capable of playing is something else. Thirty-point runs to your opponent should not happen from any team at any time. And playing that poorly as the Illini did is the toughest thing of all to deal with. Going down at your best you can live with. But going down at your worst is hard to swallow.
The Illini need to continue to build the program so that one day soon they can dominate an Elite Eight game just like the Illini were schooled in today. That is the standard to rise to.
Illini Nation... we are disappointed. Some will seem crushed. But we must keep our expectations high for this program. And if were fan bases that determined who gets into the Final Four... the Illini would be shoo-ins every year.
A Quick Game Recap:
The Illini got an initial punch and were down 9-0 at the first timeout. Then the Illini got settled and closed to being down just 15-13 at the 10-minute mark. U-Conn extended their lead to 19-13 at the third timeout as Illini offense stalled and did not score for four minutes. Foreshadowing for what was yet to come.
Shannon and Quincy and Hawkins got off to slow starts and the Illini got little from them in the half. Domask kept the Illini in the game and right on U-Conn’s tail. U-Conn led 23-21 at the fourth timeout. Another bucket from Domask and the Illini caught up to tie at 23. But he got no help from the other Illini.
Then, Illini offense went stone cold dead again and Huskies got the lead back 28-23 at the half. Illini shooting for the game had been terrible so it was fortunate the Illini were still that close. Shannon was kept under control by Huskies and the Illini were not draining their usual Threes. In general, not a great half offensively for the Illini except for the play of Domask. But Huskies were not dominating yet, either. The game was still on the table. But not for long...
Illini came out sloppy and cold in the second half and quickly got down 35-23 at the first TO of the second half. And the bleeding didn’t stop as Huskies then took a lead of 53-23. Nothing (except for Domask) was working for the Illini. Illini shooting was as cold as a Chicago winter. A nasty and unbelievable 30 to 0 run against. A total collapse by the Illini. And Huskies were killing the Illini in the paint.
The rout was on. At this point, the Huskies could name the final score.
A really bad taste to end with to what had been a magical season. The Illini had been blown out as many of the Eastern media had anticipated.
The worst thing about this game? The Illini did not play Illini ball. At all. And that the Illini don’t get to move on. There are lots of Illinois people now living in Arizona that would have loved to see the Illini in the Final Four... just as the rest of Illini Nation wanted to see. That won’t happen now.
The best thing about this season? That it happened – except for this final stinker of a game. And that we were here to share it all the way through.
Domask rose to the occasion. None of the other Illini did.
The Illini have much time now to figure out what went wrong. Losing to a ‘better’ team is one thing. But not playing anything like the kind of game you are capable of playing is something else. Thirty-point runs to your opponent should not happen from any team at any time. And playing that poorly as the Illini did is the toughest thing of all to deal with. Going down at your best you can live with. But going down at your worst is hard to swallow.
The Illini need to continue to build the program so that one day soon they can dominate an Elite Eight game just like the Illini were schooled in today. That is the standard to rise to.
Illini Nation... we are disappointed. Some will seem crushed. But we must keep our expectations high for this program. And if were fan bases that determined who gets into the Final Four... the Illini would be shoo-ins every year.
Great season no shame even in the last 20 minutes the body of work was great. Lets see who stays and leaves from the guys with years left outstanding year for the program.
Proud of this team and season. If you would have told me Elite 8 at the beginning of the season I take that all day. Brad has us rolling and we will be back here before another long drought.
Thank you TSJ, Coleman, Marcus, Quincy and Justin
IlliniwekKDR
- Colorado Springs, CO
You really hope the guys that are returning next year use this game as motivation for next year. Never have a feeling like this again
This season has been freshly written legend for Illini Nation. Regardless of today’s result.
We will remember this forever. We will tell of its story to our children with nostalgic and joy in our voices.
And I thank all of you for sharing this season with me.
Special thanks to Pruman for his support throughout the season. And for being a soulful and festive human being who appreciates geometrically surreal body proportions. May you enjoy enduring good health and peace for many seasons to come.
My sincerest wishes for healing and honored remembrance to all of those in our community who have lost loved ones this season.
This season was beautiful and this team made us proud.
This season was beautiful and this team made us proud.
This season was beautiful and this team made us proud..
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Bad day for a bad day. We’d have had to have been awesome to get a W, regardless.
Thanks for a fun winter, guys. I really loved this team.
Thanks for a fun winter, guys. I really loved this team.
A hell of a season. Our best in 19 years, even when you factor tonight.
Say what you want about our gameplan, but I do believe we hit a potentially generational buzz saw. I’m not sure this UConn team is losing again.
Sad to see our seniors go.
Say what you want about our gameplan, but I do believe we hit a potentially generational buzz saw. I’m not sure this UConn team is losing again.
Sad to see our seniors go.
So, when do they get back in town? I hope a crowd still shows up to show appreciation. What a ride!
Ty knows that this was a special group and he’s feeling it.
Ran out of gas and unfortunate collapse, but I'm confident Brad will learn from this, just like after Loyola
I'm very sad for this team because they are so much better than this. I love this team. They ran into a bulldozer and they did not have a good shooting night. Connecticut just shut them down everywhere. Now I don't know whether to root for Purdue or not.. lol
I will always be die hard Illini till I die. Love you all!!!!
I will always be die hard Illini till I die. Love you all!!!!
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