Illini @ Minnesota (1/28 @ 7pm CT- BTN) Pregame Discussion Thread

[Big Phil]

It will be close we have more talent they have been playing better.  I fully expect to lose but I am hopeful they pull together and control the game and steal one to make up for the home loss. 

We are back to waiting for the top tier to lose again and meanwhile we are in a must win until they do.  If the league leaders keep losing it will only make these past two games look expected instead of being tagged upsets or bad losses.

if the league leaders keep losing, the big ten might drop from an 8 bid league to a 6 bid league...which in all likelyhood could mean we're NIT bound by the way we've looked and played recently

the top teams in the league losing a lot of conference games is not necessarily a good thing.  the illini are a middle tier conference team this year in the 5-8 range.  basically, we need to beat teams like purdue, indiana, minny (unfortunately we don't play IND or MINNY AT HOME)

i see us going either 5-6 or 6-5 with our remaining games...leaving us likely on the bubble and in need of 1 big ten tourney win to feel good about our chances

if we go 5-6 or 6-5 we are in easy. I am more worried about the 3-8 scenario. We have a REALLY hard schedule left, 5-6 wins will keep our rpi up high

[barrymj23]

It will be close we have more talent they have been playing better.  I fully expect to lose but I am hopeful they pull together and control the game and steal one to make up for the home loss. 

We are back to waiting for the top tier to lose again and meanwhile we are in a must win until they do.  If the league leaders keep losing it will only make these past two games look expected instead of being tagged upsets or bad losses.

if the league leaders keep losing, the big ten might drop from an 8 bid league to a 6 bid league...which in all likelyhood could mean we're NIT bound by the way we've looked and played recently

the top teams in the league losing a lot of conference games is not necessarily a good thing.  the illini are a middle tier conference team this year in the 5-8 range.  basically, we need to beat teams like purdue, indiana, minny (unfortunately we don't play IND or MINNY AT HOME)

i see us going either 5-6 or 6-5 with our remaining games...leaving us likely on the bubble and in need of 1 big ten tourney win to feel good about our chances

if we go 5-6 or 6-5 we are in easy. I am more worried about the 3-8 scenario. We have a REALLY hard schedule left, 5-6 wins will keep our rpi up high

we are in easy with a 5-6 finish (20-11 record) and lose our opening big ten tourney game???  i beg to differ we are easily in with a 20-12 record

we finish 4-7 and lose our first big ten tourney game and we're NIT bound for sure

[YadiFrazier]

It will be close we have more talent they have been playing better.  I fully expect to lose but I am hopeful they pull together and control the game and steal one to make up for the home loss. 

We are back to waiting for the top tier to lose again and meanwhile we are in a must win until they do.  If the league leaders keep losing it will only make these past two games look expected instead of being tagged upsets or bad losses.

if the league leaders keep losing, the big ten might drop from an 8 bid league to a 6 bid league...which in all likelyhood could mean we're NIT bound by the way we've looked and played recently

the top teams in the league losing a lot of conference games is not necessarily a good thing.  the illini are a middle tier conference team this year in the 5-8 range.  basically, we need to beat teams like purdue, indiana, minny (unfortunately we don't play IND or MINNY AT HOME)

i see us going either 5-6 or 6-5 with our remaining games...leaving us likely on the bubble and in need of 1 big ten tourney win to feel good about our chances

if we go 5-6 or 6-5 we are in easy. I am more worried about the 3-8 scenario. We have a REALLY hard schedule left, 5-6 wins will keep our rpi up high

we are in easy with a 5-6 finish (20-11 record) and lose our opening big ten tourney game???  i beg to differ we are easily in with a 20-12 record

we finish 4-7 and lose our first big ten tourney game and we're NIT bound for sure

That's my fear right now, because like Phil mentions, we have a tough schedule left.  I can see us go 3 - 8 or 4-7 easily.  I think 5- 6 puts us on the right side of the bubble needing a B1G tourney win to secure out berth.  At 20 - 12. we may get in as one of the last four in, but we'd be sweating.  Man I do not want to be there again this year.

[Big Phil]

It will be close we have more talent they have been playing better.  I fully expect to lose but I am hopeful they pull together and control the game and steal one to make up for the home loss. 

We are back to waiting for the top tier to lose again and meanwhile we are in a must win until they do.  If the league leaders keep losing it will only make these past two games look expected instead of being tagged upsets or bad losses.

if the league leaders keep losing, the big ten might drop from an 8 bid league to a 6 bid league...which in all likelyhood could mean we're NIT bound by the way we've looked and played recently

the top teams in the league losing a lot of conference games is not necessarily a good thing.  the illini are a middle tier conference team this year in the 5-8 range.  basically, we need to beat teams like purdue, indiana, minny (unfortunately we don't play IND or MINNY AT HOME)

i see us going either 5-6 or 6-5 with our remaining games...leaving us likely on the bubble and in need of 1 big ten tourney win to feel good about our chances

if we go 5-6 or 6-5 we are in easy. I am more worried about the 3-8 scenario. We have a REALLY hard schedule left, 5-6 wins will keep our rpi up high

we are in easy with a 5-6 finish (20-11 record) and lose our opening big ten tourney game???  i beg to differ we are easily in with a 20-12 record

we finish 4-7 and lose our first big ten tourney game and we're NIT bound for sure

20-12 in the #1 rated league by far play a top 20 rpi we'd be in. Remmeber we have to beat some good teams, like Wisky, Michigan, MSU, etc... to get those 5-6 wins so our rpi will keep going up.  If you remember a fw years back Georgia made the tourney at 16-14 or some garbage, Temple with 14 losses, etc.. with all these extra slots plus really no mid majors of note this year IMO we'd be in. Again, the problem is finding those 5 wins (or if we lose 3 or 4 straight to end the year)

at 9-9 in B10 no chance we'd get left out this year. Even 8-10 would have a shot, but probably risky.  5-6 from here gets you a 9-9 in league

[Big Phil]

but Barry I follow your overall point what really sucks is two weeks ago we are "talking" a 3-4 seed now it looks like best we can hope for is that 8-10 range again, or worse. We look exactly like a team that should be playing in the 12-13 play in game against a team like Pitt or Notre Dame

[barrymj23]

but Barry I follow your overall point what really sucks is two weeks ago we are "talking" a 3-4 seed now it looks like best we can hope for is that 8-10 range again, or worse. We look exactly like a team that should be playing in the 12-13 play in game against a team like Pitt or Notre Dame

agreed, unfortunately...i don't think our RPI will improve by winning against the ranked big ten teams, i don't see us winning any of them unless its michigan at home

even home vs NW and Purdue, based on how we played them earlier...and then Nebraska on the road is even questionable...only win for sure would be IOWA and you would hope MINNY (but i predict a loss for some reason)

we may need to pull off a road win vs Michigan, Indiana or Wisky to make or break this stretch and put us firmly in the tournament, and not have to rely on winning that 1st rd big ten game.  Relying on winning that has hurt us in years past...

Jan 28 @MINN toss up
Jan 31 vs#11 MSU loss
Feb 5 vsNW win???
Feb 9 @#17 IND loss
Feb 12 @#22 MICH loss
Feb 15 vsPUR win???
Feb 18 @NEB win???
Feb 21 @#3 OSU loss
Feb 26 vsIOWA WIN
Mar 1 vs#22 MICH toss up
Mar 4 @#25 WIS loss


if we finish 4-7 and lose 1st rd big ten game...we finish at 19-13...not good

[Drama]

It will be close we have more talent they have been playing better.  I fully expect to lose but I am hopeful they pull together and control the game and steal one to make up for the home loss. 

We are back to waiting for the top tier to lose again and meanwhile we are in a must win until they do.  If the league leaders keep losing it will only make these past two games look expected instead of being tagged upsets or bad losses.

if the league leaders keep losing, the big ten might drop from an 8 bid league to a 6 bid league...which in all likelyhood could mean we're NIT bound by the way we've looked and played recently

the top teams in the league losing a lot of conference games is not necessarily a good thing.  the illini are a middle tier conference team this year in the 5-8 range.  basically, we need to beat teams like purdue, indiana, minny (unfortunately we don't play IND or MINNY AT HOME)

i see us going either 5-6 or 6-5 with our remaining games...leaving us likely on the bubble and in need of 1 big ten tourney win to feel good about our chances

I see what your saying but I still think that if somehow we were able to finish in the top 2-3 teams due the parody in the B1G we could still pull off a decent seed with the leaders of the B1G losing more games. 

If they top teams lose and we do as well and stay in the middle then obviously its not a good thing I guess it depends in which way you look at it.  The committee cannot punish the league for balanced play so imo they will still put in 6-7 teams regardless if the top team has 6-7 or more losses.

[lwchicago]

I have taken the prediction part off the thread title, and focusing more on the discussion part.  But, if anyone still wants to post a prediction please feel free to do so.

Is this the proverbial "must win" game?  Ugly or not, just win.

Yes you are so right....road game or not --i dont care what the score is ....just Win



Illini 70

Minnesota 65

[strohsman]

We will be out played again. No hustle, no heads up play for 40 minutes. No bench points.

Illini     57

[player25]

Ok, 

I'll try this ...

(Back of the locker room, before the Minnesota game.)

cast -

coach
mrs. coach

props - cell phone

 

"Hey honey, it's me ...," says coach into his cell phone prior to tip-off.

"Brucey,  , shouldn't you be getting ready for the game hun?" states mrs coach from her coach, at home, in front of the TV, getting ready to watch the game and hoping  that the Fighting Illlini win!

"Honey, that's it, I'll show that player25 that he ain't as smart as he thinks he is!  I'll show him it's not my fault that we have been losing these games!  I'm going to do EXACTLY what he says would have us UNFREAKIN" DEFEATED!  I'm going to play 8-10 guys tonight ... and ..  no one will play more than 35 minutes ..."

"Not even ..." states mrs coach.

"Yes, not even Brandon!  I'm going to play IZZY for a few minutes, going to play Shaw, going to play Henry, ..." coach starts getting more EXCITED!   

"Hey babe, I think ..." says the mrs.

"I mean, I am going to UNLEASH THE FURY tonight HONEY!"  yells coach.

"Honey ..."  asks the mrs. again.

"I mean I really like Tubby, you know I do, he's good people ... but I am going to demand these players WORK 40 minutes of straight gangsta HAVOC on the defensive side, man to man, full court, half court, with either Meyers, Nnanna, or Iggy, PROTECTING the cup!"

"You have assembled a very athletic and long team ..." says the mrs. as she gets excited herself.

"We're young too ... but I'm going to play 'em all honey!  The FLYING ILLINI are back babe!"  coach states.

"Three things sweetie,"  says mrs coach.

"Wat my dime piece?" states the coach with a wrily smile.   

"One, don't tell anyone about player25.  Two, make sure you STICK TO IT!  And lastly honey, if you don't win by 20 or more points, no more message boards." 

"DEAL!  I won't mention nothing about player25.  And you watch us tonight, we're going to look like the Georgetown Hoyas of the 1980's baby!

Flying Illini    89
Golden rats  67

COTG - Coach Weber for playing 8-10 players, upping the pressure and tempo, and getting the TEAM involved by playing more players, plus letting them know it is "OK" to expect that this team should "whoop up" on teams.  You ARE good, now ALL of you get out there and play like it!  Coach actually gives out minutes and the players respond by playing EVEN HARDER, and smarter, because they know they only get 2-5 minute slots every substitution, thus they CRAM a lot of work in their given opportunity, so they can feel PRODUCTIVE!   

 

Illini-Nation sleeps like babies  Saturday night after a long night of PARTYING!   

OR, this doesn't happen, coach plays only 7-8 players, BP over 37+ minutes, DJ over 32+ minutes, meyers 34+ minutes, and JB 34+ minutes, with some clock for TG, some for Nnanna,  a little for Sam, and a minor bit for Henry.     No Shaw, no Ibby.  Too much for everyone except JB IMO.  BP should get 34-35 minutes, DJ should get 28-30, Meyers should get 30-32, then TA should get 25-30 minutes.  TG, Nnanna, and Henry, should all get OVER 5 minutes a game and should play in EACH half at least 2-3 minutes.  Shaw and Ibby should play every 1st half for 2-3 minutes and if they play well, then they can get some 2nd half minutes.  Same with Sam, IF he is healthy enough to generate the offense, not go stand in the opposite corner, and he can GUARD people on defense, because if he can't, then he shouldn't play or take away minutes from other players.

This has been a repeat for coach the last 5 years or so.  THIS GAME will tell alot.  Not as much as the win/loss itself, but also how coach subs and uses the players he has, which is deep and talented.  Tight string, over micro-manage, don't use a deep bench early and often, then coach still hasn't learned, thus the score will be

Not much Fighting Illini  61
Golden Tubbies              63