Headed to Overtime. Hawkeyes are lucky to even be in this given how brutal their shooting was most of the day. Huge game as a loss would probably make it very difficult to make the dance.

Where did Joseph Bertrand go?

Does anyone understand what Illinois is trying to accomplish on offense? I just don't understand. If you want to settle for a jumpshot every. single. time, why not run a VCU type defense with the length you have.

Tyler Griffey is 0 for his last 20 from 3.

 

Our offense is lost, it's more or less how it was with Weber. Nobody seems to understand what the end goals of the offense are so they just keep passing along the 3 line hoping something happens until the shot clock winds down. That, or we take an ill-advised early shot. We need a point of focus, like getting an entry pass into the post or driving every time x happens. It's clear that they are more or less aimless every time down.

Michigan dribbles, we leave somebody wide open.

I'm a huge Brandon Paul fan, but he's been behind several huge shifts in momentum today in the wrong direction.

I honestly wouldn't care if no one from this roster was back next year except for Egwu and Abrams. We need roster turnover badly. There is legitimately one player on Illinois' entire roster that can dribble a basketball. Paul has gotten his pocket picked a ton lately.

Michigan dribbles, we leave somebody wide open.

 

Does anyone understand what Illinois is trying to accomplish on offense? I just don't understand. If you want to settle for a jumpshot every. single. time, why not run a VCU type defense with the length you have.

 

We have no good shooters, nobody with a post game, no good passers and only a couple players who can actually create a shot. The only reason this team was good at any point this year was that they were making a ton of 3's. Once the 3's stopped dropping the offense went south.

Well at least this time Michigan probably isn't in danger of vacating these wins. I still see them dropping another conference game, but damn they can be impressive at time, and I don't think the big ten will have the #1 ranked team going into the tourney.

Crazy. Was in jr high last time Michigan was #1.

so how many weeks will Michigan enjoy being #1?

 

Over/Under 1.5

UM could definitely beat Indiana this weekend. Heck, Indiana could lose at Purdue Wednesday. I see Purdue playing out of their minds. Keep the ball in Oladipos hands and he should dominate against them.

 

Any word on Jordan Morgan?

I remember when SIU vs Creighton used to be an exciting matchup. Those were the days

I remember when SIU vs Creighton used to be an exciting matchup. Those were the days

 

Sniff sniff...

 

<!--quoteo(post=2755631:date=Jan 28, 2013 -> 07:16 AM:name=KyYlE23)-->

<!--quotec-->I remember when SIU vs Creighton used to be an exciting matchup. Those were the days

 

Sniff sniff...

 

 

I was at gameday and the game that night. What a blast.

 

I was at gameday and the game that night. What a blast.

 

I actually feel bad for KSU fans that their program is soon going to be ruined (not that there is a ton to ruin given their basketball history is mostly awful) and most of them actually know it is coming.

I actually feel bad for KSU fans that their program is soon going to be ruined (not that there is a ton to ruin given their basketball history is mostly awful) and most of them actually know it is coming.

 

Meh, I think he'll do well there. Expectations aren't as high, he's doesn't have the pressure to bring in 5* guys and finishing in the top 4 in the conference won't be that difficult. At Illinois he didn't recruit the right guys or missed out on guys and had no plan B. Hence why we're stuck without a decent PG or PF.

 

I'm still in absolute shock that they've regressed so much. The morons on TV keep talking about the three ball, but that's not the issue. They shot well yesterday and still got beat easily. I really don't see this team making the tournament.

Meh, I think he'll do well there. Expectations aren't as high, he's doesn't have the pressure to bring in 5* guys and finishing in the top 4 in the conference won't be that difficult. At Illinois he didn't recruit the right guys or missed out on guys and had no plan B. Hence why we're stuck without a decent PG or PF.

 

I'm still in absolute shock that they've regressed so much. The morons on TV keep talking about the three ball, but that's not the issue. They shot well yesterday and still got beat easily. I really don't see this team making the tournament.

 

6-26 (.231) from behind the arc, 23-62 (.371) from the field. You say they shot well? It's Illinois basketball, not Northern Illinois

6-26 (.231) from behind the arc, 23-62 (.371) from the field. You say they shot well? It's Illinois basketball, not Northern Illinois

This team just flat out isn't good right now, and I'm really sad to see that the team didn't grow throughout the season as I expected them to under Groce.

 

As mentioned before, clear out the roster aside from Egwu and Abrams, I have no faith in anyone else on that team to grow. I fully expect Ibby (forced by Groce) and Shaw (voluntary leave) to be gone, and Langford is on the hotseat as well.

6-26 (.231) from behind the arc, 23-62 (.371) from the field. You say they shot well? It's Illinois basketball, not Northern Illinois

 

Yeah I guess I turned it off shortly after halftime. At that point they had hit their 6 and were still down 8. To me shooting the three doesn't matter anymore because they're pretty awful at everything else.

This team just flat out isn't good right now, and I'm really sad to see that the team didn't grow throughout the season as I expected them to under Groce.

 

As mentioned before, clear out the roster aside from Egwu and Abrams, I have no faith in anyone else on that team to grow. I fully expect Ibby (forced by Groce) and Shaw (voluntary leave) to be gone, and Langford is on the hotseat as well.

 

That's the most disappointing part. Abrams? No improvement, still disappears and gives the ball away too much. Bertrand? Totally disappeared and has zero confidence in his game. Paul has regressed badly. Richardson and Griffey are the same as they've always been. And then the bench gives you nothing.

 

At this point Egwu and McLaurin are your two most consistent players, and neither can score. So, yeah. That's a problem.

 

WTF happened to Henry? That guy was a natural scorer in high school. Klee used to think he was Illinois' best offensive weapon. He's terrible.

Meh, I think he'll do well there. Expectations aren't as high, he's doesn't have the pressure to bring in 5* guys and finishing in the top 4 in the conference won't be that difficult. At Illinois he didn't recruit the right guys or missed out on guys and had no plan B. Hence why we're stuck without a decent PG or PF.

 

I'm still in absolute shock that they've regressed so much. The morons on TV keep talking about the three ball, but that's not the issue. They shot well yesterday and still got beat easily. I really don't see this team making the tournament.

 

Weber can't recruit and has no idea how to build a roster. He runs a system that is predicated on 3 pt shooting and yet he recruited one guard in his entire tenure at Illinois that came in as a great 3 pt shooter and that was Jamar Smith in his second recruiting class. Kansas State will be struggling to make the tournament by year 3 of Weber's tenure there.

 

The 3 ball is the issue for Illinois btw. We have no post presence (or even a big man that the other team really has to guard) and none of our guards are good passers when they go to the basket (Bertrand and Paul never even look to pass and Abrams rarely does which is consistent with what those guys have always done) which means in most basic terms that your two ways to score are making 3s and driving to the basket and we don't have anyone good enough to beat opposing teams by taking the ball to the basket on a consistent basis. Which leaves 3 point shooting which is the only reason Illinois was ever successful this year. Unless they start making a bunch of 3's like they did early in the season this team will be bad for the remainder of the year.

Weber can't recruit and has no idea how to build a roster. He runs a system that is predicated on 3 pt shooting and yet he recruited one guard in his entire tenure at Illinois that came in as a great 3 pt shooter and that was Jamar Smith in his second recruiting class. Kansas State will be struggling to make the tournament by year 3 of Weber's tenure there.

 

The 3 ball is the issue for Illinois btw. We have no post presence (or even a big man that the other team really has to guard) and none of our guards are good passers when they go to the basket (Bertrand and Paul never even look to pass and Abrams rarely does which is consistent with what those guys have always done) which means in most basic terms that your two ways to score are making 3s and driving to the basket and we don't have anyone good enough to beat opposing teams by taking the ball to the basket on a consistent basis. Which leaves 3 point shooting which is the only reason Illinois was ever successful this year. Unless they start making a bunch of 3's like they did early in the season this team will be bad for the remainder of the year.

 

Time will tell with Weber. I think what he admitted to during some of those last press conferences - that he coached and recruited not to lose/get the fans upset - are problems he won't have to deal with at KSU. I think they'll be a Purdue-like program in that they take character guys over skilled guys and after 2-3 years they develop into good players. Finishing in the top half of the conference will be much easier to do, and tourney appearances will be much easier to come by. But I guess we'll see in three years.

 

And yes, obviously the three ball is an issue. My point was more that it just doesn't matter anymore. Unless they're hitting 60% of their threes, they're still not good enough to beat the top 4-5 teams in the big ten. If they hit 40% of their threes against Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin, they still lose those games. Everyone in the conference knows they're weak inside and they don't run an offense at all. They've been exploited just like last year.

 

Groce is to blame for part of that. I'm not seeing much adjustment. I mean, at some point it's just a lack of execution. But why aren't they running more designed plays? They've reverted back to last years offense where they just stand around and wait for someone to throw up a brick. Weber used to say they were fine when option A worked but they sucked at options B and C. Well, they're that same team again.

Brandon Paul is the 2nd leading scorer in the B10 but he's regressed?

 

Sounds like Malcolm Hill is legit. I'd stop worrying about what Weber did. Nunn is going off for Simeon the past few weeks as well.

 

What happened to Mike Shaw? Since he committed as a junior, he hasn't done anything. High school or Illinois.