Wanna see a team that is improving?

burky247

burky247

Well-Known Member
And I mean actually improving. Not like the "Iowa is improving because they are doing a couple of things better even though their overall body of work is the same" improving.

Then look at the Illini. That is a team that is improving significantly as the year goes on. They have improved at every facet of their game.
 
burky247 said:
And I mean actually improving. Not like the "Iowa is improving because they are doing a couple of things better even though their overall body of work is the same" improving.

Then look at the Illini. That is a team that is improving significantly as the year goes on. They have improved at every facet of their game.
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It really is true.

Many on these boards have pointed out how dumb the Illini played, how they looked lost, how they would not turn into a tourney team.


So for them to play like this right now, they deserve the credit.

Great job by Coach Weber.
 
We almost beat them...that is all we ever say. We are young after 25 games. While other teams are beating upper division teams and competing for a berth in the NCAA we going for our worst record in 108 yeas.

WHEN are we actually going to beat some of these teams instead of always saying we almost beat them or we should of beat them.

We ARE what our record is...no more no less. Until we beat these other teams it means nothing, nothing at all to say we almost beat them or we should of beat them, because we didn't...it is as simple as that.

We are on our way to losing about 23 games this year. The only improvement we have made is that we no longer get our heads handed to us every game like we did at the beginning of the year. We are STILL losing every game other than to teams to are as bad as us and that isn't saying much is it.

Until we begin winning games I don't think we have much room to pat ourselves on the back or to get to excited about. This coach and team has a LOT to prove yet to turn this mess of a program around.
 
Illinois had 3 frosh on the floor at the same time for a while at the Kohl Center. This is why I don't buy the whole "young" excuse. The more accurate term would be "developed". Our players are not developing as fast as others in the league.

That is what terrifies me the most about Lick. Is this a case where it will take multiple years of development to achieve that one good season? Kind of like the Horner, Brunner years. Sure we made the tourney when they were juniors. But only by upseting MSU and Bowlsby being head of the committee did that even happen.

I just get the feeling that we will constantly be in developing mode. And that was what was so frustrating about the Alford era.
 
I have to eat my own words about Illinois. I was incredibly underwhelmed in the way they played against Iowa. They showed very low basketball IQ and I really thought they were a fluke. Well flukes don't take it to the Badgers in Madison. I could give to ****'s that Iowa played them close. Iowa plays everyone close and the style will always dictate this. Teams struggle to get into rhythms against Iowa because they have to spend 35 seconds on defense every single possession. But I digress, way to go Illini for making me eat my own words.
 
What scares me the most is that we will not even get the ''salad days'' of a group of players that are developed over 2-3 years. At least with Horner and Bru they did make the tourny the last two years...and won the BTT. I have doubts that Jarryd or Matt will ever get to two tournys...(Cole needs a miracle to do it) or carry a trophy off the floor at the BTT. Call me crazy but I still would take a 3 or 4 day run in the BTT as a pure thrill over winning one NCAA game and then losing. For one, you win 3 or 4 games in 3 or 4 days...that is fun stuff in a weekend. I know that the BTT weekend in 2001 and 2006 were better than the typical hawk NCAA weekend of beating a decent team on Friday only to lose on Sunday...just me. I love conference tournys.
 
burky247 said:
And I mean actually improving. Not like the "Iowa is improving because they are doing a couple of things better even though their overall body of work is the same" improving.

Then look at the Illini. That is a team that is improving significantly as the year goes on. They have improved at every facet of their game.
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Troof
 
burky247 said:
Illinois had 3 frosh on the floor at the same time for a while at the Kohl Center. This is why I don't buy the whole "young" excuse. The more accurate term would be "developed". Our players are not developing as fast as others in the league.

That is what terrifies me the most about Lick. Is this a case where it will take multiple years of development to achieve that one good season? Kind of like the Horner, Brunner years. Sure we made the tourney when they were juniors. But only by upseting MSU and Bowlsby being head of the committee did that even happen.

I just get the feeling that we will constantly be in developing mode. And that was what was so frustrating about the Alford era.
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I have thought this (or strongly suspected) all along during the Lickliter era - that there is simply such a difference in talent between our freshmen and Illinois' freshmen, not to mention most of the other freshmen in the league.

Is Bruce Weber really THAT much better of a coach and teacher than Lickliter, or is it simply a case where more talented players develop quicker? Looking at Illinois' past recruiting classes, and compare to ours, maybe the star-rankings DO mean something.

When we are recruiting 2-3 star players, and alot of other teams are getting 4-star players or better, I hear so many people saying that stars don't matter. Yet, I am sure those same people would be ecstatic if we reeled in a class made up of nothing but 4-star players.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
I have thought this (or strongly suspected) all along during the Lickliter era - that there is simply such a difference in talent between our freshmen and Illinois' freshmen, not to mention most of the other freshmen in the league.

Is Bruce Weber really THAT much better of a coach and teacher than Lickliter, or is it simply a case where more talented players develop quicker? Looking at Illinois' past recruiting classes, and compare to ours, maybe the star-rankings DO mean something.

When we are recruiting 2-3 star players, and alot of other teams are getting 4-star players or better, I hear so many people saying that stars don't matter. Yet, I am sure those same people would be ecstatic if we reeled in a class made up of nothing but 4-star players.
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Stars mean a lot in basketball recruiting. Its not as hard to get a sure thing in bball as opposed to football. If you can play offense you can play offense. The step up in D from HS to college is pretty big but coaches can teach D.

I am not a fan of finding "under the radar" guys from high school. Now if you can find a good JUCO go get him, but I don't know many JUCO guys interested in playing pre-3 point, pre-shot clock era offense like Iowa does right now...so most JUCO's probably are not interested...
 
clicheusername3 said:
Now if you can find a good JUCO go get him, but I don't know many JUCO guys interested in playing pre-3 point, pre-shot clock era offense like Iowa does right now...so most JUCO's probably are not interested...
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Isn't the biggest gripe about this team is that it relies TOO heavily on the 3 point shot?
 
The talent and athleticism gap between the Illini's freshmen and Iowa's is huge. May and possibly Fuller are the only Hawkeye players that would be in the Illini rotation.
 
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