2012-2013 NCAA Basketball thread

[Boogua]

Griffey has missed 13 straight 3s. Can anyone tell me if he would play significant minutes for another B1G team right now? Would DJ Richardson get 30+ minutes per game for other teams as he goes into his annual B1G shooting slump with the inability to do anything else? The team that Groce inherited just isn't good. It was bad in the Bruce weber motion and its bad in the high ball screen offense. No ball handlers and the screeners suck at setting screens (which reminds me of Webers recent teams). They also have no good passers.

 

I was foolish in thinking that Groce could turn around the program quickly. It's going to be a process. There are just tons of limited players on the roster.

[ZoomSlowik]

These last two posts are funny. Care to trade rosters with NU?

[Buehrle>Wood]

LOL, so bad Groce. Just terrible.

[whitesoxfan99]

What is sad is that I used to actually get upset when Illinois lost. I just don't care anymore.

[Brian]

Yikes

[Soxfest]

Time to sit all the mental case seniors at Illinois for good. Play the young guys they are getting crushed at home anyway!

Edited January 18, 2013 by Soxfest

[Jake]

There is no "well the players aren't that good" tonight. These players are much better than Northwestern's (sorry NU fans, maybe when at full strength it'd make sense for a more competitive game). That leaves the coaching. Maybe things would be different if Groce had been here for 2 or 3 years, but he can't be losing to NU at all this year. We're a couple more bad losses away from missing the tourney. We need to look completely different next time out or else he needs to do drastic things with the lineup to send a message (to me and to the players).

[whitesoxfan99]

LOL, so bad Groce. Just terrible.

 

Yep. That was brutal tonight. Last two games the team has looked really unprepared, teams have Illinois scouted and figured out, time to see what type of adjustments Groce makes. I'm not sure what you do though since just about every player on this team has major flaws on offense and it is going to be literally impossible to get positive play out of the big men this year. I still think you just have to play Abrams, Richardson, Paul, Bertrand and Egwu together at the same time and hope for the best. I think Henry, Shaw, Langford, McClaurin, and Griffey are all worthless right now and pretty much negatively impact the team every second they are on the floor.

[ZoomSlowik]

There is no "well the players aren't that good" tonight. These players are much better than Northwestern's (sorry NU fans, maybe when at full strength it'd make sense for a more competitive game). That leaves the coaching. Maybe things would be different if Groce had been here for 2 or 3 years, but he can't be losing to NU at all this year. We're a couple more bad losses away from missing the tourney. We need to look completely different next time out or else he needs to do drastic things with the lineup to send a message (to me and to the players).

 

There's nothing to be sorry about, they have 2 1/2 definitively Big Ten caliber players (Swopshire has a habit of disappearing for long stretches, sometimes entire games).

[LittleHurt05]

Weber sucks. Groce sucks. Griffey sucks. Richardson sucks. They all suck. Can't a single team I root for not collapse in the 2nd half of their season? WTF. With the Bears, Illini, Hawks, Sox, it's an ever repeating cycle.

[danman31]

There's nothing to be sorry about, they have 2 1/2 definitively Big Ten caliber players (Swopshire has a habit of disappearing for long stretches, sometimes entire games).

Yeah, with Crawford out I would say losing at home to Northwestern should be a near fireable offense. Obviously Groce is a first year coach so that doesn't apply, but it's still a black mark on his record.

[bigruss]

There's no defending that loss.

 

I don't really know what to say after that loss except I can't wait to get some new players on this team.

[Jenksismyhero]

I don't see how we could possibly reach .500 in the conference at this point. Games against Nebraska and Penn State are no longer easy wins. Just embarrassing. If there was any talent on the bench I'd say bench the seniors and start working towards next year. But I think Groce is stuck.

 

And while I don't want to blame Groce, since this season epitomizes what Richardson/Paul/Griffey have done while at Illinois (playing well out of conference, being wretched in conference) - the lack of any offensive or defensive scheme is pretty troubling, as is the lack of improvement over time. That's the way these guys have been the last 4 years, but Groce does nothing to help the team other than scowling at the officials. There are no offensive sets that are being run when the team needs a basket. They're not running or forcing tempo. They are AWFUL defensively with few adjustments being made.

 

They're not even competitive anymore. It's run down the court, pass the ball once or twice, get a ball screen, jack up a shot, go back on defense. They average less than a point per possession the last 6-7 games. Abrams disappeared. Bertrand has been in a funk the last several games. Egwu can't stay out of foul trouble. We have no PF. Our bench players have one dimensional skills, and that's being generous.

 

I like to think i'm overreacting but other than Ohio State they really haven't been "good" since the Missouri game. And it's pretty clear that game against Ohio State was much more about Ohio State not showing up than Illinois playing really well.

[bigruss]

I don't see how we could possibly reach .500 in the conference at this point. Games against Nebraska and Penn State are no longer easy wins. Just embarrassing. If there was any talent on the bench I'd say bench the seniors and start working towards next year. But I think Groce is stuck.

 

And while I don't want to blame Groce, since this season epitomizes what Richardson/Paul/Griffey have done while at Illinois (playing well out of conference, being wretched in conference) - the lack of any offensive or defensive scheme is pretty troubling, as is the lack of improvement over time. That's the way these guys have been the last 4 years, but Groce does nothing to help the team other than scowling at the officials. There are no offensive sets that are being run when the team needs a basket. They're not running or forcing tempo. They are AWFUL defensively with few adjustments being made.

 

They're not even competitive anymore. It's run down the court, pass the ball once or twice, get a ball screen, jack up a shot, go back on defense. They average less than a point per possession the last 6-7 games. Abrams disappeared. Bertrand has been in a funk the last several games. Egwu can't stay out of foul trouble. We have no PF. Our bench players have one dimensional skills, and that's being generous.

 

I like to think i'm overreacting but other than Ohio State they really haven't been "good" since the Missouri game. And it's pretty clear that game against Ohio State was much more about Ohio State not showing up than Illinois playing really well.

I still think 8-10 in conference, plus 1 win in the BTT gets us in.

 

But yea, one thing I loved about Groce was he kept saying that this team was going to improve throughout the season, that was one his biggest goals. Now, I'm starting to question Groce more (still a big believer), because this has got out of hand once again.

 

I still put most of the blame on this senior class, these guys just don't respond well to adversity or take charge when they need to. Throughout this season and their career at Illinois they have been thrown wake up calls left and right, yet they can never capitalize and instead disappear.

[Jenksismyhero]

Groce has to be accountable for failing to coach these guys the game of basketball though. I'm sorry, but teams run the ball screen offense and when it's not working and the shots aren't falling, they call a set play. They try to do something to change momentum. I can't believe that a team talented enough to win big games earlier this year lacks the talent or drive to be able to run offensive plays.

 

I just got the sense last night he was letting them play. That was what we heard about all pre-season - my system is to let players be loose and play their game. Well, that's great when you have a conference where everyone runs up and down like in the playground, but in the Big Ten teams play set basketball. They don't rely on one-on-one plays. Michigan runs offensive plays. Indiana runs offensive plays. They purposefully find guys in a variety of ways to get good shots.

 

I'd be less disappointed if they were showing an ability to play organized basketball but simply not hitting shots. That happens. This team is doing neither at the moment and I don't see how they can win 7 or 8 more games playing like this.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Jenksismybitch

[illinilaw08]

Groce has to be accountable for failing to coach these guys the game of basketball though. I'm sorry, but teams run the ball screen offense and when it's not working and the shots aren't falling, they call a set play. They try to do something to change momentum. I can't believe that a team talented enough to win big games earlier this year lacks the talent or drive to be able to run offensive plays.

 

I just got the sense last night he was letting them play. That was what we heard about all pre-season - my system is to let players be loose and play their game. Well, that's great when you have a conference where everyone runs up and down like in the playground, but in the Big Ten teams play set basketball. They don't rely on one-on-one plays. Michigan runs offensive plays. Indiana runs offensive plays. They purposefully find guys in a variety of ways to get good shots.

 

I'd be less disappointed if they were showing an ability to play organized basketball but simply not hitting shots. That happens. This team is doing neither at the moment and I don't see how they can win 7 or 8 more games playing like this.

 

I get the sense that Groce would love to have a big guy that he could park on the block and run sets for when you need a basket. He doesn't have that guy on this roster.

 

The problem since the Minnesota game is simple. There are two guys on this roster who have been able to make shots in that stretch. Tracy and Paul (and neither of them have been particuarly consistent about it). McClaurin is a non-factor. Egwu is in foul trouble most of the time. Henry/Shaw/Langford haven't shown any ability to score. Griffey and DJ can't hit water falling off a pier right now. Bertrand hasn't even tried to assert himself. If you only have two threats offensively, there isn't a set in the world you could run to score points. I'm not absolving Groce, but the difference between the preseason and now is that Griffey was shooting like 60% from 3 and DJ was shooting like 40% from 3. If those guys can't make shots, and there isn't a shotmaker on the bench, you see games like last night. If they lose at Nebraska next week, this team will win about 5 games in the B1G.

[Rowand44]

8 and 10 in the b10 will get Illinois in. Those Butler and Gonzaga wins are going to be something other bubble teams can't even come close to.

[whitesoxfan99]

8 and 10 in the b10 will get Illinois in. Those Butler and Gonzaga wins are going to be something other bubble teams can't even come close to.

 

It is going to be really hard to get to 8-10 at this point and I don't see it happening, but if they do, that would almost certainly mean they have an additional win or 2 against teams like Michigan, IU, MSU, etc. So between the wins against Gonzaga, Butler and OSU they have in their pocket plus two additional quality wins, there is no way they wouldn't get in at 8-10.

[LittleHurt05]

8 and 10 in the b10 will get Illinois in. Those Butler and Gonzaga wins are going to be something other bubble teams can't even come close to.

 

I agree, especially the win in Spokane. The issue is, can they get to 8 wins in the B10?

[RockRaines]

8 and 10 in the b10 will get Illinois in. Those Butler and Gonzaga wins are going to be something other bubble teams can't even come close to.

They are definitely a tourney team, not even a question IMO. Just ILL fans going from one extreme to the other.

[IlliniKrush]

They are definitely a tourney team, not even a question IMO. Just ILL fans going from one extreme to the other.

Sorry, this is not the same team anymore. To say "not even a question" is just plain wrong.

 

Please find me 7 wins for our remaining schedule. It's really tough. This isn't an overreaction. We're 1-4. Just lost to NW at home. After Nebraska, we play Michigan/MSU/Wisky/IU/Minnesota. It's not good.

 

It's bubble at best right now unless we miraculously beat a top tier B10 team at home or something like that.

[Rowand44]

Creighton-Shockers and Lville-Cuse nearly identical basketball games right now.

[Brian]

Creighton-Shockers and Lville-Cuse nearly identical basketball games right now.

 

Why doesn't McDermott leave the Valley?

[Rowand44]

Why doesn't McDermott leave the Valley?

I actually like the fact that's he's around while SIU is down cause I can actually enjoy watching him play. If he was around in our glory years I'd just despise him.

[Brian]

I actually like the fact that's he's around while SIU is down cause I can actually enjoy watching him play. If he was around in our glory years I'd just despise him.

 

Good point.

 

#1 Syracuse