noI have a terrible feeling that Ty is gone because of how tearful and upset he is. I hope I'm wrong...
Yeah I’ll start. I’m picking Terrence Shannon Jr 1st overall on my fictional squad of illini greats over the past 18 years. I’ll repeat it louder for the folks in the back. Gimme TSJ.When can we start 2021 vs 2024 discourse?
You will all be held to account for your Ayo slander.
I do. Going to have a ton of talent againAfter the 22/23 season, this year was fabulous. Don’t think we’ll have this success next year do enjoy. Illini are seen as basketball school again.
Yep, I thought we were scrued when we had to play IA State just to get the "honor" of playing UCONN. Many thought they'd be a 1 seed.UConn makes everyone look like scrubs. I wouldn't be surprised if they win the last 2 games by 10+. I knew we were basically screwed when we drew them.
Let’s get to the tournament next year.Next year we need 5 reliable scorers to make a FF run. I’m not sure we ever had that this year. TSJ, MD and CH could always get you points but the other guys could disappear at times. I’m looking at the returning roster and I’m not sure who those guys are.
POTDView attachment 33020
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..
Seeing the tears, streaming down the faces of some of the young men on your Illinois players faces was a humbling reminder that this game is more than just a spectator sport. More than just for the fans but that there are emotions and hearts involved. There are the relationships that have been built between Underwood and his players , between the players themselves, between the players and fans, there's legacies, there's expectations , there's graduation and heading to the NBA for some. If it makes you guys feel any better and it might not. I was so nervous before and during the first half that I almost threw up three times. I don't think I've ever been more nervous for a game and that includes any of our national championship or final four games. My wife is impressive. She was breastfeeding our 4-month-old while getting me to do breathing exercises so I didn't pass out. Even knowing the end result of this game. If you were to ask me right now, if I wanted to play Illinois again I'd say no. You guys basically played even for 28 to 30 minutes of the game and that 30 to nothing run is historic and no one saw that coming. I do think clingan single-handedly kept UConn in the game the first half and I think that your team should have been up by 7 to 10 points at halftime. I think you guys loosened up the last 8 or 9 minutes and in between halftime and that point was just the train wreck. UConn is a freight train and maybe they can't be stopped. Maybe they can. We shall see. All of my interactions with Illinois fans have been nothing but awesome. Sending you all love and I hope this is the beginning of a rivalry where we get to see each other in the tournament year and year out. These losses do take a little bit of time to get over but you guys will get over it and you all will be okay, until next time. Peace
I just wanna talk about Deron Williams and the disrespectful way our fanbase remembers him. Best season talk by an Illini and he’s hardly brought up.Yeah I’ll start. I’m picking Terrence Shannon Jr 1st overall on my fictional squad of illini greats over the past 18 years. I’ll repeat it louder for the folks in the back. Gimme TSJ.
My concern is the best players won’t be multi-year culture leaders like CH & TSJ. I don’t doubt we’ll have talent but I feel like next year will be very bumpy.I do. Going to have a ton of talent again
That is good to hear, but if I am being honest, I gave one from my couch.
Dain just had nothing on offense today and his defense is better than earlier in the year, but still not anywhere good enough to stop someone like Clingan.NBut I don’t know what we were thinking not putting Dain in for Ty at half to try something else on Clingan. He only plays 22 mpg, it’s not like it means Dain has to play the whole time.
Leave. Just . . . leave.Well that was embarrassing. NGL, it does tarnish their legacy with me a bit. I've just never in my life seen that poor of a Performance in the Elite Eight. I think the broadcast basically said it was the worst beating in the Elite Eight since 1992.
Big picture though - still a good year. Arrow up. Just super disappointed in how we ended the season.
Thanks the memories and the banner, '24 Illini.
Yep that had me yelling at my TV a lot today.Part of that game plan was taking open 3s and kicking to shooters and we passed up too many of both….