Mark Smith looking good for Illini
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Agree, I like Finke too. I won't go so far as to say I expect to find the Illini in the top half of the conference, but I also don't look at them as hopeless bottom feeders; there's definitely some talent there.
I think you might be being a bit difficult here... wasn't it you who last year insisted repeatedly before both UI games that they were a terrible, awful team and you know because you've watched their games (apparently no one else on this board has!) and that there was no way in he** that we would lose to them, then no way that we would lose to them a second time with or without Scottie Lindsey?
Don't recall saying anything like that, feel free to provide the link if I am mistaken
But why on earth would losing to a team picked by the experts to finish 12th in the BIG who lost 70 percent of their scoring from last year be considered anything but terrible?
Gotta let the season play out before declaring a loss to UoI terrible. They might be good, who the heck knows. Predictions are like butt holes, everyone has one. One "expert" predicted NU would be a Final 4 team.......NU lost just 13% of their scoring from last year yet couldn't crack 50 in their last game.
Gotta let the season play out before declaring a loss to UoI terrible. They might be good, who the heck knows. Predictions are like butt holes, everyone has one. One "expert" predicted NU would be a Final 4 team.......NU lost just 13% of their scoring from last year yet couldn't crack 50 in their last game.
It would be terrible. The Illini are somehow losing to NC Central at halftime, a team that lost about the same amount of its scoring as the Illini from last year; except they play in the MEAC.
I watched the game on BTN2go before tuning in to our game and the gameplay was absolutely atrocious. Among other errors, NC Central committed an UNGUARDED back court violation; their pg just dribble the ball back accross the half court line for no apparent reason, I kid you not.
Even if they win (and NC Central is absolutely terrible, so I think that the Illini should dominate in the second half), they are just not a good team right now.
Gotta let the season play out before declaring a loss to UoI terrible. They might be good, who the heck knows. Predictions are like butt holes, everyone has one. One "expert" predicted NU would be a Final 4 team.......NU lost just 13% of their scoring from last year yet couldn't crack 50 in their last game.
Was there tonight, we looked better but hard to tell because SH didn’t have much offense that would hurt us. Transition defense was a little shaky in the first half and it took us awhile to figure out their zone. Still need more from bench and most guys appear tentative and hook is pretty quick. Vic took a hard fall and rode the bike most of the second half. Barrett has to convert some easy buckets and stay away from silly fouls. He can be a difference with just some simple basic plays.
I was pretty confident we would beat the Fighting Undies and still think we will win. However, we need to play better or run a real risk of losing. Time to turn it on.
I don't really care to take the time to dig it up but I distinctly remember you saying that.
I think it remains to be seen whether IL is good this year.
Not saying that I didn't say it, but sometimes people read what they want to read in a post. As for the present, I will go with the experts who say Illinois is not good this year.
Do you believe they are not good now? As for the original subject of this thread, does anyone else think it was odd that Smith rode the pine for most of the game after picking up those two early fouls? Kinda glad he did!
Yeah, I was wondering about that myself. He looked to have the potential to be a significant contributor, and at some point during the season, I imagine he will be.
I kept hoping they would put him back in because every time they did things seemed to open up for us. I also noticed Kipper Nichols did next to nothing.
I will say that the Fighting Undies played much harder than last year (even though they won last year) and defensively they look improved. They will take a few beat downs when they can’t sustain the defensive effort, but I also think they will pull a few effort upsets. They at least have some optimism on the hardwood versus the train wreck Lovie is overseeing.
Dude I'm not really sure what is up your butt about Illinois. I never said they were good... I said that it remains to be seen whether they are good, and also strongly implied your views on them are strangely biased, maybe / probably because of some issue you have with them. I don't know but whatever.
If I had to guess I would say they are a below average to middling B1G team. Maybe 7-8 conference wins. But it's still quite early to try to figure that out, especially given how young they are. Time will tell.
Cheers / Go Cats
Rick
If I had to guess I would say they are a below average to middling B1G team. Maybe 7-8 conference wins. But it's still quite early to try to figure that out, especially given how young they are. Time will tell.
Cheers / Go Cats
Rick
Having difficulty understanding what is biased about saying a team the Media picked to finished 12th in the BIG, and who lost 70% of their scoring from last year is probably going to be quite bad.
