Guess I'm bringing my iPad to work Thurs and Fri.

Come on Hawkeyes, pull off the win against Indiana. I think we need two wins to be in, but at least a win against Indiana will at least make selection Sunday interesting as a Hawkeye fan

I want to be confident but the games aren't at Crisler.

Come on Hawkeyes, pull off the win against Indiana. I think we need two wins to be in, but at least a win against Indiana will at least make selection Sunday interesting as a Hawkeye fan

All they have to do is repeat what they did the last week and a half, beat Indiana, Wisconsin and Maryland, and they are in the finals.

 

They are NIT bound, but there is cause for some optimism in the future even losing Jok. They finally have more than one really legit 3 point guy. I also think Fran's son is going to be a stud.

Guess I'm bringing my iPad to work Thurs and Fri.

 

Good call, don't want to miss the big Illinois - Purdue game on Friday!

Good call, don't want to miss the big Illinois - Purdue game on Friday!

 

Wouldn't shock me. Michigan is a brutal road team.

All they have to do is repeat what they did the last week and a half, beat Indiana, Wisconsin and Maryland, and they are in the finals.

 

They are NIT bound, but there is cause for some optimism in the future even losing Jok. They finally have more than one really legit 3 point guy. I also think Fran's son is going to be a stud.

I think if they beat Indiana and Wisconsin, they are in. If they beat Indiana and lose to Wiscy, probably out, but legitimate shot of being the last team in (if they don't get in, they are certainly hosting an NIT game). If they lose to Indiana, they are out and NIT bound (and NIT bound and still probably hosting an NIT game).

All they have to do is repeat what they did the last week and a half, beat Indiana, Wisconsin and Maryland, and they are in the finals.

 

They are NIT bound, but there is cause for some optimism in the future even losing Jok. They finally have more than one really legit 3 point guy. I also think Fran's son is going to be a stud.

Fran has legitimately built up this program from the Lickliter stuff. I was dissapointed how the last couple years Hawkeye teams struggled down the stretch, but to be where we are at with this years club is definitely shocking. So many freshman/sophomores contributing and they are all guys who I would suspect will be here the next couple of years. If Fran's son is a stud, that will be a huge boost to an already good/building nucleus. Hopefully Iowa shocks us and gets into the tourney and then next year continues to take steps forward.

Rutgers going all the way.

 

Michigan still on runway.

Fran has legitimately built up this program from the Lickliter stuff. I was dissapointed how the last couple years Hawkeye teams struggled down the stretch, but to be where we are at with this years club is definitely shocking. So many freshman/sophomores contributing and they are all guys who I would suspect will be here the next couple of years. If Fran's son is a stud, that will be a huge boost to an already good/building nucleus. Hopefully Iowa shocks us and gets into the tourney and then next year continues to take steps forward.

 

Uhl definitely took a step backwards, but he's more of a "glue/intangibles" guy anyway. Has really struggled with his confidence in terms of shooting.

 

A month ago, it felt like you were going to lose a number of players to transfer. There were rumors that Wagner and/or Moss were unhappy. It's very hard with those two, along with Tyler Cook and Pemsl and now Kreiner to get everyone enough playing time across three positions. Four of those guys have led the team offensively for stretches with Peter Jok hurting and Bohannon cold from the outside.

 

Courtney Williams will likely be gone, but that's probably addition by subtraction. They definitely need a "creator" at point guard (think Tyler Ulis, who they finished second to Kentucky on), which would allow Bohannon to freelance a bit offensively and to design more plays to free him up on the perimeter. Of course, Bohannon's not a typical two guard in terms of size.

 

 

As far as needing to beat Wisconsin twice in two weeks...it just depends how the other conference tournaments go, and the various bubble teams. Illinois and Iowa look to be in similar positions, with Iowa rising and Illinois falling due to Rutgers. The one thing that really hurts Iowa is those two losses to Illinois, along with Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha.

Michigan arrived this morning and has to play in practice jerseys, because they had to leave their real jerseys on the plane due to FAA investigation. The game start was only delayed 20 minutes.

 

This is gonna be a fitting way to end the Groce era.

26-11. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

 

God I hope he's fired at 2pm.

Didn't Groce just have his best recruiting class? If he is launched are they firmly committed?

Didn't Groce just have his best recruiting class? If he is launched are they firmly committed?

I would expect most of them to stay on unless the new hire is awful.

Didn't Groce just have his best recruiting class? If he is launched are they firmly committed?

 

That is what I would be worried about. I know Tilman waivered for a while. If Groce is out, does he reopen his recruiting process? I could see it.

Didn't Groce just have his best recruiting class? If he is launched are they firmly committed?

 

I think Frazier has publicly stated that they should not fire him, which isn't quite a threat to not come to campus. It would be tough for those guys to sit out a year if they aren't given releases.

 

But yeah, hopefully whoever they hire can convince them to stay.

I think Frazier has publicly stated that they should not fire him, which isn't quite a threat to not come to campus. It would be tough for those guys to sit out a year if they aren't given releases.

 

But yeah, hopefully whoever they hire can convince them to stay.

 

The question that needs to be asked here is whether Tilmon is SUCH a difference making recruit that 1 or 2 years of him will elevate the level of the program. If the answer to that question is no - and I suspect that it is - then you need to try things a different way. Letting Groce go and losing Tilmon (speculation of course) sets the program back next year, but if they make the right hire, the program is in much better shape long term.

 

e: This game isn't over. Michigan looked gassed at the end of the half. If Illinois can get this thing down to around 5 by the 10 minute mark, anything could happen. Also, credit to Tracy Abrams if Illinois comes back and wins this game. His solo 10-0 run kept this game from getting ugly.

Edited March 9, 20179 yr by illinilaw08

The question that needs to be asked here is whether Tilmon is SUCH a difference making recruit that 1 or 2 years of him will elevate the level of the program. If the answer to that question is no - and I suspect that it is - then you need to try things a different way. Letting Groce go and losing Tilmon (speculation of course) sets the program back next year, but if they make the right hire, the program is in much better shape long term.

 

e: This game isn't over. Michigan looked gassed at the end of the half. If Illinois can get this thing down to around 5 by the 10 minute mark, anything could happen. Also, credit to Tracy Abrams if Illinois comes back and wins this game. His solo 10-0 run kept this game from getting ugly.

It probably depends on the hire. An exciting one probably helps keep the class intact, a meh hire they probably scatter, and then might be down for years.

 

But 5 years and never better than .500 in the Big Ten at a school that likes to think of its program as top notch, is more than enough reason to be told goodbye.

It probably depends on the hire. An exciting one probably helps keep the class intact, a meh hire they probably scatter, and then might be down for years.

 

But 5 years and never better than .500 in the Big Ten at a school that likes to think of its program as top notch, is more than enough reason to be told goodbye.

 

Now this game is over. For the 2nd time in 3 years, Illinois plays Michigan in the B1G tournament with their tournament lives on the line. For the 2nd time in 3 years, they lay an absolute egg.

 

The fact that Illinois still can't defend simple ball screens against Michigan is infuriating...

That is what I would be worried about. I know Tilman waivered for a while. If Groce is out, does he reopen his recruiting process? I could see it.

Pretty sure it's not that simple. It's not a verbal commitment. He signed. Can he just go back on a NLOI?

 

Yeah, just verified. The questions is whether or not Illinois would let him out, which is unclear.

Edited March 9, 20179 yr by Sox-35th

Pretty sure it's not that simple. It's not a verbal commitment. He signed. Can he just go back on a NLOI?

 

When there's a coaching change, the player will almost always get released from the NLOI. I would expect that to happen here.

Pretty sure it's not that simple. It's not a verbal commitment. He signed. Can he just go back on a NLOI?

Technically, I think not but schools usually release guys if they want to leave after a coaching change. It would be almost unheard of if Illinois changed coaches and didn't allow this.

When there's a coaching change, the player will almost always get released from the NLOI. I would expect that to happen here.

That makes sense. Maybe Whitman can make an "out of the park" hire.

It sucks for the players, but I'm just glad that this can be over soon.

That makes sense. Maybe Whitman can make an "out of the park" hire.

 

Not likely. The program is in such s***ty state, and you're going to have better programs like Indiana competing for the same candidates. I'd love to throw a guy like Greg Marshall a dump truck's worth of money, but that's not happening.

 

I liked the Hoiberg idea, but I think it's a year too early for that.