Who Fares Better In March, MBB or WBB? (Or, about the same?)

Who Fares Better In

  • Men’s Basketball

    Votes: 35 38.9%

  • Women’s Basketball

    Votes: 20 22.2%

  • Both Do The Same

    Votes: 35 38.9%
  • Total voters
    90
#1      

WyattEarp

WyattEarp
WyattEarp
Who Fares Better In March, MBB or WBB? (Or, about the same?)

The emergence of WBB sure has been a pleasant surprise. It’s hard to believe it has
come so far so fast. I’m concerned about
the lack of size and depth and the 3pt shooting that has fallen off of late. But they
are gritty and scrappy and have a lot of heart. If they get hot from outside and get coached up a little more…breaking a press or two…who knows?


On the Men’s side…well, you know how it is…? It’s been the Great, the Bad and The Ugly. I know one thing…if we start firing on all cylinders…look out. I don’t have a ton of confidence in that…but who knows?

Since I have no flippin’ idea what will happen and I’m trying to stay upbeat…
I am gonna say…both teams get to
the Sweet Sixteen. I would be tickled ORANGE if that happened.

What say you?
 
#2      

PasadenaIllini

P
PasadenaIllini
WyattEarp said:
Who Fares Better In March, MBB or WBB? (Or, about the same?)

The emergence of WBB sure has been a pleasant surprise. It’s hard to believe it has
come so far so fast. I’m concerned about
the lack of size and depth and the 3pt shooting that has fallen off of late. But they
are gritty and scrappy and have a lot of heart. If they get hot from outside and get coached up a little more…breaking a press or two…who knows?


On the Men’s side…well, you know how it is…? It’s been the Great, the Bad and The Ugly. I know one thing…if we start firing on all cylinders…look out. I don’t have a ton of confidence in that…but who knows?

Since I have no flippin’ idea what will happen and I’m trying to stay upbeat…
I am gonna say…both teams get to
the Sweet Sixteen. I would be tickled ORANGE if that happened.

What say you?
Click to expand...
I haven't watched the women's side, so I can't say for certain there. Given their success, if my schedule opens up a bit, I hope to catch some more games.

My guess on the men's side is that we either go out in the first or the second round. We aren't going to be seeded very well given the number of bad losses we've taken. Our first round opponent will likely be really good. If we make it past that round, more than likely, our second round opponent will be more talented than us. I can see the possibility of us showing up with the focus to beat our first round opponent. But given the body of work, the inconsistency in the game planning, effort, and focus, there's no way I'd predict us beating our second round opponent. I hope to be surprised.
 
#3      

Goillinikobd

Goillinikobd
Southeastern US
Goillinikobd
Watched both teams, men more because not all of the Illini WBB games are televised, unfortunately.
If I were a betting fan, I say one and done for the MBB, and two and out for the WBB.
Go Illini.
 
#4      

Illini88

I
Illini88
Women bow out in round 2. Men fall just short of final four.

NCAAW seem to have a definite "tier structure" where the top 20 teams are a major step ahead of all the rest. With that in mind, see the women winning the first game and then bowing out. Can't see any scenario where they win beyond round 2 as they then run into the next "tier" - which is where I expect to see us in the next 1-2 years!

NCAAM is the exact opposite. Anyone in the tourney can beat anyone else on a given day. Talent is amazing across all the teams. I think we'll win the first game. Beyond that, it depends on which team shows up. If the team we all know is there shows up, I see us losing in the regional finals/falling just short of the final four. If the team that shows up is the one that makes stupid mistakes and forgets how to shoot, we're out in round two. I think we'll make it to the second weekend as I have a ton of confidence that BU is working on the mental side of things with the team. He's shown an ability to adapt/change/grow and learn from when the team falls short. He's hard headed and driven once he locks onto a plan; BUT, not so rigid as to stick with the plan once it's proven to have limits.
 
#7      

GoodePodzMelendez

G
GoodePodzMelendez
I think is all depends on matchups. Shauna has done a masterful job in rebuilding this team, but from what I have seen, we have no depth, yet, and we have not been able to get over the hump other than the Iowa game. They can get to the S16 if they do not get in the 8/9 game First. If they can find a way to get in the 7-10 game, they could knock off a 2 seed. The men need to get in the 6-11 game then play a 3 seed. But it all depends on matchups.
 
#8      

Second place is 1st loser

S
Second place is 1st loser
PasadenaIllini said:
I haven't watched the women's side, so I can't say for certain there. Given their success, if my schedule opens up a bit, I hope to catch some more games.

My guess on the men's side is that we either go out in the first or the second round. We aren't going to be seeded very well given the number of bad losses we've taken. Our first round opponent will likely be really good. If we make it past that round, more than likely, our second round opponent will be more talented than us. I can see the possibility of us showing up with the focus to beat our first round opponent. But given the body of work, the inconsistency in the game planning, effort, and focus, there's no way I'd predict us beating our second round opponent. I hope to be surprised.
Click to expand...
I can't get on board with all of this, but I can with some. We don't have any bad losses currently. We might not have looked good in our losses(we've been flat out ugly in some), but we don't have a bad loss on the resume. Our "body of work" isn't bad either. Again, the optics of some of the losses wasn't good, but we're still top 30 NET and we still, arguably, have the two best non conference wins in the county. Beating Texas and UCLA was a big deal and is a key component when looking at our body of work. If Wisconsin can pull it together a little bit, those two wins will also adjust things more positively.

Now, your points about inconsistency, effort and focus is a whole different issue and I agree. The game to game, half to half roller coaster will dig us out of some holes, but it will also get us beat. We're as unpredictable as it gets.

I hope to be surprised as well.
 
#9      

GrayGhost77

GrayGhost77
Centennial, CO
GrayGhost77
If the women have a healthy Genesis Bryant I could see them push all the way to the Sweet 16, otherwise I think Round of 32 most likely. The men are just so streaky and you never know what they're going to bring each game. If they get it figured out and click on all cylinders I think they are a Sweet 16/Elite 8 capable team. Otherwise I think we're looking at a Second Round exit again (if that).
 
#10      

Dawgss4life

D
Dawgss4life
Illini88 said:
Women bow out in round 2. Men fall just short of final four.

NCAAW seem to have a definite "tier structure" where the top 20 teams are a major step ahead of all the rest. With that in mind, see the women winning the first game and then bowing out. Can't see any scenario where they win beyond round 2 as they then run into the next "tier" - which is where I expect to see us in the next 1-2 years!

NCAAM is the exact opposite. Anyone in the tourney can beat anyone else on a given day. Talent is amazing across all the teams. I think we'll win the first game. Beyond that, it depends on which team shows up. If the team we all know is there shows up, I see us losing in the regional finals/falling just short of the final four. If the team that shows up is the one that makes stupid mistakes and forgets how to shoot, we're out in round two. I think we'll make it to the second weekend as I have a ton of confidence that BU is working on the mental side of things with the team. He's shown an ability to adapt/change/grow and learn from when the team falls short. He's hard headed and driven once he locks onto a plan; BUT, not so rigid as to stick with the plan once it's proven to have limits.
Click to expand...
BUT, not so rigid as to stick with the plan once it's proven to have limits? WHAT? I must have been watching a different then you. Penn State? Indiana? Penn State?
 
#11      

Illini88

I
Illini88
Dawgss4life said:
BUT, not so rigid as to stick with the plan once it's proven to have limits? WHAT? I must have been watching a different then you. Penn State? Indiana? Penn State?
Click to expand...
Was speaking about his willingness to change schemes during season. In game, agree that sometimes it is befuddling how they don't adjust.
 
#12      

EyeoftheIllini

EyeoftheIllini
EyeoftheIllini
I’ve not watched enough of women’s tourney in the past. Do B1G women’s teams under perform in tourney too because of how B1G refs call the game in regular season? 😜
 
#13      

Godard

Godard
Godard
The many heartbreaking losses we have experienced this season may well pay off when it comes BT and NCAA tournament time. I think this is the year Brad finally breaks through and has us playing on the second weekend. To wit, both Meyer and TSJ seem to struggle at times with BT-style play, the former looking genuinely upset each time a mugging isn't called and the latter trying to do too much in a style of play that isn't effective against BT competition (but worked fine against Texas and UCLA). We could be dangerous come tournament time.

I also think the women's team doesn't get the respect or admiration that it deserves. Both teams are groups of athletes who train very hard and try their best, after all.

I'll be rooting for both, and refuse to make Sophie's choice.
 
#14      

Battle89

Battle89
Battle89
I sincerely hope the optimists here are right. I just do not feel that way.

I've seen four games in person this year, which I'm sure is the highest for me since I was a student. I've seen our best (UCLA) and then three gritty games in Virginia, Iowa, and Rutgers. So 2-2 in the four games. I just don't see how the wildly inconsistent performance translates to three wins in the tournament (for those saying Elite 8 above).

Missed 3s, missed layups, passes to the other team, slow starts - they all kill us. Of course they are all partially offset by some really good things too, I am not saying we are a bad team. Usually we play great defense...but that is not a sure thing either. We have some bad habits and tendencies and I have not seen much change in those over the season.

We'll see and I very much hope I am wrong. To keep in the spirit of the thread, I'll say women out in 1st round and men out in 2nd round.
 
#16      

EyeoftheIllini

EyeoftheIllini
EyeoftheIllini
Battle89 said:
I sincerely hope the optimists here are right. I just do not feel that way.

I've seen four games in person this year, which I'm sure is the highest for me since I was a student. I've seen our best (UCLA) and then three gritty games in Virginia, Iowa, and Rutgers. So 2-2 in the four games. I just don't see how the wildly inconsistent performance translates to three wins in the tournament (for those saying Elite 8 above).

Missed 3s, missed layups, passes to the other team, slow starts - they all kill us. Of course they are all partially offset by some really good things too, I am not saying we are a bad team. Usually we play great defense...but that is not a sure thing either. We have some bad habits and tendencies and I have not seen much change in those over the season.

We'll see and I very much hope I am wrong. To keep in the spirit of the thread, I'll say women out in 1st round and men out in 2nd round.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I’m at the same place as you. If the women’s team starts hitting 3s like they were first half of season, I think they could win a game, maybe even two. But if not, I think they could lose first game.

As far as the men, I think they’ll win their first game because of better talent. They could win a second game if Mayer or Shannon go off. I just can’t see three wins. They haven’t beaten 3 good teams In a row all season. I’ll be cheering for them to prove me wrong, and they certainly could come together. I’m just afraid we’ve seen their ceiling.