After losing by 25, I felt like Dan Hurley might not be the worst human being because it could have been 35 if he wanted.
UConn 77, Illinois 52 Postgame
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This team is more complete in offense. 2021 team was good but could be exploited. For tourney run, you always want a more complete team.
I've waited a day to put my emotions in perspective. I will not bore you all with my "I've been a fan since......." BS. That said I'm probably still a little raw regarding how the season ended. It seems that these groin kick losses are somewhat regular and predictable for Illinois. I was at the 1984 Rose Bowl and that was like a death in the family. That was a winnable game but we got our asses handed to us. Then there was the Austin Peay basketball tournament loss that was pretty much unthinkable. Then we seemingly had it going our way after the 88-89 final four run and the Deon Thomas-Bruce Pearl thing happened and Lou never really recovered from that. Then the '05 team had us believing the basketball world was our oyster and we all know how that fell apart and we thought we were recovering from that decade plus stretch of moribund and then we get embarrassed beyond any reasonable degree yesterday. It just seems we see a glimmer of hope of sustained moderate success and BAM!! Here comes the groin kick. It seems predictable.
I don't know what lies in store for the future of the two revenue sport programs but I've given up believing that they're ever going to realize sustained success, and I'm not talking about multiple national championships, but just a reasonable degree of respectability. Yesterday pretty much put that in the dumpster for the foreseeable future of the basketball program. I'm getting old and if they don't get there soon I'm not going to see it!
I don't know what lies in store for the future of the two revenue sport programs but I've given up believing that they're ever going to realize sustained success, and I'm not talking about multiple national championships, but just a reasonable degree of respectability. Yesterday pretty much put that in the dumpster for the foreseeable future of the basketball program. I'm getting old and if they don't get there soon I'm not going to see it!
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
We have the most wins in the Big Ten the past five years
He has size but he doesn't have Clingan/Edey size. Dain was doing nothing offensively, he was bricking layups. There wasn't a simple solution yesterday. We just didn't make shots. What I'm trying to say is we did try a lot of somethings and none of it worked.
Silliness.
A last second buzzer beater would be a groin kick loss. Loyola was a groin kick loss. Robbed by the refs. Best player gets hurt. When you have a team you think can win it all, the last loss is always a groin kick.
Elite 8 helps the program
BTT champions helps the program
Domask’s success helps the program
TSJ and or Hawkins making the NBA helps the program
Being the tenth consecutive team to get smoked by UConn in the tournament doesn’t negatively impact the program at all.
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Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
You might have needed another week or two before posting this.
The basketball program is in great shape and highly respectable for years now. They just lost in the quarter finals of the NCAA tourney, not the quarters of BTT (as one would think reading this)!
This season has been a tremendous success. Don't let one bad half (to the best team in the country) define the year. Another banner is going to be hung in a few months. Many programs would long for the success Brad has had over the past 5 years.
I appreciate the attempt at the olive branch here, but you said you posted to give a little “context” but all you ended up doing was giving Dan Hurley the wettest verbal reach around on this forum, praising yourself for winning so many titles since ‘99, and mistakenly think that Sean Harrington, a dude who works a sales job in Florida and freelances for ESPN, is a coach and “gave you guys bulletin board material”. All of this, mind you, on a thread of your opponent’s forum who you just embarrassed on national tv.
Happy Easter to you but good god man nobody wants to hear this lol
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
What all UConn fans wish everyone else would do in front of them . . .
And what UConn fans all think when they are around each other.
Zorak
- Naperville
This post is the take equivalent of an 0-30 run. Miss after miss after miss
Everyone complained about Brad not making the second weekend and that's all they wanted, and now the goalposts are moving from some. Quite hilarious.
I listened to so many people on this board and in person !!!!! in the preseason/summer about the roster makeup of this team and how we weren't going to do anything. That it was going to be like the year before or worse. How having no point guard meant we weren't going to be good. How Brad can't do anything in March.
Team proceeds to win 29 games, third most in school history by the way.
Solo second in the big ten by two games!!! And that was probably the worst outcome-yes we blew a couple of games in the regular season, but man some of those were very unlucky to be losses.
Big ten tournament championship. Enough said. 4 big ten titles for Brad. (2021 was 2 I don't care)
Not only did he get to a sweet 16, but he beat a top 5 team in the AP poll in the sweet 16 that was red hot to get to the elite 8. Not only did he get to a second weekend, but he won a game.
Yes, the Uconn loss sucked a ton. We were terrible in the game. Almost everyone played their worst game in months outside of Domask. Not Brad's best gameplan either, but he was awesome this year with his coaching. With that being said, we lost to maybe the best college basketball team in the last 10 years. Probably would have beaten anyone outside of Purdue or Uconn yesterday.
This thing is just getting started. Brad needed to get over the hump in March, and now he has. Now it's time to get this thing going. Reload time, and we will be playing in April in the next couple of years
I listened to so many people on this board and in person !!!!! in the preseason/summer about the roster makeup of this team and how we weren't going to do anything. That it was going to be like the year before or worse. How having no point guard meant we weren't going to be good. How Brad can't do anything in March.
Team proceeds to win 29 games, third most in school history by the way.
Solo second in the big ten by two games!!! And that was probably the worst outcome-yes we blew a couple of games in the regular season, but man some of those were very unlucky to be losses.
Big ten tournament championship. Enough said. 4 big ten titles for Brad. (2021 was 2 I don't care)
Not only did he get to a sweet 16, but he beat a top 5 team in the AP poll in the sweet 16 that was red hot to get to the elite 8. Not only did he get to a second weekend, but he won a game.
Yes, the Uconn loss sucked a ton. We were terrible in the game. Almost everyone played their worst game in months outside of Domask. Not Brad's best gameplan either, but he was awesome this year with his coaching. With that being said, we lost to maybe the best college basketball team in the last 10 years. Probably would have beaten anyone outside of Purdue or Uconn yesterday.
This thing is just getting started. Brad needed to get over the hump in March, and now he has. Now it's time to get this thing going. Reload time, and we will be playing in April in the next couple of years
We’ll get there eventually. Unfortunately we’ll experience some heartbreaks and setbacks along the way like yesterday but I think BU has the motivation and the drive to put us where we belong consistently every year and that’s winning championships year in and year out in March and April.
Look, driving at Clingan was not a good idea. Clingan doesn’t foul. We saw proof of that in the game. UConn was very clean overall, especially against a team with probably the best player in the country at drawing fouls. C’mon, that’s where Clingan shines, best if the best.
I don't think there was a strategy that gets us over UCONN. They're simply the better team. Our defense in teh first half was amazing, they then proceeded to 30-0 us. They are better than us. We were the third best team left in the tournament I just wish we would have avoided them long enough to make a final four. Final four would have been huge for our fanbase's psyche and recruiting. That said, this was a great season. Absolute home run. Glad I got to see it.
This was like the 3rd best season in school history and you're over here talking about how we don't have any success.
I watched the game on Saturday. I was shell shocked from the start of the second half until about 60 minutes after turning the TV off. This loss does leave a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth after an otherwise amazing season.
But, all in all, we witnessed the best Illini season in almost 20 years. We witnessed the greatest single player 6 game tournament run we’ve ever seen in an Illini uniform. We broke through the second weekend curse. We are on our way up with Brad & co. showing zero signs of slowing down. We will be back.
But, all in all, we witnessed the best Illini season in almost 20 years. We witnessed the greatest single player 6 game tournament run we’ve ever seen in an Illini uniform. We broke through the second weekend curse. We are on our way up with Brad & co. showing zero signs of slowing down. We will be back.
I am really saddened by the loss to UConn, even though they are the better team. But my real pain is for our players and coaches who put in countless hours of work so some and throughout the season. Thank you men for an amazing season and countless hours of pleasure watching you play the game of basketball. Thank you to all of my brothers and sisters on this forum for hours of entertainment, support, encouragement and enjoyment. Can't wait for portal season and next year! I-L-L
All I know is that my pocketbook is a dollar lighter as I put the challenge to a good friend of mine who started at the same company as me right out of school, uh, sometime last century. And yes, he is a UConn alumnus.
Great show by the team this past season. I had myself always looking forward to watching the next game on the schedule.
Great show by the team this past season. I had myself always looking forward to watching the next game on the schedule.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Tipsheet: Mid-game momentum swing crushed Illinois, ending its dream season
Illinois delivered a long-awaited NCAA Tournament breakthrough, but UConn ended its run with an epic 30-0 surge.
I do respect that many posters and Illini fans want to refrain from saying anything negative about the team, and the coaching staff in particular (namely BU), and by no means I'm down on him, but we cannot ignore the fact that his coaching in this game was suspect to say the least. Our game plan(s) and in-game adjustments were just awful.
To put things into perspective, Northwestern playing without two starters, including their 7' center (their second best player, and the only big on their roster that had enough size to play Clingan), played UConn much better and lost much more respectably that we did--they only lost by 17 points, and never gave up a double-digit scoreless run (I think the most UConn managed was 7-0 or 8-0 run against them). I fully expected us to win, but I predicted a 10-pt (or less) loss; instead we lost by 25 pts (and it could've easily been 40 pts if UConn did not take its foot off with 10+ min left).
To put things into perspective, Northwestern playing without two starters, including their 7' center (their second best player, and the only big on their roster that had enough size to play Clingan), played UConn much better and lost much more respectably that we did--they only lost by 17 points, and never gave up a double-digit scoreless run (I think the most UConn managed was 7-0 or 8-0 run against them). I fully expected us to win, but I predicted a 10-pt (or less) loss; instead we lost by 25 pts (and it could've easily been 40 pts if UConn did not take its foot off with 10+ min left).
That was painful. I had an obligation Saturday night so when I got home it was halftime. They were only down 5 and I considered that a huge victory. I had hope. I could not tune in right after halftime so I turned it on with about 12 minutes left maybe and it was 58-23. I actually thought there was a mistake on the screen and someone screwed up. I changed the channel and turned it back on. Wow, shocking. What had I missed? Anyway, major bummer for the game but great season. Full disclosure. I have been disappointed with the lack of March success. The B1G titles were great but flaming out early was disappointing and I questioned whether Brad Underwood could get over the hump. He clearly did this year and it was very fun to watch. Very proud of this team.
Going forward I would like to see a team that has 5 guys out there that can score. I love Ty but you can't have someone out there who is almost zero threat to score outside of 2 feet from the basket. And give me some more high flyers. Can't wait to see how the roster shakes out for next year.
Going forward I would like to see a team that has 5 guys out there that can score. I love Ty but you can't have someone out there who is almost zero threat to score outside of 2 feet from the basket. And give me some more high flyers. Can't wait to see how the roster shakes out for next year.
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