Week of 1/22 Games Thread
- Status
If I heard the broadcast correctly, Iowa didn't make a field goal for the final 5:46 of that game tonight.
Looks like I’ve accidentally done it again…and then I was late to notice. You beat me by a whole 3 minutes last night. You probably don’t much care…but I’m sorry for the breach in posting etiquette. Sorry!
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Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Without any data to back it up, I was saying to my wife the other day that it just seems like college hoops is SO much more unpredictable than when I was a kid. Take our 2001 team as an example of a "really good Illini team" that had similar rankings to this year's squad at times, and whose results we would all consider a fulfillment of this group's "ceiling" - a Big Ten title and an Elite Eight ... this was its Big Ten results:
#9 Illinois W 80-64 vs. Minnesota
#9 Illinois W 83-68 vs. Ohio State
#7 Illinois L 78-62 at Iowa
#7 Illinois W 80-51 vs. Michigan
#11 Illinois W 63-49 at Northwestern
#11 Illinois W 92-60 vs. Penn State
#7 Illinois W 55-51 at Michigan
#6 Illinois L 95-95 in OT at Penn State
#6 Illinois W 84-59 vs. Northwestern
#7 Illinois W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State
#7 Illinois W 82-61 at Purdue
#4 Illinois W 68-67 vs. #19 Wisconsin
#4 Illinois W 67-61 at Indiana
#3 Illinois L 63-61 at Ohio State
#3 Illinois W 89-63 vs. Iowa
#5 Illinois W 67-59 at Minnesota
Then its NCAA Tournament results
#1 seed Illinois W 96-54 vs. #16 seed Northwestern State
#1 seed Illinois W 79-61 vs. #9 seed Charlotte
#1 seed Illinois W 80-64 vs. #4 seed Kansas
#1 seed Illinois L 87-81 vs. #2 seed Arizona
Sure, you had your disappointing losses ... but they were a rivalry game at Iowa or a comedown game at Ohio State. And yes, you had wins that were closer than they should have been, but they were in a hostile gym in Bloomington. And yes you might have your off game vs. another equally great team during the Second Weekend of the Tournament and get sent packing, but you disposed of the lower seeds by a comfortable margin before that.
Of course there are exceptions, but I just don't remember (and I am including other top programs, not just us) as many of your "WTF" losses to the likes of Maryland at home where we just look like a totally different basketball team. I do not remember practically KNOWING that a First Round matchup with a #13 seed would scare us all to death like it did in 2022 vs. Chattanooga.
Maybe it's romanticism, but I feel like I used to be excited for a return to the House of 'Paign where we would just beat the living crap out of a team because (A) we were better and (B) we simply didn't hardly ever lose at home. I love watching the Illini as much as the next guy, but the only games where I am just purely pumped are when we play a tough road game or host a top-ranked team at home ... for pretty much all the others, I am equally as nervous and practically want to get it over with and survive with a W, haha.
TL;DR ... I cannot place what it is and I admit I am rambling ... but I just feel like in the mid-2000s with teams that were objectively no better than this squad, I would be far less nervous for "how bad it would be" to lose to Indiana at home if we have a game where we "don't show up." The atmosphere would just be too electric, and it would carry us through. So maybe the issue is just with a decline in the SFC or with a crazy increase in parity in college hoops, but I would just LOVE for us to get a few more performances like NU at home vs. some of the not-as-good Big Ten teams.
#9 Illinois W 80-64 vs. Minnesota
#9 Illinois W 83-68 vs. Ohio State
#7 Illinois L 78-62 at Iowa
#7 Illinois W 80-51 vs. Michigan
#11 Illinois W 63-49 at Northwestern
#11 Illinois W 92-60 vs. Penn State
#7 Illinois W 55-51 at Michigan
#6 Illinois L 95-95 in OT at Penn State
#6 Illinois W 84-59 vs. Northwestern
#7 Illinois W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State
#7 Illinois W 82-61 at Purdue
#4 Illinois W 68-67 vs. #19 Wisconsin
#4 Illinois W 67-61 at Indiana
#3 Illinois L 63-61 at Ohio State
#3 Illinois W 89-63 vs. Iowa
#5 Illinois W 67-59 at Minnesota
Then its NCAA Tournament results
#1 seed Illinois W 96-54 vs. #16 seed Northwestern State
#1 seed Illinois W 79-61 vs. #9 seed Charlotte
#1 seed Illinois W 80-64 vs. #4 seed Kansas
#1 seed Illinois L 87-81 vs. #2 seed Arizona
Sure, you had your disappointing losses ... but they were a rivalry game at Iowa or a comedown game at Ohio State. And yes, you had wins that were closer than they should have been, but they were in a hostile gym in Bloomington. And yes you might have your off game vs. another equally great team during the Second Weekend of the Tournament and get sent packing, but you disposed of the lower seeds by a comfortable margin before that.
Of course there are exceptions, but I just don't remember (and I am including other top programs, not just us) as many of your "WTF" losses to the likes of Maryland at home where we just look like a totally different basketball team. I do not remember practically KNOWING that a First Round matchup with a #13 seed would scare us all to death like it did in 2022 vs. Chattanooga.
Maybe it's romanticism, but I feel like I used to be excited for a return to the House of 'Paign where we would just beat the living crap out of a team because (A) we were better and (B) we simply didn't hardly ever lose at home. I love watching the Illini as much as the next guy, but the only games where I am just purely pumped are when we play a tough road game or host a top-ranked team at home ... for pretty much all the others, I am equally as nervous and practically want to get it over with and survive with a W, haha.
TL;DR ... I cannot place what it is and I admit I am rambling ... but I just feel like in the mid-2000s with teams that were objectively no better than this squad, I would be far less nervous for "how bad it would be" to lose to Indiana at home if we have a game where we "don't show up." The atmosphere would just be too electric, and it would carry us through. So maybe the issue is just with a decline in the SFC or with a crazy increase in parity in college hoops, but I would just LOVE for us to get a few more performances like NU at home vs. some of the not-as-good Big Ten teams.
This is a nice post. From about 1996-1997 to 2004-2005, I never felt nervous. I got mad when we lost, but I felt like we would win every game. When Dee and James got beat out in the first weekend of the 06 dance, I winced for the first time in a decade. I've been impressed at times, but I'll admit to no longer expecting to win.Without any data to back it up, I was saying to my wife the other day that it just seems like college hoops is SO much more unpredictable than when I was a kid. Take our 2001 team as an example of a "really good Illini team" that had similar rankings to this year's squad at times, and whose results we would all consider a fulfillment of this group's "ceiling" - a Big Ten title and an Elite Eight ... this was its Big Ten results:
#9 Illinois W 80-64 vs. Minnesota
#9 Illinois W 83-68 vs. Ohio State
#7 Illinois L 78-62 at Iowa
#7 Illinois W 80-51 vs. Michigan
#11 Illinois W 63-49 at Northwestern
#11 Illinois W 92-60 vs. Penn State
#7 Illinois W 55-51 at Michigan
#6 Illinois L 95-95 in OT at Penn State
#6 Illinois W 84-59 vs. Northwestern
#7 Illinois W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State
#7 Illinois W 82-61 at Purdue
#4 Illinois W 68-67 vs. #19 Wisconsin
#4 Illinois W 67-61 at Indiana
#3 Illinois L 63-61 at Ohio State
#3 Illinois W 89-63 vs. Iowa
#5 Illinois W 67-59 at Minnesota
Then its NCAA Tournament results
#1 seed Illinois W 96-54 vs. #16 seed Northwestern State
#1 seed Illinois W 79-61 vs. #9 seed Charlotte
#1 seed Illinois W 80-64 vs. #4 seed Kansas
#1 seed Illinois L 87-81 vs. #2 seed Arizona
Sure, you had your disappointing losses ... but they were a rivalry game at Iowa or a comedown game at Ohio State. And yes, you had wins that were closer than they should have been, but they were in a hostile gym in Bloomington. And yes you might have your off game vs. another equally great team during the Second Weekend of the Tournament and get sent packing, but you disposed of the lower seeds by a comfortable margin before that.
Of course there are exceptions, but I just don't remember (and I am including other top programs, not just us) as many of your "WTF" losses to the likes of Maryland at home where we just look like a totally different basketball team. I do not remember practically KNOWING that a First Round matchup with a #13 seed would scare us all to death like it did in 2022 vs. Chattanooga.
Maybe it's romanticism, but I feel like I used to be excited for a return to the House of 'Paign where we would just beat the living crap out of a team because (A) we were better and (B) we simply didn't hardly ever lose at home. I love watching the Illini as much as the next guy, but the only games where I am just purely pumped are when we play a tough road game or host a top-ranked team at home ... for pretty much all the others, I am equally as nervous and practically want to get it over with and survive with a W, haha.
TL;DR ... I cannot place what it is and I admit I am rambling ... but I just feel like in the mid-2000s with teams that were objectively no better than this squad, I would be far less nervous for "how bad it would be" to lose to Indiana at home if we have a game where we "don't show up." The atmosphere would just be too electric, and it would carry us through. So maybe the issue is just with a decline in the SFC or with a crazy increase in parity in college hoops, but I would just LOVE for us to get a few more performances like NU at home vs. some of the not-as-good Big Ten teams.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yeah, it's just weird ... even for multiple games since 2020 where the final score ended up being a double-digit win at home, I have felt ridiculously nervous during stretches of the second half where my main thought has been, "Good God, are we really about to pick up this Quad 3 loss?!" Even in TSJ's return game against Rutgers, they looked like they had us on our back feet when it was 55-51! I guess I just never remember waiting for the other shoe to drop and feeling so relieved when we'd end up winning a home game vs. a bottom-of-the-conference team by like 11 points like I have these last four years, haha ... it does not square with how good we have been. Maybe it's just psychologically getting used to being good again, maybe it's the lack of Tournament success, but man ... I miss resting easy and watching us whoop up on a team and having fun!!
Pretty wild that we've lost twice as many home games so far this year as Bill Self lost in his 3 years here.Without any data to back it up, I was saying to my wife the other day that it just seems like college hoops is SO much more unpredictable than when I was a kid. Take our 2001 team as an example of a "really good Illini team" that had similar rankings to this year's squad at times, and whose results we would all consider a fulfillment of this group's "ceiling" - a Big Ten title and an Elite Eight ... this was its Big Ten results:
#9 Illinois W 80-64 vs. Minnesota
#9 Illinois W 83-68 vs. Ohio State
#7 Illinois L 78-62 at Iowa
#7 Illinois W 80-51 vs. Michigan
#11 Illinois W 63-49 at Northwestern
#11 Illinois W 92-60 vs. Penn State
#7 Illinois W 55-51 at Michigan
#6 Illinois L 95-95 in OT at Penn State
#6 Illinois W 84-59 vs. Northwestern
#7 Illinois W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State
#7 Illinois W 82-61 at Purdue
#4 Illinois W 68-67 vs. #19 Wisconsin
#4 Illinois W 67-61 at Indiana
#3 Illinois L 63-61 at Ohio State
#3 Illinois W 89-63 vs. Iowa
#5 Illinois W 67-59 at Minnesota
Then its NCAA Tournament results
#1 seed Illinois W 96-54 vs. #16 seed Northwestern State
#1 seed Illinois W 79-61 vs. #9 seed Charlotte
#1 seed Illinois W 80-64 vs. #4 seed Kansas
#1 seed Illinois L 87-81 vs. #2 seed Arizona
Sure, you had your disappointing losses ... but they were a rivalry game at Iowa or a comedown game at Ohio State. And yes, you had wins that were closer than they should have been, but they were in a hostile gym in Bloomington. And yes you might have your off game vs. another equally great team during the Second Weekend of the Tournament and get sent packing, but you disposed of the lower seeds by a comfortable margin before that.
Of course there are exceptions, but I just don't remember (and I am including other top programs, not just us) as many of your "WTF" losses to the likes of Maryland at home where we just look like a totally different basketball team. I do not remember practically KNOWING that a First Round matchup with a #13 seed would scare us all to death like it did in 2022 vs. Chattanooga.
Maybe it's romanticism, but I feel like I used to be excited for a return to the House of 'Paign where we would just beat the living crap out of a team because (A) we were better and (B) we simply didn't hardly ever lose at home. I love watching the Illini as much as the next guy, but the only games where I am just purely pumped are when we play a tough road game or host a top-ranked team at home ... for pretty much all the others, I am equally as nervous and practically want to get it over with and survive with a W, haha.
TL;DR ... I cannot place what it is and I admit I am rambling ... but I just feel like in the mid-2000s with teams that were objectively no better than this squad, I would be far less nervous for "how bad it would be" to lose to Indiana at home if we have a game where we "don't show up." The atmosphere would just be too electric, and it would carry us through. So maybe the issue is just with a decline in the SFC or with a crazy increase in parity in college hoops, but I would just LOVE for us to get a few more performances like NU at home vs. some of the not-as-good Big Ten teams.
But there's just a lot more parity in college basketball across the board. And the B1G specifically has had a nice little glow up which has made conference wins harder to come by. The conference has more good teams at the top and fewer pushovers at the bottom. You had teams like Michigan in 2002 ranked 128th in Kenpom or Northwestern ranked 167th in 2003. This year's worst team is PSU at 107. So, I wouldn't say you're over romanticizing the past. While those Illinois teams weren't that much better than this year's team, they were that much better relative to their competition night in and night out.
Here is the number of B1G teams to finish the season in the AP Top 25 each year since 2002. Years that Illinois was one of those teams in orange. Some years we only had to play one ranked opponent in conference.
2002: 2
2003: 2
2004: 2
2005: 3
2006 : 3
2007: 2
2008: 3
2009: 2
2010: 4
2011: 3
2012: 5
2013: 5
2014: 4
2015: 3
2016: 5
2017: 3
2018: 4
2019: 4
2020: 6
2021: 5
2022: 4
2023: 2
2024: 3
Per your point here were are home records during that era:Without any data to back it up, I was saying to my wife the other day that it just seems like college hoops is SO much more unpredictable than when I was a kid. Take our 2001 team as an example of a "really good Illini team" that had similar rankings to this year's squad at times, and whose results we would all consider a fulfillment of this group's "ceiling" - a Big Ten title and an Elite Eight ... this was its Big Ten results:
#9 Illinois W 80-64 vs. Minnesota
#9 Illinois W 83-68 vs. Ohio State
#7 Illinois L 78-62 at Iowa
#7 Illinois W 80-51 vs. Michigan
#11 Illinois W 63-49 at Northwestern
#11 Illinois W 92-60 vs. Penn State
#7 Illinois W 55-51 at Michigan
#6 Illinois L 95-95 in OT at Penn State
#6 Illinois W 84-59 vs. Northwestern
#7 Illinois W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State
#7 Illinois W 82-61 at Purdue
#4 Illinois W 68-67 vs. #19 Wisconsin
#4 Illinois W 67-61 at Indiana
#3 Illinois L 63-61 at Ohio State
#3 Illinois W 89-63 vs. Iowa
#5 Illinois W 67-59 at Minnesota
Then its NCAA Tournament results
#1 seed Illinois W 96-54 vs. #16 seed Northwestern State
#1 seed Illinois W 79-61 vs. #9 seed Charlotte
#1 seed Illinois W 80-64 vs. #4 seed Kansas
#1 seed Illinois L 87-81 vs. #2 seed Arizona
Sure, you had your disappointing losses ... but they were a rivalry game at Iowa or a comedown game at Ohio State. And yes, you had wins that were closer than they should have been, but they were in a hostile gym in Bloomington. And yes you might have your off game vs. another equally great team during the Second Weekend of the Tournament and get sent packing, but you disposed of the lower seeds by a comfortable margin before that.
Of course there are exceptions, but I just don't remember (and I am including other top programs, not just us) as many of your "WTF" losses to the likes of Maryland at home where we just look like a totally different basketball team. I do not remember practically KNOWING that a First Round matchup with a #13 seed would scare us all to death like it did in 2022 vs. Chattanooga.
Maybe it's romanticism, but I feel like I used to be excited for a return to the House of 'Paign where we would just beat the living crap out of a team because (A) we were better and (B) we simply didn't hardly ever lose at home. I love watching the Illini as much as the next guy, but the only games where I am just purely pumped are when we play a tough road game or host a top-ranked team at home ... for pretty much all the others, I am equally as nervous and practically want to get it over with and survive with a W, haha.
TL;DR ... I cannot place what it is and I admit I am rambling ... but I just feel like in the mid-2000s with teams that were objectively no better than this squad, I would be far less nervous for "how bad it would be" to lose to Indiana at home if we have a game where we "don't show up." The atmosphere would just be too electric, and it would carry us through. So maybe the issue is just with a decline in the SFC or with a crazy increase in parity in college hoops, but I would just LOVE for us to get a few more performances like NU at home vs. some of the not-as-good Big Ten teams.
2000: 13-2, 7-1B10, 3-2Q1, 1-0Q2, 9-0Q3/4
2001: 12-0, 8-0B10, 2-0Q1, 3-0Q2, 7-0Q3/4
2002: 13-1, 7-1B10, 2-0Q1, 3-1Q2, 8-0Q3/4
2003: 14-0, 8-0B10, 2-0Q1, 3-0Q2, 9-0Q3/4
2004: 12-1, 7-1B10, 1-0Q1, 3-1Q2, 8-0Q3/4
2005: 15-0, 8-0B10, 2-0Q1, 3-0Q2, 10-0Q3/4
2006: 15-1, 7-1B10, 2-0Q1, 3-0Q2, 10-1Q3/4
2007: 14-3, 6-2B10, 2-3Q1, 1-0Q2, 11-0Q3/4
2008: 7-8, 3-6B10, 0-2Q1, 0-3Q2, 7-3Q3/4
2009: 13-3, 7-2B10, 1-2Q1, 4-1Q2, 8-0Q3/4
2010: 12-4, 5-4B10, 0-3Q1, 2-1Q2, 10-0Q3/4
2011: 14-2, 7-2B10, 2-2Q1, 5-0Q2, 7-0Q3/4
So putting things in perspective, during the 2000-2011 Self and Weber tenures, if you remove that awful 2008 post Jamar Smith fallout team, we had a total of 1 bad home loss. One! With a combined record of 97-1 against Quad 3 or worse teams.. That's pretty amazing. And from 2001-06, we had a total of 3 home losses and were 11-0 in Quad 1 games! Just sensational stuff.
It's no wonder why Assembly Hall truly was the House of 'Paign back then. The crowd was not only expecting a win, the opponent knew they were going to lose as soon as they stepped into the building. Hopefully we can return to that.
the national
- the Front Range
Great post- thanks for looking this up. It really helps me put into perspective how the league has changed. I’d be curious was the relative bottom of the league looked like each year, to compare the floors (like you pointed out in your post).
I thought it was hilarious!
My daughter was a senior in 2004-2005 working in the ticket office. We had been to 2 games during her first 3 years. They happened to be the only home losses during those years. When I told her we planned to come to a few games in 2004-5, she said unless I got season tickets I would not be coming to any games. I got 2 seats in the last row behind the basket! I came to all home games (from Rockford). My wife only came to a couple of games as I brought friends to most of the games for the 2.5 to 3 hour drive. Since my wife had been at the only two losses in the previous years, I told her if Illinois was losing at half time she would have to leave. Fortunately they won all of the home games that year and I didn't have to throw her out.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I was also curious of this! So, here are the top three and bottom three Big Ten teams in KenPom by year:
2002: #6 Indiana, #8 Illinois, #17 Ohio State ... #90 Northwestern, #128 Michigan, #198 Penn State
2003: #5 Illinois, #12 Wisconsin, #19 Michigan State ... #75 Ohio State, #167 Northwestern, #209 Penn State
2004: #6 Wisconsin, #13 Illinois, #34 Michigan State ... #133 Minnesota, #148 Ohio State, #227 Penn State
2005: #2 Illinois, #5 Michigan State, #17 Wisconsin ... #124 Northwestern, #128 Michigan, #216 Penn State
2006: #9 Illinois, #14 Ohio State, #21 Iowa ... #116 Penn State, #123 Northwestern, #155 Purdue
2007: #3 Ohio State, #8 Wisconsin, #14 Indiana ... #147 Penn State, #160 Minnesota, #165 Northwestern
2008: #5 Wisconsin, #19 Michigan State, #29 Indiana ... #137 Michigan, #146 Iowa, #191 Northwestern
2009: #9 Michigan State, #18 Purdue, #25 Illinois ... #65 Northwestern, #87 Iowa, #209 Indiana
2010: #7 Ohio State, #9 Wisconsin, #15 Purdue ... #101 Penn State, #174 Iowa, #194 Indiana
2011: #1 Ohio State, #6 Wisconsin, #9 Purdue ... #58 Minnesota, #82 Indiana, #88 Iowa
2012: #2 Ohio State, #3 Michigan State, #8 Wisconsin ... #101 Iowa, #133 Penn State, #152 Nebraska
2013: #3 Indiana, #4 Michigan, #7 Ohio State ... #132 Northwestern, #136 Nebraska, #161 Penn State
2014: #5 Wisconsin, #9 Michigan State, #12 Michigan ... #81 Penn State, #93 Purdue, #134 Northwestern
2015: #2 Wisconsin, #15 Michigan State, #19 Ohio State ... #121 Nebraska, #122 Northwestern, #198 Rutgers
2016: #5 Michigan State, #9 Purdue, #11 Indiana ... #125 Illinois, #192 Minnesota, #279 Rutgers
2017: #19 Purdue, #20 Michigan, #21 Wisconsin ... #87 Indiana, #107 Nebraska, #135 Rutgers
2018: #5 Purdue, #6 Michigan State, #7 Michigan ... #102 Illinois, #117 Minnesota, #130 Rutgers
2019: #3 Michigan State, #6 Michigan, #9 Purdue ... #74 Northwestern, #78 Rutgers, #84 Illinois
2020: #7 Michigan State, #8 Ohio State, #11 Maryland ... #34 Indiana, #132 Northwestern, #162 Nebraska
2021: #3 Michigan, #4 Illinois, #7 Iowa ... #64 Michigan State, #79 Northwestern, #109 Nebraska
2022: #13 Iowa, #14 Purdue, #20 Illinois ... #88 Penn State, #109 Minnesota, #140 Nebraska
2023: #7 Purdue, #23 Maryland, #26 Michigan State ... #61 Wisconsin, #94 Nebraska, #216 Minnesota
2024: #2 Purdue, #10 Illinois, #11 Wisconsin ... #93 Indiana, #95 Rutgers, #107 Penn State
2020 rankings are nuts ... #34 Indiana in the bottom three.
Ask and you shall receive. Here is the Kenpom average of the bottom two teams each year. The 2019 team is the only Illinois team to finish in the bottom two and has the distinction of being the best worst team in the B1G since 2002 with a final ranking of 84.
It isn't super obvious from glancing at the numbers but the trend line is pointing down. In other words, the B1G floor is getting higher.
2002: 163
2003: 188
2004: 188
2005: 172
2006 : 139
2007: 154
2008: 169
2009: 148
2010: 184
2011: 85
2012: 143
2013: 149
2014: 114
2015: 160
2016: 236
2017: 121
2018: 124
2019: 81
2020: 147
2021: 94
2022: 125
2023: 155
2024: 101
edit: Looks like Fighter beat me to the punch.
the national
- the Front Range
You’re right, that Indiana rank in 2020 is crazy. That was a loaded year.
I’m equally shocked by Illinois’s 2019 rank. I think very fondly of that team, though they didn’t have a great record. But I would have never guessed last place though.
We play more conference games so more chances for losses. Twenty years ago, we had the Great ALaska Shootout, Maui and overseas games before the start of the regular season for most teams, which was about December 1. The season is a longer grind than it used to be, so teams have a harder time winning every game they should. Add to that the Covid players that get 5 years, and it changes the game (to more competitive). Back in those days you could just about count on 3 of 4 of Duke, NCar, Kentucky and Kansas all being in the Elite 8. All of college basketball has changed.Without any data to back it up, I was saying to my wife the other day that it just seems like college hoops is SO much more unpredictable than when I was a kid. Take our 2001 team as an example of a "really good Illini team" that had similar rankings to this year's squad at times, and whose results we would all consider a fulfillment of this group's "ceiling" - a Big Ten title and an Elite Eight ... this was its Big Ten results:
#9 Illinois W 80-64 vs. Minnesota
#9 Illinois W 83-68 vs. Ohio State
#7 Illinois L 78-62 at Iowa
#7 Illinois W 80-51 vs. Michigan
#11 Illinois W 63-49 at Northwestern
#11 Illinois W 92-60 vs. Penn State
#7 Illinois W 55-51 at Michigan
#6 Illinois L 95-95 in OT at Penn State
#6 Illinois W 84-59 vs. Northwestern
#7 Illinois W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State
#7 Illinois W 82-61 at Purdue
#4 Illinois W 68-67 vs. #19 Wisconsin
#4 Illinois W 67-61 at Indiana
#3 Illinois L 63-61 at Ohio State
#3 Illinois W 89-63 vs. Iowa
#5 Illinois W 67-59 at Minnesota
Then its NCAA Tournament results
#1 seed Illinois W 96-54 vs. #16 seed Northwestern State
#1 seed Illinois W 79-61 vs. #9 seed Charlotte
#1 seed Illinois W 80-64 vs. #4 seed Kansas
#1 seed Illinois L 87-81 vs. #2 seed Arizona
Sure, you had your disappointing losses ... but they were a rivalry game at Iowa or a comedown game at Ohio State. And yes, you had wins that were closer than they should have been, but they were in a hostile gym in Bloomington. And yes you might have your off game vs. another equally great team during the Second Weekend of the Tournament and get sent packing, but you disposed of the lower seeds by a comfortable margin before that.
Of course there are exceptions, but I just don't remember (and I am including other top programs, not just us) as many of your "WTF" losses to the likes of Maryland at home where we just look like a totally different basketball team. I do not remember practically KNOWING that a First Round matchup with a #13 seed would scare us all to death like it did in 2022 vs. Chattanooga.
Maybe it's romanticism, but I feel like I used to be excited for a return to the House of 'Paign where we would just beat the living crap out of a team because (A) we were better and (B) we simply didn't hardly ever lose at home. I love watching the Illini as much as the next guy, but the only games where I am just purely pumped are when we play a tough road game or host a top-ranked team at home ... for pretty much all the others, I am equally as nervous and practically want to get it over with and survive with a W, haha.
TL;DR ... I cannot place what it is and I admit I am rambling ... but I just feel like in the mid-2000s with teams that were objectively no better than this squad, I would be far less nervous for "how bad it would be" to lose to Indiana at home if we have a game where we "don't show up." The atmosphere would just be too electric, and it would carry us through. So maybe the issue is just with a decline in the SFC or with a crazy increase in parity in college hoops, but I would just LOVE for us to get a few more performances like NU at home vs. some of the not-as-good Big Ten teams.
Watching Oregon State-Arizona game and Bill Walton is doing color. He can be annoying, but I like him in small doses. He was questioning OSU not starting their center in second half because he had 3 fouls. His broadcast partner asked, Wooden never changed lineup if you had 3 fouls at half? Walton replied, they were more likely to change the refs if I had 3 fouls at half.
Oh whaddya know? Another top 10 team (#9 Arizona) fell to an unranked and pretty bad team on the road (Oregon St) last night. Nobody has it easy on the road.
Hey don’t be taking swipes like that at my OSU Beavers. But, yeah, they’re not very good — though a little better at home obviously. Was a great game with the Beavers’ Jordan Pope having quite the game — 31 points (5 for 8 from 3 including buzzer beater) and 5 assists. I think I saw graphic after game that it was first time since some time in 1980s that a Beaver scored 30+ and hit buzzer beater.
Pope would be an awesome transfer, if he wanted to keep playing in a major conf. I have seen him play several times and the eye test match his stats. I think him and Coleman are friends, possible pg transfer?
the national
- the Front Range
Big game tips in 15mins. Let’s go Spartans
!
the national
- the Front Range
Wisc hot early. Scored on last 7 possessions. Storr is interesting in that I try to imagine him on our team. Not sure he’d be a good fit. But he’s strong and gets downhill quickly.
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