Illinois vs. Mizzery

Tonight, 8pm @ The Barn & Company (950 W. Wrightwood)

Email me if you are going to come out.

Saturday was painful as the Illini fell to UNLV 64-48. It was difficult to watch for those in attendance at the United Center. There was even a smattering of boos as the final seconds ticked off the clock. The IGP does not condone booing a college team. Sitting in the 300 level, it was interesting to watch the game from above. I could see the sets develop much better than on TV and now understand why coordinators in football like to watch the game from above.

There was a lot that concerned me about the game:

· What’s the play?: Several times in Saturday’s game, the Illini looked at each other and pointed in different directions. Some on the court didn’t know the play or how to start the set. We need to know every play from every position on the court.

· Entry Pass: UNLV played up on the Illini and denied the first pass. When Maniscalco or Abrams couldn’t get rid of the ball after crossing mid-court, the offense looked discombobulated. After the screen and re-screen to get open, the shot clock was already down to 20 seconds and the offense had not been initiated yet. We need a counter when this happens – usually some sort of back door screen or cut to create a lay-up and hopefully loosen up the defense on future possessions.

· Inbounding the Ball: Have we ever scored off an inbounds play? I often watch them and wonder if we are trying to score or just avoid a 5-second call. We need to turn inbound plays into scoring opportunities.

· Middle of the Floor - Drive: The ball spun round and round the perimeter like a top. For Weber’s offense to be effective there needs to be a scoring threat. When Dee, Deron, and Luther were in their heyday, the Illini would pass around the perimeter but they were always a threat to drive to the front of the rim. This kept the defense off balance and created open three pointers, unlike the highly contested shots the Illini were taking Saturday.

· Middle of the Floor - Post: Feeding the ball into the post opens up the offense just like a drive. Meyers Leonard is a great passer from the post. When he was getting double teamed early, he drew fouls or found the open man. We need to keep going to the big man.

· Loosen up and play ball: I’d like to see our young athletes have some more freedom. Whenever a young player makes a mistake, he is benched. Coach, let these guys improvise a bit and see what happens.

UNLV exposed some holes, but let’s see how the team improves throughout the year. It’s early, and there is a lot of promise.

Mizzery

Missouri looks fantastic early in the year. They remain undefeated through 11 games and are ranked #9 in the country. They have played a cream puff schedule, but they are wining in impressive fashion. While the Illini have been allowing bad teams to stick around (Cornell, Illinois State), Mizzery is scoring 87.9 ppg (2^ndin the nation) and winning big.

UNLV ran the floor against us and so will Mizzou. They are fast and can light it up from long distance. Marcus Denmon is a deadeye shooter. Averaging 19.6ppg and shooting 45%from behind the arc, he is as pure as they come. Whoever draws him on defense cannot lose him for a second or 3-pointers will assuredly be raining down.

Paul Pressey runs the show. He’s fast and can distribute, averaging 6 assists per contest. The Illini have had trouble with fast guards all season. Instead of helping on defense, let’s make him finish. Once Leonard swats a few shots into the second row, Pressey won’t know where to go.

If we want to win, everyone has to play well - most importantly - Meyers Leonard. He needs to touch the ball every possession. If the offense runs through him, we will stand a fighting chance.

The Illini bench is the other place where we need solid production. They’ve been abysmal in the last few games. They have been outscored in the last six games and put up only three points in the last two. Tracy Abrams, Crandall Head, Nnanna Egwu, and anyone else willing to contribute are all welcome to the party.

It’s going to be an uphill battle folks, but I know we can do it.

Illinois – 76

Mizzery – 74

Sincerely,

The Newest Illini Fan - ALW