Langford should have played a lot more tonight.

Langford should have played a lot more tonight.

 

Yep, get griffey out of the rotation

Paul has been reeling off some extremely mediocre efforts since his hot start. Not surprising. Looks like he wasnt so much a changed player but a mere hot streak.

 

Griffey just nearly broke the f***ing rim with that clanger.

Yep, get griffey out of the rotation

He's just not a B1G player. I hope Groce realizes that and gives Henry and Langford all his minutes, especially to get them more experience for next year. I feel like Groce likes his offense though so he won't do it.

Well, beat wisky and a 2-2 start isnt terrible. That loss to purdue will come back to haunt us

Still think 9-9 in the B1G is perfectly fine for this team.

I'd hate to see what the back of that rim looks like after this second half.

From one Assembly Hall to the other!

From one Assembly Hall to the other!

 

Beat indiana. please.

Beat indiana. please.

How that game is called is going to determine that one. I don't think it's going to go in Minny's favor. Unfortunately.

Beat indiana. please.

Hey now.

That was my first time seeing Minnesota. Yikes. Maybe most athletic team in B10. Getting tough road games out of way as well.

That was my first time seeing Minnesota. Yikes. Maybe most athletic team in B10. Getting tough road games out of way as well.

Our season really all depends on these next two games. If we can somehow split, that'll be huge.

 

Love how aggressive we are (on both sides of the ball), but the offense still has a habit for stalling out for long periods of time. Like I said earlier in the thread, we really need someone as a spot-up shooter on the arc. Dre Hollins is a great shooter, but he's also our primary ball handler. Austin Hollins can be a good shooter, but he's needs to prove that his shooting in Big Ten play so far this year is the norm and not an outlier.

That was my first time seeing Minnesota. Yikes. Maybe most athletic team in B10. Getting tough road games out of way as well.

 

More athletic than Michigan? I'd be impressed.

More athletic than Michigan? I'd be impressed.

It's not even close.

 

 

 

Rodney Williams has more athleticism in his pinky than the rest of the conference combined. But we knew that already.

It's not even close.

 

 

 

Rodney Williams has more athleticism in his pinky than the rest of the conference combined. But we knew that already.

 

I haven't seen Minnesota yet this year. I have watched a bunch of Michigan because a bunch of kids from the local basketball conference play up there (Robinson, McGary, and Albrecht)

So the one positive from last night for Illinois is that Egwu looked like a legitimate Big 10 center for the second straight game. He is really talented so hopefully the light has gone on for him permanently and this wasn't just a couple of good games. The biggest negative (other than the fact that it is clear at this point that Richardson is just a terrible shooter and not just in a slump) is that we now have the worst production from the PF spot out of anyone in the Big 10. Griffey and Henry are just awful. Henry showed ability last year and I loved him in HS but he still doesn't play very hard and he rushes shots constantly. If I need to pick between the two I choose Henry because he at least doesn't looked scared on the floor and has upside but Groce has very limited options. McClaurin isn't very good and you can't play him with Egwu, Griffey sucks, Henry sucks, you can't really play Bertrand at the 4 for long stretches because then all the wing players are going to play way too many minutes although that may be the route you have to take, maybe you try Langford at the 4 and see how he does.

You can play McLaurin with Egwu and in fact they have a lot this year. IMO, that's when this team is at it's best. Problem is you lose depth by starting them together. Either way, Griffey playing next to either makes both look worse than they are.

I think this year's Iowa State team may actually be better overall than last year's, despite losing Royce White. I wouldn't have thought that possible going into the season.

 

Hoiberg was playing with the starting 5 all through the non-conf season, and they have a starting 5 that includes a freshman and two guys who didn't play for a year. And yet they managed to look very competitive with Cincy and UNLV on the road, and somehow took Kansas to OT in Lawrence (and would have one except for a ridiclous 3-point bank shot from way the f*** out with 1 second left by KU). The loss to Iowa was disappointing, but it seems like ISU always has to lose at least one non-conf game they should win. They are 6th nationally in scoring and rebounds both.

 

And I don't think the B12 looks all that strong this year, relatively. ISU should have a good shot at going to the dance again.

You can play McLaurin with Egwu and in fact they have a lot this year. IMO, that's when this team is at it's best. Problem is you lose depth by starting them together. Either way, Griffey playing next to either makes both look worse than they are.

 

I was a Griffey supporter earlier in the year, but that's when he was hitting his threes. Up to the Georgia Tech game, he was 17-30 (.567) behind the arc. Since then he has gone 7-30 (.233), and that includes a 4-7 against Mizzou.

 

If he can't figure out his long range jump shot, then I agree he provides you with little in the lineup.

I think this year's Iowa State team may actually be better overall than last year's, despite losing Royce White. I wouldn't have thought that possible going into the season.

 

Hoiberg was playing with the starting 5 all through the non-conf season, and they have a starting 5 that includes a freshman and two guys who didn't play for a year. And yet they managed to look very competitive with Cincy and UNLV on the road, and somehow took Kansas to OT in Lawrence (and would have one except for a ridiclous 3-point bank shot from way the f*** out with 1 second left by KU). The loss to Iowa was disappointing, but it seems like ISU always has to lose at least one non-conf game they should win. They are 6th nationally in scoring and rebounds both.

 

And I don't think the B12 looks all that strong this year, relatively. ISU should have a good shot at going to the dance again.

 

I watched the last minute of regulation and the first few seconds of OT. I turned it off when they had the back to back horrible calls go for Kansas. I was glad to see ISU take Kansas to the wall.

You can play McLaurin with Egwu and in fact they have a lot this year. IMO, that's when this team is at it's best. Problem is you lose depth by starting them together. Either way, Griffey playing next to either makes both look worse than they are.

 

McClaurin doesn't rebound and kills the offense when he is in there with Egwu. Playing them together for long stretches does not work. McClaurin plays solid low post defense but doesn't really bring anything else to the table.

Anybody see Jamaal Franklin's off the backboard dunk last night?

Yep, get griffey out of the rotation

 

When he fouled the guy on the FT because he didnt box out was inexcusable.

McClaurin doesn't rebound and kills the offense when he is in there with Egwu. Playing them together for long stretches does not work. McClaurin plays solid low post defense but doesn't really bring anything else to the table.

Oh yeah in his own right he's not good. But he's the best option at the four right now. His defense down low for this team is huge, and paired with Egwu you have a competent front line. He's also a better rebounder than our other options, even if poor in his own right. Offensively, whatever. Griffey is giving you nothing anyways. Henry is the best threat there but he isn't a four at all. Really just out of position.

 

I've been calling for more minutes for Langford, but other than that, I want to see more of the Egwu/McLaurin combo if it means less of Griffey and Henry down low. I sound like a broken record, but Griffey really does make everyone he plays with a lot worse than they actually are.

More athletic than Michigan? I'd be impressed.

 

Im a Michigan fan but outside of Burke, Hardaway, and Robinson, they aren't all that athletic or big.