Official 2013-2014 College Hoops Thread

[Rowand44]

Things have started to change in Saluki land since the kiddies started to play. 3 frosh's and a sophomore starting now.

3 in a row! No idea when the last time we did that in Valley play is.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Nunn committed 3 fouls on 1 possession. That might be a record. It could have been 4 too but they gave it to Abrams instead. 4 team fouls on one possession is hilarious too.

[Kyyle23]

3 in a row! No idea when the last time we did that in Valley play is.

 

I'm guessing 08

[Brian]

Arch Madness could be interesting now

[IlliniKrush]

Cant wait for the renovation to be complete. All the empty A section seats are so annoying.

While this is true, there is a lot more to it tonight than just A section not showing up per usual. There's under 5K in the building. Look at C section on the replays. Completely empty.

[Jenksismyhero]

Whelp, rock bottom. Worst losing streak in 40 years. Might be the dumbest Illinois team ive ever watched.

[Boogua]

Whelp, rock bottom. Worst losing streak in 40 years. Might be the dumbest Illinois team ive ever watched.

Now imagine the team without rice, ekey, Nunn, and Tate and replace them with Shaw, Henry, James, and Orris.

 

The roster was left in shambles. This should be the last bad year. If its not, Groce will be gone fast.

[IlliniKrush]

So remember when someone thought they'd be better than last year's team and we had a pretty long debate?

[Jenksismyhero]

So remember when someone thought they'd be better than last year's team and we had a pretty long debate?

 

Nooooooooo....

 

 

I had a reasonable expectation that 3 of the 5 starters would have improved, not regressed. And that they wouldnt be the worst shooting team in the country. Clearly I was wrong.

[whitesoxfan99]

Now imagine the team without rice, ekey, Nunn, and Tate and replace them with Shaw, Henry, James, and Orris.

 

The roster was left in shambles. This should be the last bad year. If its not, Groce will be gone fast.

 

Yep. We will know everything we need to know about Groce by this time next year. That team has to be a tourney team and he will have 3 recruiting classes under his belt and the 2015 class has to be really good. This team was always going to be bad unless Groce recruited at Calipari levels. The only 3 Weber players on the roster in year 2 are Abrams, Bertrand and Egwu. Abrams and Bertrand (although Bertrand is a black hole and may be the worst passing guard that has ever played for Illinois) are ok roleplayers but nothing more and Egwu is f***ing terrible. I just don't think you can win with Ekey, Bertrand and Egwu playing big minutes. They should have a couple wins but this team wasn't going to be a tourney team unless the freshmen were much better than their rankings. Unfortunately that isn't the case but at least Hill and Nunn look like players.

Edited February 5, 2014 by whitesoxfan99

[IlliniKrush]

Nooooooooo....

 

 

I had a reasonable expectation that 3 of the 5 starters would have improved, not regressed. And that they wouldnt be the worst shooting team in the country. Clearly I was wrong.

Hey, you weren't even the biggest guy here believing it. Really, wasn't going after you there.

 

But, in no way did I see them being better this year, and had endless posts saying so. I didn't expect it to be like this in the BT, but I did see the step back coming. This year blows, but I'm still behind Groce and the program overall. Not panicking here like some are.

[whitesoxfan99]

Hey, you weren't even the biggest guy here believing it. Really, wasn't going after you there.

 

But, in no way did I see them being better this year, and had endless posts saying so. I didn't expect it to be like this in the BT, but I did see the step back coming. This year blows, but I'm still behind Groce and the program overall. Not panicking here like some are.

 

We returned 2 role players and a bad center from a solid but not great team and had no impact freshmen coming in. This year was always going to be worse than last unless someone made an unexpected jump. The 2011 class was horrendous and we have no 2010 or 2012 clsas. When Tracy Abrams is the best player from a 6 player class you are in trouble. I don't think Groce has done a great job coaching on the defensive side of the ball this year (and it was really bad down the stretch tonight) but the biggest problem with the D is that our big men suck on the glass and since Ekey was always a bad rebounder and Egwu was a horrendous rebounder as a freshman that isn't surprising. On offense we are just f***ed for this year. When you have no guards who consistently knock down a jumper and no big men who can finish in the paint there is only so much you can do.

[Jenksismyhero]

Now imagine the team without rice, ekey, Nunn, and Tate and replace them with Shaw, Henry, James, and Orris.

 

The roster was left in shambles. This should be the last bad year. If its not, Groce will be gone fast.

 

Rice and Nunn are the only two worth anything these days. And Nunn would be here even if Weber was still around. Ekey has regressed to the point of being useless. He doesn't rebound and he shoots airballs now. Not sure if he's still hurt or what, but he's doing nothing to help them win. Tate is a low rated, undersized PG. He also gives you next to nothing except poor shot selection and maybe a good pass once a game. And those two are all on Groce, not the last regime.

 

Henry is actually what this team needs. It's too bad he didn't stick around because with his shot he'd be a starter. The rest I agree would have sucked, but I'm not sure they would have been much worse.

[Boogua]

Rice and Nunn are the only two worth anything these days. And Nunn would be here even if Weber was still around. Ekey has regressed to the point of being useless. He doesn't rebound and he shoots airballs now. Not sure if he's still hurt or what, but he's doing nothing to help them win. Tate is a low rated, undersized PG. He also gives you next to nothing except poor shot selection and maybe a good pass once a game. And those two are all on Groce, not the last regime.

 

Henry is actually what this team needs. It's too bad he didn't stick around because with his shot he'd be a starter. The rest I agree would have sucked, but I'm not sure they would have been much worse.

Why do you think this?

 

Also, Henry shot much worse last than year than Ekey is this year and made more than 1 less three per game. Take away Rice and where is any scoring coming from?

Edited February 5, 2014 by Boogua

[Jenksismyhero]

We returned 2 role players and a bad center from a solid but not great team and had no impact freshmen coming in. This year was always going to be worse than last unless someone made an unexpected jump. The 2011 class was horrendous and we have no 2010 or 2012 clsas. When Tracy Abrams is the best player from a 6 player class you are in trouble. I don't think Groce has done a great job coaching on the defensive side of the ball this year (and it was really bad down the stretch tonight) but the biggest problem with the D is that our big men suck on the glass and since Ekey was always a bad rebounder and Egwu was a horrendous rebounder as a freshman that isn't surprising. On offense we are just f***ed for this year. When you have no guards who consistently knock down a jumper and no big men who can finish in the paint there is only so much you can do.

 

Can't disagree with much here.

 

I still say they should start Nunn and Hill in place of Ekey and Bertrand. The rotation of Abrams-Rice-Nunn-Hill-Egwu is your best run and gun team. Even if they give up baskets, who cares. They score points. People on twitter last night were saying Hill's game is the reason why he shouldn't start (couple of bad shots, could of bad fouls, and some bad defense). But how is Bertrand or Ekey any better? Bertrand sucks. I don't care if he scores 20 in a game, he sucks. He continues to take awful shots and turn the ball over like a freshman at the worst possible time. He is the definition of momentum killer.

[Jenksismyhero]

Why do you think this?

 

Oh, sorry. I'm wrong. I thought he committed along with Hill but that was that other guy. Whose name I can't even find now.

[Jenksismyhero]

Why do you think this?

 

Also, Henry shot much worse last than year than Ekey is this year and made more than 1 less three per game. Take away Rice and where is any scoring coming from?

 

I don't think Henry was ever given much of a chance. He was a Weber hold over that Groce wanted no part of. I just remember reading about him in high school and when he got to Illinois and he was always mentioned as the guy with the best offensive game. And then he never played.

 

I mean it is what it is. When you play the transfer game, some of them work out, some of them dont. Ekey was a miss, Rice was a hit. Let's hope some of the guys like Crosby and Starks can actually play next year, otherwise it's going to be another .500 team.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Can't disagree with much here.

 

I still say they should start Nunn and Hill in place of Ekey and Bertrand. The rotation of Abrams-Rice-Nunn-Hill-Egwu is your best run and gun team. Even if they give up baskets, who cares. They score points. People on twitter last night were saying Hill's game is the reason why he shouldn't start (couple of bad shots, could of bad fouls, and some bad defense). But how is Bertrand or Ekey any better? Bertrand sucks. I don't care if he scores 20 in a game, he sucks. He continues to take awful shots and turn the ball over like a freshman at the worst possible time. He is the definition of momentum killer.

Bertrand is playing really well. The only player who can say that. He's shooting 48 percent during this losing streak and everyone else is in the low 30s. Doesn't turn it over that much.

 

 

That said I don't care if you bench him for freshmen since it's a lost season.

[Jenksismyhero]

Groce made one substitution the last 9 minutes of the game - a defensive sub with Nunn for a few plays - and stuck with the starers. The starters who haven't been able to close a game all season. Unacceptable.

[Boogua]

I don't think Henry was ever given much of a chance. He was a Weber hold over that Groce wanted no part of. I just remember reading about him in high school and when he got to Illinois and he was always mentioned as the guy with the best offensive game. And then he never played.

 

I mean it is what it is. When you play the transfer game, some of them work out, some of them dont. Ekey was a miss, Rice was a hit. Let's hope some of the guys like Crosby and Starks can actually play next year, otherwise it's going to be another .500 team.

Henry seemed like the one guy that Groce wanted to keep from that team as PF was a clear weakness, even with Ekey coming in.

 

It's also much more likely that Cosby and Starks (especially Cosby) do well rather than play like Ekey. They both came from high major programs and were able to contribute. Cosby was very solid in the Big East.

[RockRaines]

Bertrand is playing really well. The only player who can say that. He's shooting 48 percent during this losing streak and everyone else is in the low 30s. Doesn't turn it over that much.

 

 

That said I don't care if you bench him for freshmen since it's a lost season.

Bertrand is frustrating to watch. He'll make a great athletic move to the hoop but then when he releases the ball you cringe.

[whitesoxfan99]

Bertrand is playing really well. The only player who can say that. He's shooting 48 percent during this losing streak and everyone else is in the low 30s. Doesn't turn it over that much.

 

 

That said I don't care if you bench him for freshmen since it's a lost season.

 

Bertrand is playing fairly well he just is thrust into way too big of a role and is a terrible fit with Abrams and Rice. He should really be a 6th or 7th man on a good team. He is a black hole on offense that isn't a good pass and shoot player and he may be the worst passing guard I've ever seen. That sounds like hyperbole but his assist rate is Shaun Pruitt like. Groce needs to start Hill or Nunn just to mix up the rotation because the starting 5 has been horrible and doesn't fit together at all.

[bmags]

Watching Mizzou game last night made me hate college basketball.

[Brian]

Nice response to first conference loss

[zenryan]

if Miami had an average offense, they probably would be a tournament team.

 

oh well, building for next season.