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NCAA basketball thread 2017-18


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QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jan 4, 2018 -> 03:39 PM)
Quite frankly, I'm disappointed in Underwood. Thought he would have more of an immediate impact.

 

We clearly don't have enough talent right now, but really thought he could scheme and coach the team to more wins. But as of now, the offense looks pedestrian and extremely inconsistent, and the defense gives up a lot but forces turnovers at least.

 

I hoped but didn't expect us to make the tournament, but didn't really believe we would know before 2018 that we wouldn't make the tourney.

 

This is a larger rebuild than I thought, and not getting a big man or a wing in 2018 is now concerning.

 

I mean, their defense is very good (taking into consideration their complete lack of size) and their offense gets them plenty of open shots. I think the "system" is working out just fine. I'm shocked at how poorly this team shoots the ball, especially from 3. I would have bet a lot of money that Finke was going to thrive and average 15+ a game, but he can't hit the broad side of a barn.

 

Their best players are Black, Frazier and Williams. So you're relying heavily on freshman. The positive is that they make a lot of great plays, plays with ahtleticism we haven't seen in a while. There's a lot of potential there. But they're freshman, so they also make awful, untimely mistakes. Mark Smith has been a little bit of a disappointment but he's making typical (and correctable) freshman mistakes. Alstork...I mean I don't know what I expected but he's not the Rayvonte Rice transfer I thought he was going to be. He made so many bone-headed plays in that Minnesota game.

 

Who else is worth anything? Aaron Jordan was a nice story early but I knew that shooting was never going to last just looking at his form. Kipper Nichols is an absolute bust. He's Brian Randle (crazy good athleticism without the skills to match) 10 years later. Lucas didn't take a step in year 2.

 

My glass half full side still says this is a team that should be 2-1 in the big ten if they could just inbound the ball two times. My glass half empty side says that they're 16 games in which is enough of a sample size to show they're not a good shooting team. The offense isn't going to get much better.

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QUOTE (JenksIsMyHero @ Jan 5, 2018 -> 10:27 AM)
I mean, their defense is very good (taking into consideration their complete lack of size) and their offense gets them plenty of open shots. I think the "system" is working out just fine. I'm shocked at how poorly this team shoots the ball, especially from 3. I would have bet a lot of money that Finke was going to thrive and average 15+ a game, but he can't hit the broad side of a barn.

 

Their best players are Black, Frazier and Williams. So you're relying heavily on freshman. The positive is that they make a lot of great plays, plays with ahtleticism we haven't seen in a while. There's a lot of potential there. But they're freshman, so they also make awful, untimely mistakes. Mark Smith has been a little bit of a disappointment but he's making typical (and correctable) freshman mistakes. Alstork...I mean I don't know what I expected but he's not the Rayvonte Rice transfer I thought he was going to be. He made so many bone-headed plays in that Minnesota game.

 

Who else is worth anything? Aaron Jordan was a nice story early but I knew that shooting was never going to last just looking at his form. Kipper Nichols is an absolute bust. He's Brian Randle (crazy good athleticism without the skills to match) 10 years later. Lucas didn't take a step in year 2.

 

My glass half full side still says this is a team that should be 2-1 in the big ten if they could just inbound the ball two times. My glass half empty side says that they're 16 games in which is enough of a sample size to show they're not a good shooting team. The offense isn't going to get much better.

 

It's been good so far, but I wonder how sustainable the defense will be into conference play. We're going to get exposed a bit without a rim protector, imo.

 

 

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https://deadspin.com/minnesota-center-reggi...-for-1821807664

 

Reggie Lynch of Minnesota suspended until 2020 because he's a serial rapist/assaulter. I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that a member of the Pitino family protected someone like that for so long, even allowing him to log a 11 pt, 12 reb, 7 block game against Illinois just this week.

Edited by JenksIsMyHero
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QUOTE (JenksIsMyHero @ Jan 5, 2018 -> 11:01 AM)
https://deadspin.com/minnesota-center-reggi...-for-1821807664

 

Reggie Lynch of Minnesota suspended until 2020 because he's a serial rapist/assaulter. I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that a member of the Pitino family protected someone like that for so long, even allowing him to log a 11 pt, 12 reb, 7 block game against Illinois just this week.

Of course they waited until after the Illinois game. The entire world, not just the referee community is against the Illini.

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QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 5, 2018 -> 11:25 AM)
Of course they waited until after the Illinois game. The entire world, not just the referee community is against the Illini.

 

Exactly!

 

I was kind of kidding about that part, but it's ridiculous the guy was able to play at all once the complaints were filed.

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QUOTE (JenksIsMyHero @ Jan 5, 2018 -> 01:25 PM)
Exactly!

 

I was kind of kidding about that part, but it's ridiculous the guy was able to play at all once the complaints were filed.

If he sucked, he would have been given the heave ho long ago. Every school does it. The Illini did it with Jamar Smith years ago. I don't think he actually played anymore for them, but that was only because he messed up again while suspended and on probation.

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QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 5, 2018 -> 02:05 PM)
If he sucked, he would have been given the heave ho long ago. Every school does it. The Illini did it with Jamar Smith years ago. I don't think he actually played anymore for them, but that was only because he messed up again while suspended and on probation.

 

Right after it happened Weber said Smith wasn't going to play for the rest of the season and that they would reevaluate his role going forward. He screwed that up so they kicked him off the team. Most recently Kendrick Nunn had some domestic abuse charges and he was kicked off the team immediately. He was a good player and may have kept Groce employed at the school (currently playing very well for Oakland).

 

The only pass I can remember in the recent history of Illinois bball was Luther Head, who stole some stuff but remained on the team. Minor theft =/= multiple sexual assaults.

 

Not saying this doesn't happen, it surely does, but I would have hoped that in the current state of the country re: sexual harassment/assault, Minnesota would have been a little more proactive. Especially since Minnesota's AD is already dealing with other sexual assault complaints/controversies, including on the basketball team.

 

Edited by JenksIsMyHero
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QUOTE (Sonik22 @ Jan 5, 2018 -> 09:30 AM)
It's been a lot more fun watching the team this year, I like the energy.

 

I'm trying not to get my hopes too high, but being 3-0 in the B1G is quite nice. I'm still not trying to think of them as a tournament team, but if they come close, those losses to Clemson and Butler with double digit leads are really going to sting.

It’s just nice to see them well coached. They would have lost that game last year.

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QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 6, 2018 -> 11:20 AM)
Illini can’t complain about these refs

 

Of course I can. College basketball refs are dreadful. And there's the dreaded makeup.

 

I can complain about the announcers too. Frazier gets hit the face clearly and then gets accused of "selling" as if an arm to the face is somehow comfortable.

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Love that the schools had a bet on the Braggin Rights game:

 

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