Wisconsin 78, Illinois 69 POSTGAME

Status
Not open for further replies.
#26      
LBZ
Gunner23 said:
I find it amazing that after this much of the season, people are still surprised that we are in a pretty big rebuild...
Click to expand...

This is a little different though in that we have played WI previously. We know what they are going to do & had nothing for them. They could do as they wanted. Yet a majority of the conference has figured out how to win against them.

In other news, Duke suffered a second straight loss! :D Sorry, not a Duke fan here.
 
#27      
Kathy
rebuilding and always looking to next year. Getting old.
 
#28      
FightingIllini09
Pretty much what I expected - no answer for Happ. He has another year, so the losing streak to WI will be at least 15 before we stand a chance against them.

Frankly, I don't see much chance of a tournament berth next year with just one fifth year transfer big and Finke coming off the bench.
 
#29      
FeelYourPaign
We desperately need another one or two guys who can put the ball in the bucket (when the other team plays D). Too many of our guys can only shoot when completely open.

Sigh
 
#30      
westms77
PlayAZ said:
New system, New coaches, New players (freshman).

It's a lot to do in one year...that said, I think with some key recruits (you know who they are), we have a lot to look forward too.

Black back will get some B1G mentions.
Frazier should be up for freshman of the year as well as some B1G mentions next year.
Smith, well lets hope the sullen, hand waving, whoa is me routine goes away with some maturity next year.
Williams, I really believe he comes out of his shell.
Finke, Who knows, maybe he can Grad at Akron? Sadly we need the height.
Jordan, Will need to become the Alstork defender next year.
Lucas, not sure if this kid gets back to us relying on him at all.
Ebo, He will be making a big jump next year I believe
Ayo, Will come in from Day 1 and with Frazier will be electrifying point.

Effort is there, commitment and buy in is coming, and the talent level just has us dependent on a stud guard and an undersized 4 player.
Click to expand...

Matic must really stink (be over his skis) in practice to never sniff the floor...should have redshirted
 
#31      
PlayAZ
Kathy said:
rebuilding and always looking to next year. Getting old.
Click to expand...

Never thought as a CUB fan that A) they would win a World Series, B) they would win it before ILLINI would win one, C) the Cub Mantra of Wait till Next Year/There's always next year would need to be adopted when cheering for my ILLINI....Aghhhh in my Charlie Brown voice while trying to kick the football!
 
#32      
Deleted member 4333
My expectation for a well coached team, regardless of talent, is that they play smart, tough, team basketball. Even if they lose, they are interesting to watch. Watching this team is like torture. Not smart, not tough, not a team. Some of this has to be Underwood's fault. He's got a lot of work to do before I'm a believer.
 
#33      
helppitch
chief78 said:
Frustrating to watch this Illini team battle and play so hard against osu and msu, but can't seem to beat a lowly badger team at home.
Click to expand...

Basketball is a game of matchups. We aren't very good, but we match up terribly against Wisconsin. Tonight they made the plays & hit the shots in the clutch, they deserve the credit.
We need a lot more than Trent to score. It seems no one but Trent can create his own shot. Hopefully Ayo will help. Actually I thought Smith was a little more aggressive tonight. I really question pulling him out after he drove to the basket & threw up an airball. Also pulling Williams after he threw one bad pass. IMO sometimes you have to let young players play through mistakes.
 
#34      
Spoon House
Thank God for Trent Frazier. And a workmanlike double double from LB.

Everybody else... woof.
 
#35      
PlayAZ
FeelYourPaign said:
We desperately need another one or two guys who can put the ball in the bucket (when the other team plays D). Too many of our guys can only shoot when completely open.

Sigh
Click to expand...

Jordan is a spot up at best
Alstork is trying to at least get a shot back
Smith has to be WIDE open to attempt one
Lucas well there's that
Williams doesn't even attempt enough

Ayo and 2-3 more are desperately needed! ALL shooters send in tape to BU!
 
#36      
FeelYourPaign
helppitch said:
Basketball is a game of matchups. We aren't very good, but we match up terribly against Wisconsin. Tonight they made the plays & hit the shots in the clutch, they deserve the credit.
We need a lot more than Trent to score. It seems no one but Trent can create his own shot. Hopefully Ayo will help. Actually I thought Smith was a little more aggressive tonight. I really question pulling him out after he drove to the basket & threw up an airball. Also pulling Williams after he threw one bad pass. IMO sometimes you have to let young players play through mistakes.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with you.
No season to protect, so invest in the freshmen.
But I assume that BU has a philosophy and he's being true to it, so that's the way it goes.
 
#37      
SycIllini
It appears most of the team besides Frazier and Black have lost any confidence they had. Maybe not Alstork but, his offensive confidence is mostly misplaced.
 
#38      
JamesB
Sizzler22 said:
The one thing that stands out is that Underwood said Ebo is the most athletic player on the team....that there says enough about why this team is 2-9 in big ten play.
Click to expand...

2-10, actually.
 
#39      
Gunner23
Sizzler22 said:
The one thing that stands out is that Underwood said Ebo is the most athletic player on the team....that there says enough about why this team is 2-9 in big ten play.
Click to expand...

This shouldn't be a surprise.
 
#41      
Deleted member 547530
Every game it becomes more painfully obvious we have 1 Division 1 P5 men's BB player on this team - Trent Frazier. Should make for a pretty easy UI men's BB banquet this year. Put Trent's name on every award hit the buffet line at the Golden Corral and call it a year. God we need an upgrade in talent and Ayo is not enough by himself
 
#42      
ILLINIWEK86
PlayAZ said:
New system, New coaches, New players (freshman).

It's a lot to do in one year...that said, I think with some key recruits (you know who they are), we have a lot to look forward too.

Black back will get some B1G mentions.
Frazier should be up for freshman of the year as well as some B1G mentions next year.
Smith, well lets hope the sullen, hand waving, whoa is me routine goes away with some maturity next year.
Williams, I really believe he comes out of his shell.
Finke, Who knows, maybe he can Grad at Akron? Sadly we need the height.
Jordan, Will need to become the Alstork defender next year.
Lucas, not sure if this kid gets back to us relying on him at all.
Ebo, He will be making a big jump next year I believe
Ayo, Will come in from Day 1 and with Frazier will be electrifying point.

Effort is there, commitment and buy in is coming, and the talent level just has us dependent on a stud guard and an undersized 4 player.
Click to expand...

I would be very surprised if two of the players you mentioned are even wearing Illini uniforms next year. Could easily see us actually having one less guard next year than we do this year.

It's only my opinion, but the longer a PG with a questionable outside shot is our only recruit coming in, the harder it is to think it's going to make a dramatic enough difference to make a tournament.
 
#44      
PlayAZ
ILLINIWEK86 said:
I would be very surprised if two of the players you mentioned are even wearing Illini uniforms next year. Could easily see us actually having one less guard next year than we do this year.

It's only my opinion, but the longer a PG with a questionable outside shot is our only recruit coming in, the harder it is to think it's going to make a dramatic enough difference to make a tournament.
Click to expand...

I agree, but I do think Ayo and Frazier both can penetrate and IF we had better shooters/athletes, they would be depended on less to be the Go-To's with Black ALL the time.

I also agree about 1-2 may not be here.
 
#45      
JFGsCoffeeMug
blife said:
Every game it becomes more painfully obvious we have 1 Division 1 P5 men's BB player on this team - Trent Frazier.
Click to expand...

You're forgetting Leron Black. He would be a total monster if he wasn't constantly matched up with the other team's center.
 
#46      
LoveIlliniHoops
rbachhuber said:
My expectation for a well coached team, regardless of talent, is that they play smart, tough, team basketball. Even if they lose, they are interesting to watch. Watching this team is like torture. Not smart, not tough, not a team. Some of this has to be Underwood's fault. He's got a lot of work to do before I'm a believer.
Click to expand...

I disagree. BU obviously had a plan for Happ. Kipper couldn’t execute it. BU was visibly upset on the bench. He has resorted to sitting players that can’t execute. Also; too many fans have given up on the recruiting of any additional players for 2018; grad student or otherwise. Talk to me in June.
 
#48      
Deleted member 547530
How do we let the only BIG team that is less athletic than us beat us twice this year. Not to rip on players but AJ, Finke, and Alstork are not good upper classman basketball players. How do we have so many players on this team that could not throw a basketball in an ocean with a game on the line let alone thru the hoop. I truly hope several of our upper classmen are gone next year. I would rather watch freshman 2 stars that can shoot the ball than the stuff we have been watching.
 
#49      
I Bomb
I don't know. An upgrade in talent is a no-brainer, but this isn't 5-card draw, where you show the dealer your Frazier and trade the rest. These guys are underperforming. I think they're better than this, and it seems like you wouldn't be hard pressed to name several other teams with similar talent, doing waaaaaay better. And, they're all coming back, outside of Alstork (and transfers, if any). I mean, to play like they did against Rutgers and then do this in the next home game, against a frustratingly beatable Wisconsin - there's something going on. Mental block; chemistry issues; too much partying; I have no idea...
 
#50      
Deleted member 9739
I don't even know what to say anymore. Frazier and Black are playing like B1G players and getting no help from the rest of the team (1 for 2, yes 2!, shooting from Finke tonight and 1 for 9 from Alstork - I honestly don't know which of those things is worse).

This lack of basketball talent is so depressing and it says we are in big trouble next year because all you are adding is Ayo. For those saying that these youngsters will somehow wake up and turn into high basketball IQ studs next year and make the tournament ... good luck with that.

My early guess at this point is that we finish 10th in the B1G next year, maybe lower if we don't find a 5th year big to help.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back