Week of 1/13 Bracketology

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#2      
theNewGuy
We are 1 of 2 teams in the top 35 with a quad 3 or 4 loss... and still are top 10 in net
 
#4      
Illini2010-11
ejam21 said:
and hopefully it turns into a quad 2, USC is sitting at 76...if they get to 75 or better, it becomes quad 2
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USC has been playing much better basketball over the last couple of weeks. They just struggled to close out games in Quad 1 opportunities (i.e. Michigan and @IU). I would not be surprised in the slightest if USC starts to turn the corner after Saturday's beatdown and becomes a Quad 2 loss by end of year. If USC beats Iowa tomorrow, it is very likely that USC gets at or above 75 by Wednesday morning's release.

I fully anticipate that this USC loss will be the "unexpected" Quad 2 loss that I mentioned in the prior bracketology thread, and when it comes to comparing resumes, I do not think it will hurt very much at all, given our top player was out.

This week will be important to righting the ship and avoiding a slight nosedive of three straight losses. Given recent years, I expect a bounceback game @IU tomorrow night (especially if Jakucionis is healthy enough to play). This team can still very easily achieve a 2 or 3 seed, but the margin of error is greatly reduced now.
 
#8      
HereSoIDontGetFined
I'm less concerned about how the USC loss affects our seeding than I am about what it means for how teams game plan for us.

The book is out now. Scheme to stop KJ at all costs and hope the rest of the team has a bad shooting night.
 
#9      
the juiceman cometh
HereSoIDontGetFined said:
I'm less concerned about how the USC loss affects our seeding than I am about what it means for how teams game plan for us.

The book is out now. Scheme to stop KJ at all costs and hope the rest of the team has a bad shooting night.
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There's a pretty big difference between "scheming to stop KJ" and KJ being out with an injury. USC did not show anything about how to stop KJ successfully, or about how to do so without opening up opportunities for the other 4 players on the court.
 
#14      
LouHenson
Old Farm Illini said:
This is a team built for March more so than winning a Big Ten title. The more we accept that, the easier it is to stomach any stumbles along the way.
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I think you right here, but the chances of success in March are greatly influenced by seeding. That seeding requires not “too many” stumbles. The difference between a 1-3 seed is a big difference between a 4-6 seed. Really this team could play for a 1-2 seed with a win Sunday and Duke. We need to be trying to get the 1 in Milwaukee through Indy if we can right?
 
#16      
NarrowJ
HereSoIDontGetFined said:
Not really.

KJ is the primary facilitator. Disrupt him and force Boswell into that role. He can do it but the rest of the team is clearly less comfortable without him.
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USC, like most every other team we've played season, did not disrupt him, though. He just did not exist.

So its more so an extremely tall task than it is a 'formula'. We also beat Penn State by 40 without him, so....?
 
#18      
From the cheap seats
HereSoIDontGetFined said:
Not really.

KJ is the primary facilitator. Disrupt him and force Boswell into that role. He can do it but the rest of the team is clearly less comfortable without him.
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The only real way to disrupt KJ is to double him. If you do that, once gets the ball to Boswell, we are playing 4-on-3 and Boswell has open lanes to the rim. Of course, if he fails to finish at the rim and/or we miss a lot of wide-open 3's, then that strategy will work by default.
 
#19      
aaeismacgychel
HereSoIDontGetFined said:
I'm less concerned about how the USC loss affects our seeding than I am about what it means for how teams game plan for us.

The book is out now. Scheme to stop KJ at all costs and hope the rest of the team has a bad shooting night.
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A lot more difficult than it looks. I thought USC played really well defensively against us, but I also think their size, length, and physicality on the perimeter was the main reason for the struggles we had that weren't self inflicted. If there is a book out on us right now, the games we have struggled in have all featured physical perimeter defender, especially those with size. Most teams simply can't replicate that.

The bigger fear I'd have is meeting up against a team with big physical guards in the tourney and the refs just allowing the teams to play as I think that would simply be a poor matchup for us.
 
#20      
Illini2010-11
HereSoIDontGetFined said:
I'm less concerned about how the USC loss affects our seeding than I am about what it means for how teams game plan for us.

The book is out now. Scheme to stop KJ at all costs and hope the rest of the team has a bad shooting night.
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I am pretty sure that teams are already going to try to stop KJ. The reality is that it is not that simple. If you double or triple team KJ, it opens up a ton of drives to the hoop or wide open 3's. The Illini are already a high volume shooting 3 point team, and I am not sure the proper game plan would be to leave other good 3 point shooters open. KJ really is that special person on the floor. The ball just flows around the court so much better when he is on the floor. The only "book" there is to stop the Illini with KJ playing is to get him in foul trouble so he is off the floor.

The USC loss has absolutely no impacts on what it means for this team long term.
 
#21      
2qtslow
Illini2010-11 said:
I am pretty sure that teams are already going to try to stop KJ. The reality is that it is not that simple. If you double or triple team KJ, it opens up a ton of drives to the hoop or wide open 3's. The Illini are already a high volume shooting 3 point team, and I am not sure the proper game plan would be to leave other good 3 point shooters open. KJ really is that special person on the floor. The ball just flows around the court so much better when he is on the floor. The only "book" there is to stop the Illini with KJ playing is to get him in foul trouble so he is off the floor.

The USC loss has absolutely no impacts on what it means for this team long term.
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Agree with the first paragraph. Double teaming one of the best passers in the college game would be downright suicidal.
 
#22      
NASchamp
I'd say the formula shown from the USC game is just to try to out-tough us. Hope we have a sleepy, lazy night isn't a great strategy.

Rebounding is absolutely key for us. We do good there, we are very tough to beat. If we get out-rebounded we have to be sinking our shots.

As others have noted, we aren't a super high % shooting team, we are a volume team with streaky shooting. So anything that gets us more possessions (rebounds, steals, less turnovers, etc.) gets us more chances at points and we can go off.
 
#23      
doowink
sacraig said:
Go... 🤮 ...Miz... 🤮 ...zou!
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Dr Phil Thirst GIF by BuzzFeed
 
#24      
BDMAN
HereSoIDontGetFined said:
I'm less concerned about how the USC loss affects our seeding than I am about what it means for how teams game plan for us.

The book is out now. Scheme to stop KJ at all costs and hope the rest of the team has a bad shooting night.
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I understand this concept but it much easier to accomplish when said player is not playing. Would love to see that defensive approach applied as it means KJ is playing and I will take the odds each and every time with KJ playing resulting in a favorable outcome for the Illini.
 
#25      
SkyysNotFalling
HereSoIDontGetFined said:
I'm less concerned about how the USC loss affects our seeding than I am about what it means for how teams game plan for us.

The book is out now. Scheme to stop KJ at all costs and hope the rest of the team has a bad shooting night.
Click to expand...
Scheme to stop KJ?? Won’t happen at this level lol

Like why don’t teams just to stop Cooper Flagg?? Literally so simple can’t believe any team has done that yet
 
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