Illini Game Preview
Tonight vs. Fichigan
TBD. Propose destinations in the comments section.
It looks like karma has come around to bite the Loosiers in the ass. Sunday's 76-45 Illini victory was especially satisfying to rub in the faces of a few of my favorite Indiana fans. Below are 2 text message conversation that took place throughout the game.
Texting Mean Gene
Illini up 16-2
Me: Let's go IU. Gene, IU is looking sharp this year. I've never seen a YMCA team look so much like a Big10 powerhouse.
Gene: Congrats on beating a JV team.
Illini up 26-7 with 10 minutes left in the 1st half.
Me: Uh, Gene, there's 30 minutes left of basketball. Are you conceding defeat?
Gene: No response.
Illini up 58-29. Dominique Keller buries his 3rd three of the game and turns to smile at the Loosier bench.
Gene: Number 23 is an a$$hole!
Gene actually sent the last text message to Spitz because he didn't want to hear me razz him. I was watching the game from Spitz's couch and I laughed.
Texting Big Tony
Illini up 21-2
Me: Who. Who. Who. Whoosiers!
Tony: Yep, I got no response. This is embarrassing!
Me: Gene had a similar answer. It's not even fun to goof on you guys. Oh wait...you lost to Lipscomb!!!! HA!
Tony: Win or lose. The fact remains...Bruce Weber is a whiny b----...sorry, that is all I got...Your team is clearly better...I mean I had to look up Lipscomb on the Internet. In case you are wondering, it's in Iowa.
Fichigan
A crazy schedule quirk brings the Fichigan Wolverines to Assembly Hall only 1 week removed from our loss in Ann Arbor (is a whore). The first meeting was a terrific game with Fichigan going unconscious from 3-point land in the first half and pulling away by tightening up their defense in the 2nd half.
Manny Harris has impressed me so far as the best player in the Big10. He is averaging 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. We put Chester Frazier on him last time, but Harris was able to post up the shorter defender and get to the front of the rim with ease. Our match-up will probably change this time around, but the help defense will be a huge factor in this game. Because Michigan was so spread out on offense, we did not have any shot blockers in the lane to help with penetration. This could be a good opportunity for Illinois to go zone during parts of the game, but I can only remember seeing Head Coach Bruce Weber use a zone one time in his career at Illinois.
We scored at will against Michigan use slip screens and pick-and-pops last time. This strategy should be effective again because Fichigan's defense is not disciplined enough for the Illini. A slip screen is like a pick and roll except the pick is faked and rolls early - think James Augustine. A pick-and-pop is like a pick and roll except instead of the roll the pick steps back for a shot - think Brian Cook. Mike Davis is skilled enough to do either, and I think he will blow up on the home court to avenge our only Big10 loss.
Illinois - 65
Fichigan - 60
Sincerely,
Bubba Chisholm
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Friday, December 19, 2008
IGP: Illinois vs. Rock City
Illinois Game Preview
Tomorrow vs. Rock City
7pm @ The Yard
Let me know if you're interested
Moving in a terrible housing market
With interest rates reaching 37 year lows, the IGP bought a little piece of internet property yesterday. Come visit us at our new address: http://www.illinigamepreview.com/. Beer is the only acceptable house warming present.
Be sure to sign up as an IGP follower.
Hoosier Dank
Long time reader and newly hired field reporter HC, e-mailed me a story yesterday explaining why the Loosiers fell apart last season after starting with only 1 loss in their first 18 games. Drugs. If I were a Hoosier, I would self medicate as well.
Former guard Eric Gordon said that the team was splintered because half liked to smoke up, and the other half…was studying. I have no idea what would posses Gordon to talk about this; but he does bring to light how easy it is for a team to screw up its chemistry, especially a team made up of 18 to 21 year olds.
Last year’s Illini team might have been in a similar place – though not pulled apart by drugs. Ego is a better explanation. We all praised and cursed Senior Center Shaun Pruitt the entire year. The swearing was loudest when Pruitt blew 3 free throws that each would have sealed the game against the aforementioned Hoosiers. This was the only time all year that I felt sorry for Big Shaun (the IGP is very empathetic).
Any other time I watched Pruitt, he was pouting at the refs, his teammates, or his coaches – sometimes all at once. Pruitt was not a great team player; but being a senior, he was viewed as a leader – one who I would have found uninspiring and difficult to follow. We didn’t have high expectations for last year’s team, but a lack of team chemistry definitely lead to an underachieving season.
What about this year?
The Hoosiers won’t have to blame drug use for this year’s crappy season. They have no talent, and they will suck. They’ve already lost 5 games, and it will be their fans who smoke copious amounts of weed in 08/09.
What about this year?...for the Illini!
From all accounts I’ve read, the team gets along far better this year. The top sophomore in the state of Illinois, Tracy Abrams, recently committed to Illinois (great news) and said “The players [at Illinois] were like family, it was an atmosphere that I want to be a part of.” Even more important, the guys looks more like a team than they have in the last 3 years.
Although the competition has been light so far, I like watching this team play. Last year, the Illini lead most games heading into the second half…then they tightened up and blew it (see Shaun Pruitt in paragraph 5 of today’s IGP). This year, with the exception of Clemson, Illinois has shown tremendous heart. Heart makes up for a lot in college basketball.
Rock City
Detroit is 3-6 and nothing more than a warm-up before the Illinois heads to St. Louis for the annual Bragging Rights Game against Missouri. Now that finals are over, sophomore transfer Alex Legion is eligible to play for the first time this year. Supposedly, Legion is tearing it up on the practice court. Head Coach Bruce Weber even referred to him as ‘Kobe’ during summer workouts. It will be exciting to see Legion hit the court, but Weber will probably ease him into the line-up. The adrenaline will be pumping for this talented guard, so don’t be too hard on him if he’s a bit heavy on his shot to start.
Illinois – 87
Not so mighty Titans – 55
Sincerely,
Mike Lockley’s Retired Headset
PS…Last week 9 of you agreed that the Illini would make it back to the Final Four, while 4 of you told me that I am bat shit crazy. You’re all right. The Illini will make it to the Final Four, and I have a few screws loose.
PPS...Let me know where you think the Illini will end the year in the Big10. See the left hand side of the blog at http://www.illinigamepreview.com/
PPS...Happy Birthday Rhandi!
Tomorrow vs. Rock City
7pm @ The Yard
Let me know if you're interested
Moving in a terrible housing market
With interest rates reaching 37 year lows, the IGP bought a little piece of internet property yesterday. Come visit us at our new address: http://www.illinigamepreview.com/. Beer is the only acceptable house warming present.
Be sure to sign up as an IGP follower.
Hoosier Dank
Long time reader and newly hired field reporter HC, e-mailed me a story yesterday explaining why the Loosiers fell apart last season after starting with only 1 loss in their first 18 games. Drugs. If I were a Hoosier, I would self medicate as well.
Former guard Eric Gordon said that the team was splintered because half liked to smoke up, and the other half…was studying. I have no idea what would posses Gordon to talk about this; but he does bring to light how easy it is for a team to screw up its chemistry, especially a team made up of 18 to 21 year olds.
Last year’s Illini team might have been in a similar place – though not pulled apart by drugs. Ego is a better explanation. We all praised and cursed Senior Center Shaun Pruitt the entire year. The swearing was loudest when Pruitt blew 3 free throws that each would have sealed the game against the aforementioned Hoosiers. This was the only time all year that I felt sorry for Big Shaun (the IGP is very empathetic).
Any other time I watched Pruitt, he was pouting at the refs, his teammates, or his coaches – sometimes all at once. Pruitt was not a great team player; but being a senior, he was viewed as a leader – one who I would have found uninspiring and difficult to follow. We didn’t have high expectations for last year’s team, but a lack of team chemistry definitely lead to an underachieving season.
What about this year?
The Hoosiers won’t have to blame drug use for this year’s crappy season. They have no talent, and they will suck. They’ve already lost 5 games, and it will be their fans who smoke copious amounts of weed in 08/09.
What about this year?...for the Illini!
From all accounts I’ve read, the team gets along far better this year. The top sophomore in the state of Illinois, Tracy Abrams, recently committed to Illinois (great news) and said “The players [at Illinois] were like family, it was an atmosphere that I want to be a part of.” Even more important, the guys looks more like a team than they have in the last 3 years.
Although the competition has been light so far, I like watching this team play. Last year, the Illini lead most games heading into the second half…then they tightened up and blew it (see Shaun Pruitt in paragraph 5 of today’s IGP). This year, with the exception of Clemson, Illinois has shown tremendous heart. Heart makes up for a lot in college basketball.
Rock City
Detroit is 3-6 and nothing more than a warm-up before the Illinois heads to St. Louis for the annual Bragging Rights Game against Missouri. Now that finals are over, sophomore transfer Alex Legion is eligible to play for the first time this year. Supposedly, Legion is tearing it up on the practice court. Head Coach Bruce Weber even referred to him as ‘Kobe’ during summer workouts. It will be exciting to see Legion hit the court, but Weber will probably ease him into the line-up. The adrenaline will be pumping for this talented guard, so don’t be too hard on him if he’s a bit heavy on his shot to start.
Illinois – 87
Not so mighty Titans – 55
Sincerely,
Mike Lockley’s Retired Headset
PS…Last week 9 of you agreed that the Illini would make it back to the Final Four, while 4 of you told me that I am bat shit crazy. You’re all right. The Illini will make it to the Final Four, and I have a few screws loose.
PPS...Let me know where you think the Illini will end the year in the Big10. See the left hand side of the blog at http://www.illinigamepreview.com/
PPS...Happy Birthday Rhandi!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Illinois vs. clemSON
Illinois Game Preview
Tonight vs. clemSON
6:30 pm @ The Yard (a new Illini bar)
Let me know if you'll be there.
Illinois is 6-0, and the IGP is back in business. Did you miss me?
DJ Hi-Tech
We are going hi-tech this year. I am replacing the weekly emails with a blog format that will allow you to share the articles with your friends more easily and to comment on my asinine or spot-on analysis of the upcoming game.
Hey, you founds us (http://www.netters-igp.blogspot.com/). Click the "follow this blog" link and sign up for an account. I am still learning the site; but if you sign up, you should be notified via email when a new blog is posted. I will continue to send out an IGP email until January to give you a chance to get used to the new format.
Da Coach
Bruce Weber is in his sixth season as head coach of the Illini basketball program. Last year was the first time in 10 seasons that the we failed to make the NCAA tournament. Some Illini fans are beginning to wonder if Weber can lead us back to the Final Four. Those fans are wrong. And to show you how wrong they are, I am willing to make the boldest prediction in the history of the IGP: The University of Illinois Men's Basketball Team will return to the Final Four in the 2010-2011 season. Why such a prediction? Three reasons:
1. Coach tells it like it is. Weber cuts to the quick with his players like no other coach in college basketball. Last year, Spitzer and I attended the Kentucky-Wesleyan game and sat in the second row behind the Illini bench. During the first possession of the second half, Shaun Pruitt caught the ball in the high post, took one dribble, and put up a brick. Pruitt was promptly benched and on his way to the sideline he said, "Coach, that was a good shot." "No. That was a turnover," Weber snorted.
Another example occurred over the summer when Calvin Brock's locker was cleared out by the coaching staff. It was a motivational tactic telling Brock to work harder over the summer or don't expect a spot on the team. Weber gets the most out of his players by telling them what they need to hear.
2. Recruits. Our next 2.5 recruiting classes are stacked. Starting this December 20th, hot-shot Kentucky transfer Alex Legion will join the team and bring some much needed firepower to the offense. In 2009, three highly touted guards will come to Champaign with dreams of being the next Dee, Deron, and Luther. Brandon Paul, DJ Richardson, and Joseph Bertrand will become household names along with forward Tyler Griffey. For 2011, two top twenty recruits will compete for starting spots immediately and fill out the roster on our next Final Four season. Jereme Richmond is a 6'6" forward from Waukegan, and Crandall Head (Luther's bro) is a 6'3" hi flyer ready to pick up where his brother left off.
3. A dream. The Chief and Lou Henson visited my dreams and told me that it would be so.
Do you think it's possible? Let me know in the comments section of the http://www.netters-igp.blogspot.com/
Big10 - ACC Challenge
The Big10 is 0-9 since the challenge's inception in 1998, and only one Big10 team has a winning record - MSU (5-3). The Illini is looking to push its record to 4-6 in the challenge tonight against Clemson. The signatures of this year's Illini are tough defense and quick ball movement. The Illini are ranked 22nd nationally in scoring defense (56.2 ppg) and 9th in total assists (19.2 apg - assists on 75% of baskets).
The defense will have to be on point because Clemson is shooting 49% from the field and averaging 81 PPG. Forward Trevor Booker (6'7") and Guard Terrence Oglesby (6'2") are the Tigers' top scorers averaging 14 points apiece. Clemson has yet to face a decent Division I basketball team this year, so I expect us to capitalize on a few turnovers early.
Let's keep our undefeated schedule intact.
Illinois - 68
Clemson -62
Sincerely,
Jerrance's Extra Padding
Tonight vs. clemSON
6:30 pm @ The Yard (a new Illini bar)
Let me know if you'll be there.
Illinois is 6-0, and the IGP is back in business. Did you miss me?
DJ Hi-Tech
We are going hi-tech this year. I am replacing the weekly emails with a blog format that will allow you to share the articles with your friends more easily and to comment on my asinine or spot-on analysis of the upcoming game.
Hey, you founds us (http://www.netters-igp.blogspot.com/). Click the "follow this blog" link and sign up for an account. I am still learning the site; but if you sign up, you should be notified via email when a new blog is posted. I will continue to send out an IGP email until January to give you a chance to get used to the new format.
Da Coach
Bruce Weber is in his sixth season as head coach of the Illini basketball program. Last year was the first time in 10 seasons that the we failed to make the NCAA tournament. Some Illini fans are beginning to wonder if Weber can lead us back to the Final Four. Those fans are wrong. And to show you how wrong they are, I am willing to make the boldest prediction in the history of the IGP: The University of Illinois Men's Basketball Team will return to the Final Four in the 2010-2011 season. Why such a prediction? Three reasons:
1. Coach tells it like it is. Weber cuts to the quick with his players like no other coach in college basketball. Last year, Spitzer and I attended the Kentucky-Wesleyan game and sat in the second row behind the Illini bench. During the first possession of the second half, Shaun Pruitt caught the ball in the high post, took one dribble, and put up a brick. Pruitt was promptly benched and on his way to the sideline he said, "Coach, that was a good shot." "No. That was a turnover," Weber snorted.
Another example occurred over the summer when Calvin Brock's locker was cleared out by the coaching staff. It was a motivational tactic telling Brock to work harder over the summer or don't expect a spot on the team. Weber gets the most out of his players by telling them what they need to hear.
2. Recruits. Our next 2.5 recruiting classes are stacked. Starting this December 20th, hot-shot Kentucky transfer Alex Legion will join the team and bring some much needed firepower to the offense. In 2009, three highly touted guards will come to Champaign with dreams of being the next Dee, Deron, and Luther. Brandon Paul, DJ Richardson, and Joseph Bertrand will become household names along with forward Tyler Griffey. For 2011, two top twenty recruits will compete for starting spots immediately and fill out the roster on our next Final Four season. Jereme Richmond is a 6'6" forward from Waukegan, and Crandall Head (Luther's bro) is a 6'3" hi flyer ready to pick up where his brother left off.
3. A dream. The Chief and Lou Henson visited my dreams and told me that it would be so.
Do you think it's possible? Let me know in the comments section of the http://www.netters-igp.blogspot.com/
Big10 - ACC Challenge
The Big10 is 0-9 since the challenge's inception in 1998, and only one Big10 team has a winning record - MSU (5-3). The Illini is looking to push its record to 4-6 in the challenge tonight against Clemson. The signatures of this year's Illini are tough defense and quick ball movement. The Illini are ranked 22nd nationally in scoring defense (56.2 ppg) and 9th in total assists (19.2 apg - assists on 75% of baskets).
The defense will have to be on point because Clemson is shooting 49% from the field and averaging 81 PPG. Forward Trevor Booker (6'7") and Guard Terrence Oglesby (6'2") are the Tigers' top scorers averaging 14 points apiece. Clemson has yet to face a decent Division I basketball team this year, so I expect us to capitalize on a few turnovers early.
Let's keep our undefeated schedule intact.
Illinois - 68
Clemson -62
Sincerely,
Jerrance's Extra Padding
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