This makes the Chicago State game look pretty good.
Weak. Awful. Piss-poor in every respect.
Weak. Awful. Piss-poor in every respect.
Embarrassing performance
- Thread starter Alan Smithee
- Start date
Breaking point in what? It is one game. We beat Wisky the game after Illinois the last time.
18 second half points. I don't want any resilience posts this was weak and embarrassing. Indiana beats them by 25 if they play like this.
We have been awful the last month except for the 16-0 and 9-0 run at Wisconsin. I wish I was confident it's just one game and we will recover.
This team lacks a dominant player, but has relied on guys playing their roles really well. We also had very little margin for error, so when Scottie went down, I think things came apart. We don't have enough depth to account for the loss of a key guy because two of our potential scorers are sitting on the bench in street clothes. I think we have to hope that Scottie recovers over the next week and this team gets hot down the stretch.
I agree. We have two wins with either Lindsey out or not at 100%. We will get more. Indiana is ripe for the picking, and Michigan is very winnable too. Most have said one more win should be enough for the tournament. Even losing out we still have a chance, though I don't want it to come to that.
I am not panicking after this game like some here are, but I do agree about this. I think some players gave up, and that is not something that they normally do, nor will it be tolerated the next game. Keep in mind though this is their fourth game in 10 days, so that definitely may have played into this. I think they will be ready big time for Indiana.
We have to hope for ONE win out of the last three, keeping in mind the fact that we have not lost three in a row all year, and a BTT win, to be a lock. Even ONE win total STILL might very well get us in as the bubble is just terrible this season and we beat Wisky, which gave us much more breathing room. In fact I would not have traded a sweep of the Illini for a Wisky loss, as the Wisky win was far more valuable. Emotionally, it blows, but as far as I'm concerned we can lose to the Illini 10 times in a row if we make the Dance consistently.
We beat Indiana Saturday and this loss will be a distant memory.
I wouldn't say we came apart though. We beat Wisconsin without Lindsey, and found a way to will out a win against a much improved Rutgers team, who frankly may be very good next year. This shows the Cats have depth in talent if not in sheer numbers. But again, most have Northwestern in the tournament even if they only win one more game this year. I just can't see this team losing out the rest of the way.
And I think that it was a positive sign that Lindsey played a lot of minutes tonight, and was even in there with then game out of reach That will be valuable in getting him back in the game shape he needs to be in for the stretch run.
Totally agree and it has only little to do with Lindsey, IMO. What was the last game where you would say the Cats looked good on offense? Iowa? Not sure if the pressure of the moment is getting to them or what, but the shooting has just been poor. Too many post game press conferences where Collins says "can't throw it in the ocean".
Well said Mike! I expected and will still be very happy with a split in these two road games. Beat Indiana, and I think we are 95% in even if we lose out, BTT included. But Michigan is very winnable too as they are not a good road team. Not guaranteed, but still a very winnable game compared to Purdue. We will be fine. Not as high a seed as we could have had, but 7 through 10 is not that big a difference anyway. And I won't complain as long as we are actually in the tournament!
Right now, I'd be happy with luke-warm. I believe they are capable of much more than this, but it has been a while since we've seen it. Even in the win over Wisconsin, it was the defense that got it done.
Lindsey didn't make Mac throw the ball away, Law foul too much, Mac foul too much, Brown continue playing 1 on 5 jacking the ball up AND throwing the ball away, etc.
This team is good enough to play better, with or without Scottie. Now is the time to do it. This can still go poof.
We looked fine on offense vs. Wisconsin which is the best defensive team in the BIG and one of the best in the country.
This -- didn't see an official box, but ESPN box had them with 5 assists and 11 turnovers at one point really late. That's .... blech.
As wrassler said a gazillion times,it is very tough to win road games in BT,especially during the week. We played Saturday's night. Exhausting win. Try and rest Sunday,travel Monday to Champaign! Too hard on the body. We need to rest up. Lindsay looked lost!
They didn't go anywhere. We have been one of the most consistent teams in the country this season, with zero bad losses. In this grind of a BIG season, no one plays well every night- not Purdue, not Wisconsin, not anybody. In a noncon game this season, I saw Purdue play WORSE that we played tonight, if you can believe.
Listen, I hate the Illini as much as anybody, and despise losing to them twice. But it does not take away from the remarkable season we've had thus far, with all of our injuries and without an NBA player and two sixth-year seniors like the Illini have.
Grasping at straws.
The Illini lost to winthrop and most other B1G teams pretty handily. This is dog shit loss. They got their asses kicked in an important game. There is zero rationalizing it, they played terribly in a very important game.
I realize that they played terribly, but they are college kids, that is what they do sometimes. Every team does it.
If we beat Michigan and win a BTT game, we are a lock, even if we don't beat Indiana. Michigan's ratings by all measures are just too high.
To be fair, this was a very tough stretch of games. The last 4 games were every three days. SUN, Weds, Sat, Tues. 4 games in 10 days. They just did not have their legs. Lindsey was a perfect example even though it was only his second game (but while the first game he had some adrenalin sp in this game, he had nothing left. No where else in the schedule have we had that many games that close together. Especially when for the games we were basically short staff (and still are) Throw in two quick fouls on Law and 3 in 6 minutes of play and it put even more pressure on already tired legs. Law and Lindsey were 1/15 between them. At least we have an extra day before playing IND
Collins mentioned in the postgame presser that BMac in particular was tired in the second half, but that some players did get some rest (Law in particular with the foul trouble) which may help as no one on Indiana got much rest tonight in an OT game.
Having a really short bench and playing the whole string every 3rd day. Throughout the BIG season, we had never played more than one game in a row on only 2 days rest. Sun, Weds Sun was the normal schedule and then we often missed a game giving 5 or more days between on several occasions. But this stretch was Sun, Wed, Sat, Tues. That is a rough stretch for a team with a short bench, And with Lindsey on wobbly legs and Law getting two quick fouls (that we did not even see) and a third quick one, our O and D were affected. Guys had rubbery legs. Law and Lindsey together were 1/15
Hope you're right about this, Hdhntr. Seemed like we were playing in quicksand. And, giving credit where credit's due, the Illini played with a lot more life than they've shown in a number of games this season. They were simply the better team last night.
Have any pics of the participation trophies you're handing them?
I would agree with this post if, in fact, those 18-22 year old kids were compensated for the efforts that lead a bunch of grown men to sit in front of a computer screen and discuss their effort.
I remember watching the OSU game and the precision with which NU played on the offensive end. There were small little windows that NU was passing through, but the passes were made and received and NU converted. I remember thinking at that time how play is notched up as the season progresses.
When Lindsey went down all I could think about was how disruptive it would be to flow, during his absence and when he came back.
No team will win shooting like NU did last night and with that crappy assist to turnover ratio. Give Illinois credit, they got up for these games thanks to the billboards on 294. And the fact that NU has a much more attractive basketball program right now. Both sides contributed to the loss.
Scottie will come around and the offense will come around. May take a couple more games.
Bottom line, I have faith in the coaches to get their heads in a good place and get them executing again.
When Lindsey went down all I could think about was how disruptive it would be to flow, during his absence and when he came back.
No team will win shooting like NU did last night and with that crappy assist to turnover ratio. Give Illinois credit, they got up for these games thanks to the billboards on 294. And the fact that NU has a much more attractive basketball program right now. Both sides contributed to the loss.
Scottie will come around and the offense will come around. May take a couple more games.
Bottom line, I have faith in the coaches to get their heads in a good place and get them executing again.
The Cats are just plumb tired. Physically and mentally. The grind of playing an entire season against too many bigger, stronger, faster teams has taken its toll. Four games in 10 days exacerbates the problem.
The strain of all that is at stake has contributed to the state of the team.
The margin for error has always been small. And now they find themselves on the wrong side of that margin. Rebounding margins have gone in the wrong direction. Fouls are up, as are turnovers. Shooting percentages are down. All signs of the wear and tear effect of a grueling journey for our undersized and otherwise physically challenged team.
Don't get me wrong. There is a lot to like about this team. And their success has been a joy. Just saying that by any objective measure this team has understandably run low on the juice needed to finish a very tough schedule.
GOUNUII
