whitesoxfan99

Fallon is absolutely horrible so far.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 06:10 PM) Cole Aldrich is an incredibly improved player, bitterness over an ass kicking from a Mizzou fan be damned. I can't speak for his specific offensive moves, but he's a lot better this year. And, well.....Missouri IS overrated. You may have had an incredible home comeback against Kansas earlier this season because they fell asleep with a huge lead, but they are still the better team and Missouri is still overrated right now. As for Illinois today, it is clear that they lost to a better team. Illinois is incredibly improved this year and well coached, but they just don't have the players to beat a Michigan State right now unless the Spartans are having an off day or dealing with injuries, and neither was the case today. Hopefully they can get a revenge win and a good win at Penn State, and the Spartans do their part and beat Purdue so the Illini will be the #2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois had every chance to beat MSU today but McCamey was horrible and Trent missed two wide open threes when the game was tied at 58 that were momentum killers. I actually liked the way the game was officiated (minus Hightowers usual horrendous calls) today because it kept the game from resembling a football game like the games against Minnesota. Amazing how much better Big 10 games look when guys aren't allowed to mug the offensive players on every play.

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 05:30 PM) Refs have taken over this Mich St/Illinois game. They're calling a foul on every possession. Would you expect anything else from Ed Hightower? The guy isn't happy unless they are showing his face on TV.

For the good of basketball fans everywhere, Illinois and Minnesota really need to not face each other again this year. Despite the game being really ugly for long stretches it was still a really big win tonight for Illinois because this seals a tourney berth and also gives Illinois an outside chance at a Big 10 title if they win out. Never would have expected we would have an outside shot at a Big 10 title at this point in the season coming into the year.

Just saw on the bottom line that Dominic James is out for the year for Marquette.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 11:43 PM) I didn't turn this only until about quarter to 10, how many awards has this slumdog millionaire movie won anyways? What is the record? Record is 11 by Titanic, Ben Hur and LOTR: Return of the King. I think Slumdog won 8

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 03:21 PM) What happened at the end of the Illini game? I was watching the end of the entertaining Syracuse/'Nova game, and didn't know the Illini game was close. OSU got 4 pts on a possession to cut it to 2. Meacham made 2 fts, OSU didn't score and then McCamey made a ft to put Illinois up 5. Diebler hit a 3 with a little over a second to go to cut it to two. Illinois got the ball in to Meacham, gave over essentially.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 03:22 PM) Really? Who besides Landry is a senior? I think most of their talent is in the freshman and sophmores. Krabbenhoft is a SR and Bohannon and Hughes are JRs.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 03:16 PM) Tried to throw it away with some dumb turnovers, but a good win nonetheless. That Penn State loss is going to bite us in the ass if we beat MSU. This was a game I was expecting to lose. I still think those that think the big ten is overrated are wrong. OSU and Wisky are good examples of teams that can beat a lot of really good teams but maybe are too young to be consistent. I dont think the big ten has a championship team, but i can see 2, maybe 3 getting to the sweet 16 or elite eight (obviously depending on the matchups). Wisconsin is not a young team.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 02:50 PM) I thought Duke relied on outside shooting, Illinois has 1 free throw in 2 games?? We don't drive to the basket, but we actually have a ton of pts in the paint today. They just have been wide open 5 foot jumpers by Davis. You aren't going to draw fouls on those.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 05:06 PM) As Boers and Bernstein were saying, watch that 2nd pick acquired today be used on either Hansbrough or Harangody. I'd rather sell the pick then waste it on one of those two.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 11:03 PM) So who's your All American team so far? Mine would be: pg- Ty Lawson sg- Stephen Curry c- Dejuan Blair sf- Jodie Meeks pf- Blake Griffin Harden, Thabeet, Hansbrough, McNeal, Harangody, and Calathes just miss I'm pretty much in agreement with your list. Curry, Meeks and Griffin are obviously locks. Lawson has been just ridiculous lately. Blair is a good choice but obviously Hansbrough and Thabeet have good cases. Harangody is a really good player but he is still awful defensively and he has been scoring his points by basically being a volume shooter at times this year.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 11:09 PM) I didn't hear much bad about McBride. Luther Head was just a piece of s*** while on campus. Deron was actually a very nice person..but not really a scholar. Who is a scholar when they know they are going to the league?

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 11:08 PM) I've said it many times, we don't get a chance to play anyone. In conference is always much tougher than it should be. That goes for both teams. However, I still think we are every bit as talented as Illinois and I see no reason that Illinois should be ranked. ISU should not be either. I'm just saying that a game between the teams could go either way. I'm biased so I give ISU the slight edge. By the way, with UNI losing to Drake tonight, ISU now controls its own destiny for the MVC regular season title. If they win that and lose in the MVC final(by preferably under 30) and get snubbed again, it will be a disgrace. Regular season champ from a conference as good as the MVC is should get in the tournament even in a down year. You lost to f'ing Indiana State twice. They are one of the worst teams in the country. The MVC sucks this yeary and is a one big league. Just accept it.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 08:57 PM) Illinois is extremely subpar, a good small conference team could easily beat them in the first round. This is true about almost every team in college basketball this year outside of the top 8 or so. There just aren't very many good basketball teams in college basketball teams this year. It wouldn't surprise me if every SEC and Pac 10 teams lost early. Every Big 10 team could lose early. Every Big 12 team except for Oklahoma could lose early, etc. Even some of the top teams like Clemson, Wake, Louisville, and Duke have looked awful at times.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 10:58 PM) Don't get me wrong, you're probably the best Illini fan I know. For the most part though, there's no fan base that complains about the refs more than Illinois. I hate refs, and I do complain about them a lot but it is usually during the game or right after the game when I am emotional about the game. I also complain about officiating in just about every basketball game I watch. The only game I really have ever felt we got screwed by the refs was the Washington game in the tourney but I don't feel like discussing that one again. I have a problem with officiating across the board in college basketball. And then I use message boards to b**** about it so my friends in the real world don't have to hear about it.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 10:55 PM) It was lost by Illinois being completely inept on offense, nothing more. The reason the travel calls stick out in my mind so much is because there was at least 3 very obvious ones in a very short stretch by PSU that weren't called and Davis was called for a travel right after that. Also, I think I've been very clear on here that I think refs do a very poor job across the board in college basketball especially in the Big 10 for whatever reason, not just in Illinois games. As much heat as NBA refs get from people at times, NBA refs>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>college refs.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 10:50 PM) Any fan can find a traveling call during a game that should be called. Tisdale shuffled his feet on his little hook shot under 2 minutes to make it a one point game. Tonight's game wasn't decided by the refs...it was by whatever team could make a basket and stop down the stretch. It was lost by Illinois being completely inept on offense, nothing more. The reason the travel calls stick out in my mind so much is because there was at least 3 very obvious ones in a very short stretch by PSU that weren't called and Davis was called for a travel right after that.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:37 PM) Illinois is one of the 5 worst teams in the country at getting to the FT line. When you have guards like Frazier and Meacham, that's going to happen. We deserved a few FTs tonight but yes this team just isn't built for drawing fouls. They don't have a consistent low post threat and McCamey is the only one who can get to the basket and he wasn't attacking tonight. Davis did get hammered down low in the 2nd half when he had a layup and I thought Penn St. got away with a couple in the first half but it wasn't the fouls that bugged me. But PSU traveled on a ton of possessions during their run in the 2nd half without being called for it. The one that really stands out is when Morrisey kind of lost the ball at the top of the key took at least 3 steps and then hit Pringle for a wide open 3. I hate Bobby Knight, but he is absolutely right that college basketball officials do a terrible job looking for the walk. And then what killed me is they called a travel on Davis (the right call in that case) for a travel a couple possessions later for dragging the pivot foot. Call it for both teams or don't call it at all.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:52 PM) It amazes me Illinois has the record (and top 25 ranking) they have when I watch them. Bruce Weber should be commended for the in game coaching he has done this year, because this is just not a talented team at all. I understand that is Bruce's fault because he recruited the players, but you know what I mean. It will be interesting to watch them with actual talent in the coming years. Really the only guys with real talent are DMac, Tisdale and Davis who are all sophomores. And DMac is sick and playing like it right now. Unfortunately he just doesn't seem to be one of those guys who can really step up when he isn't feeling at his best. Legion being the worst player on the team has been a huge disappointment. He had 3 wide open 3s in the first half and none of them were close. I really can't believe how bad he has been.

QUOTE (farmteam @ Feb 15, 2009 -> 04:17 PM) The IU-Illinois game was fun. Couple of notes: How hard is it to box out? Come on guys. I can't count the amount of times Davis or Tisdale flew in for the put back. I like Davis as a player; I haven't watched Illinois too much, but he seems like a pretty athletic (if slightly undersized) big, who can move around the rim. Calvin Brock's putback dunk was nasty. Too bad he ruined it with the technical. Daniel Moore played all out; I was really impressed. There was a great scene where in the middle of the 2nd half run, Moore and Crean embraced in the huddle. Whoever the fan was that yelled out "Weber eat s*** and die" is stupid. I don't really mind the Weber Sucks and Sit Down Weber chants, those come with the territory I feel, but that one was over the line. And why were people still doing Eric Gordon chants? I refused to join in. It hurt not having Dumes, you could tell. However, the Hoosiers are definitely looking better than they did earlier in the year. Brock shouldn't have been T'd up on that play. That was a bad call, even Greg Anthony was saying refs made a mistake on that.

BTW..last year Meacham averaged a little over 10 pts per game in Big 10 play and made just under 40% from 3. This year he is averaging 7 pts and shooting 29% from 3 and that is counting the Indiana game where he scored 21 pts and went 7-9 from 3, I don't even want to know the numbers without that game.

Yay for making shots when the game is over Meacham.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 5, 2009 -> 10:33 PM) where has mccamey been the last few games? he's the best player on the team. he either goes to sleep or is too concerned with getting other people involved McCamey has played well tonight, not much you can do when Legion and Meacham can't make wide open shots.

It would be literally impossible to get less production out of the 2 guard spot than Illinois is lately. It is getting ridiculous and unlike the Minnesota game Meacham is consistently getting wide open shots and bricking them. It is sad to watch.