whitesoxfan99

QUOTE (hitlesswonder @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 10:08 PM) I think a team that plays such intense and physical man defense is a bad match for Paul (4 TOs tonight) who still doesn't seem that comfortable with ball in his hands. In the big picture for Paul, I think it is good he's being challenged to play point because any chance for him to make the next level is going require better ball skills. I'd agree Richmond should have played more over Cole. Did anyone else get the feeling that McCamey and Richmond don't get along well on the floor together? There were two sequences where Richmond wouldn't give the ball up to McCamey when he asked for it.... Paul had one legitimate turnover tonight. The other 3 were charges, 2 of which (Rock and Badger will also attest to this) were not even close to charges and were clear blocks and the other one was a block but at least was somewhat close.

QUOTE (hitlesswonder @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 09:34 PM) I understand...Davis is prone to spectacularly bad plays like that (or the missed dunks against Iowa). But...if you look at his line of 12-10-3 with one turnover, he really was one of the better Illini on the court tonight. It's just that the things that stick out are the egregiously bad mistakes. I guess I still think the vitriol I see for him from so many fans is undeserved, especially for guy who has managed to stay out of trouble off the court. He is a good kid, as are all the seniors really but my hatred of Davis is completely due to unfulfilled potential. And he has been much more consistent in the last 2 months then at any point in his career. But he has made a career out of making spectacularly bad plays at the worst possible times and unfortunately unless Illinois makes a run in the tourney will be my memories of Mike Davis's career at Illinois. Just like my memories of Tisdale are getting pushed around by 6'3 guys and my memories of DMac are him not being able to guard my 7 year old cousin. I don't include Cole because I have no expectations for him at all.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 09:24 PM) Playing Cole that much is crazy to me as well. I think Richmond needs to have some post plays developed for him. He definitely played too much but part of that was Richardson being banged up and not effective when he was in the game. Richmond should have played a little more for sure and while I would say Paul should have played more, he seems to struggle when he is in the game for too long of stretches. He plays so hard pressuring the ball that his production seems to dramatically drop off after he is in the game for about 4 straight minutes.

Also, I thought Weber coached a very good game tonight but he made one huge mistake that probably cost Illinois the game and that was leaving McCamey on the bench for the rest of the half with 2 fouls. If you are at home I am ok with that, but on the road against a top 10 team you have to take chances, particularly against a team where you can hide McCamey on defense by having guard a guy like Smith who won't put the ball on the floor.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:59 PM) Theyll have Hummel next year, but Id say they are a fringe tourney team at best. Even this year Im not overly impressed with them. I actually think Wisconsin is better than them, just @ Purdue they get away with so many fouls Wisconsin couldnt beat them. And right now Id rather be the 3 seed and face MSU/Indiana, instead of potentially having to face Michigan. Michigan is a team on the way up, MSU is seemingly defeated. Who knows what type of player he will be and the chances of him staying healthy frankly aren't very high when you are coming off of two knee surgeries like that.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:59 PM) Theyll have Hummel next year, but Id say they are a fringe tourney team at best. Even this year Im not overly impressed with them. I actually think Wisconsin is better than them, just @ Purdue they get away with so many fouls Wisconsin couldnt beat them. And right now Id rather be the 3 seed and face MSU/Indiana, instead of potentially having to face Michigan. Michigan is a team on the way up, MSU is seemingly defeated. Illinois was the better team tonight. If the officiating was even they would have won this game. Completely different officiating on both sides of the court and those 3 horrible charge alone cost Illinois at least 4 or 5 points.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:55 PM) Game, dammit. Happy that these fans probably won't see a conference title in the next several years They aren't winning a conference title or even competing for one for a long time. Hell they might not even be a tourney team the next few years. Johnson and Moore are just so freaking good and they make those other players around them decent because you have to give them so much attention.

Also, hitlesswonder it is that type of s*** that makes me hate Davis. Less than a minute left, almost no time on the shot clock and he doesn't even contest a shot by one of the other teams star players.

Purdue is going to be so awful without Johnson and Moore.

Stupid foul by Paul

Tisdale you are garbage.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:44 PM) If Illini barely touches a guy, foul. Purdue can hit a guy, no foul. I really feel like Illinois has been the better team tonight. And what really drives me nuts is that if they had played with this type of focus (except for that one two minute stretch in the first half) all year they would be looking at a top 4 or 5 seed right now but their effort and focus has just been so spotty all year long. B

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:46 PM) Dakich your an idiot. Moore and JuJu were guys Wisconsin wanted bad. They were pretty damn good recruits if Bo Ryan wanted them. Moore was a top 25 player in the greatest HS bball class of all time and Johnson was in the top 50. Those were big time players.

Bill Cole is just awful lately. He was valuable early in the season when he was making 3s but he just has no business being on the court lately.

DMAC!@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:33 PM) Watching a Purdue game is impossible, they foul so many times that the refs just cant call it. As for Kenpom, you can hate his numbers, but they are just numbers based on his system. I think that they are pretty good. I knew that would happen coming in so my problem with the refs tonight were the 3 ridiculous (well 2 ridiculous and one that was a pretty clear block) charge calls on Paul and the two questionable moving screens on Illinois that just coincidentally happened when Illinois was making runs.

Huge shot by DMac and the stupid shove by Smith so either Davis is shooting FTs to get Illinois within 2 or Illinois has the ball after the TO.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:30 PM) Well purdue fans, this is your last year of being relevant for a long time, enjoy it I also love Purdue's garbage ass role players talking s***. We will see how much s*** Smith and Barlow talk next year when they don't have Johnson and Moore to draw all the defensive attention and get them wide open looks and then bail them out whenever their role players play like crap which is frankly pretty often.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:28 PM) Well there's no way Purdue doesn't win this one with some of this bulls***. Yep, Illinois up 2 with the ball so they call a bulls*** moving screen on Tisdale and then call Tisdale for the same handcheck Purdue does on every possession on the other end. I wish Illinois got anywhere near this many calls at home.

GTFO with that moving screen call. That was so freaking weak.

By the way, if I was Big 10 commissioner my very first move would be to never let Sanzere or Burr ref another Big 10 game. And lol, that was the closest of Paul's 4 charge/block calls and the only one Purdue gets called for a block.

Refs finally starting to call Purdue for their constant hacking on the perimeter. But it doesn't matter much if every time Illinois drives a Purdue player can slide over late under the basket and draw a charge.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 08:09 PM) Nice charge, standing directly under the hoop All 3 of the charge calls against Paul have been wrong but that last one was a f***ing joke. Byrd was standing under the net and Paul was in the air. Just an absurd call. Does the Big 10 even grade these refs?

And a third charge on Paul that wasn't a charge. You can't take a charge under the f***ing basket you stupid f***ing refs.

Another charge called on Paul that definitely wasn't a charge. Add the freaking semi circle since college refs are so freaking incapable of making the right call.