whitesoxfan99

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 05:58 PM) I sure hope you are right. For some reason, the true measure of how pathetic it was Illinois didn't make the tournament didn't hit me fully in 2008 due to the Big Ten Tournament run and the fact that the final was Illinois' last game of the season. Watching Illinois play in the NIT however would make it really hit home, I wouldn't even able to watch that. There are a lot of programs even bigger than Illinois who are not even close to the tournament this year (UConn, UNC, UCLA), but it just doesn't seem as bad for them since they have all won titles (UConn and UNC recently), or had a multi Final Four streak like UCLA did a few years back. Plus they are just better programs, and haven't missed 2 in 3 years like Illinois would. I think the difference for me is I knew that team was bad and the Big 10 tourney run was a lot of fun and a good note to go out on. This years Illinois team would have a chance to make the Sweet 16 and if the upperclassmen would play with the intensity they did today and yesterday all season long they wouldn't even be on the bubble. The only thing that makes me not really upset about this season is that with the incoming talent and the talent of the current freshmen the program is definitely on the upswing and won't be on the bubble again any time soon. Unless DMac is a dumbass and goes pro only to not get drafted.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 05:51 PM) I don't think anybody has the quality wins Illinois does who is currently on the bubble. But 14 losses and 6 out of 8 to end the season is going to be hard to overlook, and few bubble teams have those either. The one saving grace Illinois has is all of those losses were to tournament teams, but the neutral losses to Utah and Bradley and road loss to Northwestern are just killers. I think they'll either be like the first team in or last team out, which is why I used the phrase coin toss earlier. But the problem is that if you compare Illinois just to Miss St. they have the same bad losses as Illinois without having the wins. Should they be in over Illinois because they played in the SEC West and played more bad teams over the course of the year? It will be interesting tomorrow though. I think the quality wins help Illinois and the fact that they showed today they can play with anybody in the country (Because the tourney committee head let it slip a bit that they were watching the OSU/Illinois game).

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 05:44 PM) The way the committee looks at teams like Mississippi State and Virginia Tech against a team like Illinois will determine whether or not they get in. None of us really know how they will separate such teams though. Miss St. resume really isn't close to Illinois though. Good wins are only Old Dominion and Vandy (both neutral) and they have just as many bad losses. They lost to Arkansas, RIder, Auburn, and Western Kentucky. Illinois has wins at Clemson, at Wisconsin, neutral against Wisky. All three of those wins are better than any of Miss St.'s wins. And then obviously Illinois also beat Vandy and MSU at home.

Miss St. is going to win. I still think Illinois deserves to be in over them. This is only their 2nd top 50 win this season. The more I look it the two teams resumes there is no f***ing way that Miss St. should be in over Illinois. They have just as many bad losses and fewer good wins. They just happened to face more s***ty teams than Illinois. They also got to play in the SEC west which is basically the equivalent of the Big 10 being Michigan, IU, Iowa, PSU, and NW.

QUOTE (Felix @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 05:25 PM) Damnit.. they reached double digits for the first half. 37-11 going into the break. Obviously we aren't going to shoot 62% all game, and they aren't going to shoot 19%, but if we blow this, heads should roll. Moore would have to score 30 in the 2nd half for Purdue to have a chance.

Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Purdue is done once this JR class is gone. Their freshmen and sophomores have very little talent and they have no big men coming in.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 05:15 PM) I said it last year and turned out to be wrong, but I think it's very possible that the Big 10 won't have a single team in the Sweet 16. OSU is a really really good basketball team and will be a 1 or 2 seed. I would be shocked if they didn't make the Sweet 16. MSU always plays well in the tourney and they have the talent to make a deep run. Purdue will be out in the 1st round unless they have a really high seed. Wisconsin could easily make the Sweet 16. They are a damn good team with Leuer. Hell with how weak the teams outside of the top 10 are this year, Minny and Illinois would each be capable of making the Sweet 16 if they get in.

QUOTE (Felix @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 05:06 PM) Wow. Purdue looks terrible right now. I mean, the Gophers are playing well, but a lot of this is Purdue's own fault. They aren't a good team without Hummel. They will be one and done in the tourney and are probably costing themselves a few slots in seeding. There is no way I would give them a 1-3 seed if I was on the selection committee.

QUOTE (Felix @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 04:44 PM) Comparing resumes from year to year is rather pointless, given how much is dependent on other bubble teams. Oh I know, and the bubble is actually worse this year than last. It is more to show how typical Illinois's resume is for bubble teams since people were bringing up the 14 losses.

Btw look at Wisconsin's resume from last year and tell me how it clearly trumps Illinois's this year. Less quality wins, identical 10-8 finish in the Big 10, they lost to OSU in the 4-5 game of the Big 10 tournament. They did have two less losses and no real bad losses but still. There isn't a big difference between the teams resumes. http://www.kenpom.com/team.php?y=2009&team=Wisconsin

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 04:19 PM) The rpi is ugly and the losses to Utah and Bradley could hurt. That being said, 5 rpi top 50 wins is pretty much more than all the bubble teams and having 2 of those come on the road(especially having one at Kohl) is absolutely huge and should be enough to get you guys in, imo. Two on the road, one on a neutral court and considering the selection committee probably watched that OSU game I think even losing actually helped us.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 04:07 PM) Still don't think Illinois makes it to that dance even after a strong effort. I dont know what the most losses to make the field as an at-large team is, but Illinois would have to be it with 14 losses. Other teams have made it with 14 as at larges before and this years bubble is the worst one ever. They still deserve over the other teams Lunardi has behind them right now but very little can go wrong on the bubble now. Also, DMac has been absolutely terrible in end of game situations this year. People are going to blame Weber for not calling a timeout at the end of the first OT but they ran the pick and roll DMac got doubled so it is an easy read to kick it to Griffey he over dribbled and kicked it out way too late.

And Davis went back to pissing himself at the end of that game. I still really don't like him.

Wow Turner gets away with the most obvious hook ever and then Tisdale picks up his 5th going for a block. thanks refs.

I have an amazing ability to have players shut me the f*** up when I call them out.

I f***ing hate Mike Davis...he can take his p**** ass back to Virginia. Blowing two layups that OSU turned into buckets on the other end absolutely killed us. And way to not show up today Tisdale. Should have stuck with Griffey over those two vaginas.

f*** Mike Davis. Seriously I f***ing hate him.

I really hate Mike Davis, goes up like a p**** and blows a chip shot and then OSU gets a transition bucket and has all the momentum.

QUOTE (Brian @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 02:39 PM) Enjoy hell, you bastard! LOL, yeah I was expecting that type of reaction. I just find him really over the top 95% of the time and it bugs me.

Also, Gus Johnson should only be allowed to announce the last minute of NCAA tourney games that are close and nothing else. I find him irritating the vast majority of the time.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 02:29 PM) Damn pretty good half for Illini, defense has been stellar and no idea what Ohio State was doing on that 2 on 1 fast break. I think they are in already but another win has to insure it and maybe even get them a half decent seed. With UTEP losing it will be close if they don't win today. If they beat OSU and don't get in, well then it is an epic screw job.

Really good first half for Illinois. The freshmen are playing great today, Davis has showed up after finding his balls after Weber took him out early. Buford is a stud for OSU. He is pretty much what I am hoping Brandon Paul becomes and Paul has the talent to do it.

Yay, p**** Mike Davis is back after he actually took it to the rim yesterday. Clear path for a dunk, lets toss up a one handed floater instead.

I'm just going to say it, UTEP shouldn't get in with that loss today. They haven't beaten a single team that is going to get an at large bid this year.

QUOTE (Felix @ Mar 13, 2010 -> 01:35 PM) God damnit UTEP. Couldn't you just beat Houston? It has looked like UTEP is throwing the game down the stretch.