Deleted member 547530
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I do agree LB is a solid role guy on a good team. Unfortunately he is the only other guy on this team. Wish he had a team surrounding him like the Rev had.
Wisconsin 78, Illinois 69 POSTGAME
I do agree LB is a solid role guy on a good team. Unfortunately he is the only other guy on this team. Wish he had a team surrounding him like the Rev had.
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!Sorry, not a Duke fan here.
It's not that much different. We had the same roster and level of talent in each game. We need roster turnover and a talent/athleticism upgrade to begin some "meaningful" competitiveness in the B1G. That isn't going to change midseason. Other teams are beating Wisconsin because the Badgers are bad. Those same teams are beating us because we are bad. Upgrades to talent and athleticism are a requirement to this rebuild...and, those upgrades won't happen this season.
Deleted member 547530
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Saying this team is in a rebuild is like telling the Japanese they were in a rebuild after Hiroshima. We need to add about 10 new players.
Yikes
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
Only 57 posts
It sure looks like the fan base is worn down.
It sure looks like the fan base is worn down.
Deleted member 631370
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That's pretty much it.
This roster needs to be recruited over, period. Frazier is a great cornerstone on which to build the team, but we are deficient everywhere else.
There's no way to sugarcoat this one. Losing at home to a 10-15 Wisconsin team is just pathetic. Hopefully this is rock bottom. We took a step forward as a team the past week or so, and then took a massive leap backwards.
But as somebody else said.....this isn't solely about talent. There's something else going on. Yes, we are relatively young, but young teams typically improve over the course of the year. This team is uniquely bad, and the lack of improvement is shocking.
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Deleted member 631370
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Honestly, interest in Illinois basketball is probably fading. Every year we miss the tournament is one more year removed from relevance.
We all hoped that at least this season we'd get better and better and maybe make a run late which would give us optimism going into next year.
Nope, not seeing it. And now I'm genuinely worried that we're going to be in rough shape next year, too.
Does anybody really pay attention to Tennessee football, anymore? Yep, that's us.
Illiini
- In the land of the Nittany Lion
I was watching on the radio (again) so I don't know whether my other senses were improved, but--especially down the stretch--it was we get the ball and go down the court and miss/turn it over unless Trent makes a play (that involves him getting the basket, as often as not on by fouling).
Then they get the ball and take it back up the court and Happ either spins around whoever was defending him, or he feeds it out to someone open who sinks a three.
And if Trent scores, they definitely came back with a three.
Yeah, I guess having written it, that seems like a Captain Obvious analysis. But other than Frazier and Black (Leron in the postgame interview looked like he didn't get that puppy he was promised for Christmas), why weren't the others producing something, anything? Is it a matter of just not getting good looks? I swear I see better shooting in the clips of high school girls basketball on our local TV. What's up with that?
Then they get the ball and take it back up the court and Happ either spins around whoever was defending him, or he feeds it out to someone open who sinks a three.
And if Trent scores, they definitely came back with a three.
Yeah, I guess having written it, that seems like a Captain Obvious analysis. But other than Frazier and Black (Leron in the postgame interview looked like he didn't get that puppy he was promised for Christmas), why weren't the others producing something, anything? Is it a matter of just not getting good looks? I swear I see better shooting in the clips of high school girls basketball on our local TV. What's up with that?
Deleted member 631370
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I'm not THAT worried about the coaching staff yet, but I'm also not buying this stuff about "we are so much more enjoyable to watch", "we are light years ahead of where Groce had us", "we are playing well enough to beat anybody", etc.
I get it. We're still in the honeymoon phase, and we're all rooting hard for the new staff to succeed. But that can't cloud the fact that this team is an utter wreck. That's largely due to the fact that we have 2 guys playing at a Big Ten level. 2. That's a failing on the previous staff. But when so many guys underperform this year -- Alstork, Smith, Finke, Nichols -- and actually get WORSE as the season goes on, that's really alarming. Frankly, the coaches aren't immune from criticism here.
Next year might be the most pivotal year in recent Illinois basketball history.
WE did not get out coached. I don't know what you were watching, but BU was having a fit on the sideline because the players wouldn't execute. Read Piper's twitter: It explains it for you.
Kipper: 0 pts, 1 reb in 15 mins
Finke: 4 pts, 1 reb in 22 mins
Smith: 1-5, 0 rebs in 14 mins
Alstork: 1-9 in 29 mins
Deleted member 4960
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Well, Illini basketball is done being must watch tv for me. I will dvr and watch at my leisure. Hard to justify wasting my time on this kind of effort. How we let a team like that beat us, I'll never know. Why we can't get any production out of anyone else other than black or Frazier is rediculous. Finke is killing us. Mark smith and Lucas are way underperforming. The biggest problem is Alstork a guy that we expected to give double digit production makes 1 shot. Finke the same. There is no offense scheme being executed other than TF create and make his own shot.
Therein may lie the problem. Some of these players have obviously tuned BU out. As I asked in the game thread...Underwood's sideline demeanor??
GortTheRobot
- North Bethesda, Maryland
Just caught up, and wow, how depressing. I appreciate the frustration, I am very frustrated too, but I just don't know why anyone had lofty expectations for this years' team.
We are finding out who can really play and who cannot. Who can step up, and where their strengths and weaknesses are. I'm not saying we should be content with this year and its constant disappointments, but I am looking at making a more serious assessment in year two.
Regardless of who we have back and who we add, my expectations for growth will be much more serious after this experimental stage.
I'm ready to be flamed, but bottom line is, I will not give in to gloom and doom. And please don't think I am trying to point a finger and lecture anyone for sounding that way, the frustration is justly earned, and I know this is a post game thread, after a particularly terrible loss.
We are finding out who can really play and who cannot. Who can step up, and where their strengths and weaknesses are. I'm not saying we should be content with this year and its constant disappointments, but I am looking at making a more serious assessment in year two.
Regardless of who we have back and who we add, my expectations for growth will be much more serious after this experimental stage.
I'm ready to be flamed, but bottom line is, I will not give in to gloom and doom. And please don't think I am trying to point a finger and lecture anyone for sounding that way, the frustration is justly earned, and I know this is a post game thread, after a particularly terrible loss.
Deleted member 631370
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I don't pretend to know the internal dynamics.
But it appears we're back to this "it's the players' fault, not the coaches' fault!" argument. The same argument used to support failed coaches in the past.
In no way am I comparing BU and staff to Groce or Weber, and it's too early to blame this entirely on the staff. But that "players just aren't executing" argument only goes so far.
We have a huge talent deficiency. That's for darn sure. But that doesn't appear to be the only problem here. If it's a matter of players being too soft or not responding to BU's style......well......all the more reason to recruit like a maniac and go build us a roster that will fight and do things the right way.
As I've said repeatedly......our only way out of this mess appears to be recruiting.
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Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
I've been as optimistic and stay-the-course as probably anyone here, but last night's loss really got to me. We just don't have the players, but it isn't just talent, it's fire. AJ was tentative, Finke looked like he was afraid to get near his man on defense, and TeJon had one of his poorer games.
The refs turned this into a slow game where it was hard to get into rhythm. I still have faith in BU, but I'm not really expecting another W this season and maybe I'll be surprised.
The refs turned this into a slow game where it was hard to get into rhythm. I still have faith in BU, but I'm not really expecting another W this season and maybe I'll be surprised.
I don't like piling on after a loss --it's clear everyone is trying to win games. So I try to keep in mind these guys are giving it a good effort.
I am having a hard time digesting how bad we are. There's talent here, but we're not seeing a BU offense or defense. His coaching record is stellar, so why the disconnect in performance?
I'm guessing things are going to get worse before they get better. As a player, it has to be demoralizing to be heading into the stretch with no chance at the postseason. As a fan, I'm at a loss. Where's the pride? Where's the execution?
Writing it all off to rebuilding doesn't feel right. There should be some improvement in existing guys besides Trent. Not having a big on board is also rough, as we really, really need one who can execute his system.
I am having a hard time digesting how bad we are. There's talent here, but we're not seeing a BU offense or defense. His coaching record is stellar, so why the disconnect in performance?
I'm guessing things are going to get worse before they get better. As a player, it has to be demoralizing to be heading into the stretch with no chance at the postseason. As a fan, I'm at a loss. Where's the pride? Where's the execution?
Writing it all off to rebuilding doesn't feel right. There should be some improvement in existing guys besides Trent. Not having a big on board is also rough, as we really, really need one who can execute his system.
Deleted member 4333
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Playing the same guys over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of coaching insanity. Let's put some of the walk ons out there and see if they can execute. At the very least, maybe it'll light a fire under the nonperformers.
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ILLINIWEK86
Dick Vitale walks into a bar..
- Fisher
Expecting them to beat bad teams isn't a lofty expectation. Expecting players to show improvement as the season progresses isn't lofty expectations. I never even thought this team would be in tournament conversation, but to still be this bad at the end of the year is cause for concern, no?
GortTheRobot
- North Bethesda, Maryland
I should have been clearer: The lofty expectations comment was in reference to the expectation of being in the Tournament. I agree with your comments about the other expectations.