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.

Edited March 13, 201016 yr by whitesoxfan99

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.

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. 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.

 

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.

Edited March 13, 201016 yr by whitesoxfan101

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).

This game isn't over.

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).

 

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.

(Because the tourney committee head let it slip a bit that they were watching the OSU/Illinois game).

I'm sure they watch every game. They wouldn't be doing their job properly if they didn't.

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.

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.

 

I don't trust Bruce Weber anymore after this season. They had enough talent to easily have 5 or 6 more wins right now, but for whatever reason they just didn't show effort for large portions of the season. In theory, they'll have enough talent to be really good for a long time, but Bruce has lost all of my trust because this might be the first time where one of his teams underachieved at Illinois. I guess you could make an argument for 2008, but I think they just sucked.

Edited March 13, 201016 yr by whitesoxfan101

I don't trust Bruce Weber anymore after this season. They had enough talent to easily have 5 or 6 more wins right now, but for whatever reason they just didn't show effort for large portions of the season. In theory, they'll have enough talent to be really good for a long time, but Bruce has lost all of my trust because this might be the first time where one of his teams underachieved at Illinois. I guess you could make an argument for 2008, but I think they just sucked.

 

Of course the counter to that is that he had a team without a ton of talent last year and was able to get a 5 seed.

Of course the counter to that is that he had a team without a ton of talent last year and was able to get a 5 seed.

 

That's precisely why I can't stand this years team. They have far more ability than a 5 seed who finished #2 in the Big Ten, and they are going to be sweating on selection Sunday, if not out of the tournament if they are unlucky. It's ridiculous.

I'll say this under ESPN"s ridiculous eye test, both Minny and Illinois look a lot better than teams they are being mentioned with.

I'll say this under ESPN"s ridiculous eye test, both Minny and Illinois look a lot better than teams they are being mentioned with.

We're playing far better than we did most of the year. Joseph is really playing very well, as is Sampson/Iverson/Bostick. If we played like this all season long, there wouldn't be a doubt if we were in the tourney.

Lewis Jackson should really think about going a size smaller in his shorts.

Ok. I feel confident saying this one is over.

 

Bring on Ohio State!

This game is over time for CBS to switch to the Cal/Washington game. If Cal wins the Pac 10 really should only get 1 team. That league is no different than the MVC in quality this year.

I don't trust Bruce Weber anymore after this season. They had enough talent to easily have 5 or 6 more wins right now, but for whatever reason they just didn't show effort for large portions of the season. In theory, they'll have enough talent to be really good for a long time, but Bruce has lost all of my trust because this might be the first time where one of his teams underachieved at Illinois. I guess you could make an argument for 2008, but I think they just sucked.

 

you're crazy. He's played 3 freshman with significant minutes. They're the 2nd youngest team in the conference. I dunno how you could have expected more.

Edited March 13, 201016 yr by Jenksismybitch

lol Bryant Allen for 3

you're crazy. He's played 3 freshman with significant minutes. They're the 2nd youngest team in the conference. I dunno how you could have expected more.

 

They should have been a little better. Certainly no excuse for losing to Bradley and Utah.

Lewis Jackson injured now for Purdue. He sucks but it still hurts them.

Lunardi now has Illinois as 2nd team out. Utah State has to win tonight, Kentucky has to beat Mississippi State tomorrow, Cal has to beat Washington, and even then it's iffy.

 

you're crazy. He's played 3 freshman with significant minutes. They're the 2nd youngest team in the conference. I dunno how you could have expected more.

 

Because the freshman, unlike oftent times in the recent past under Bruce, are actually talented enough to contribute. And anybody who has watched this team can tell they simply don't try often times, which is the only reason they are in this mess. If they had tried all year like they did the last 2 days (Utah game, Bradley game, Gonzaga game for a while, Minnesota game for about 33 minutes) they'd have a mid 20's win total and easily be in.

Edited March 13, 201016 yr by whitesoxfan101

Woooo!

 

Now let's take care of business tomorrow.

Glad I was out and didnt come in this foul b**** fest as the OSU Illanoy game went on. The illinois hack fest was on full display tonight.

 

Love to see Minny kick the s*** out of Purdue, that was fantastic. Now only Minny needs to win to get 6 in the tourney.

Glad I was out and didnt come in this foul b**** fest as the OSU Illanoy game went on. The illinois hack fest was on full display tonight.

 

Love to see Minny kick the s*** out of Purdue, that was fantastic. Now only Minny needs to win to get 6 in the tourney.

 

Huh? The game was called pretty fairly, I'd hope there wasn't a whine fest in here. Illinois just blew the game a couple of times. There is absolutely no way the Big Ten gets 6 either, Illinois is out barring a major surprise based on everything that has gone against them. Those are the breaks when you leave others to do your work though.

Edited March 14, 201016 yr by whitesoxfan101