Thursday, February 03, 2005
How good are the Illini?
Following the win over Michigan State, Illini Wonk published a post on the praise their win drew from pundits from all over the college basketball world. With the question of who's the best team in the country answered, the questions now turn to "just how good are they?"
When putting the Fighting Illini at the top of their Power 16, ESPN.com included the following notes: Not much more you can say. Have answered every challenge and rarely been challenged. We're starting to dust off the Unbeaten Watch. All seven ESPN experts listed Illinois #1 and several had comments on the Illini.
Jay Bilas wrote: Any doubt, now? Illinois is the best team. I am now on a crusade to get James Augustine the pub he deserves. He could start for any team in the country, and he is a really good player. I love watching the Illini play.
Pat Forde said OK, I'm softening my stance against Illinois' chances for an undefeated run. Twelve straight made shots against Michigan State? Take that, Izzone. And take that, everyone else. The Illini look more impressive every time out.
But the best quote came from Andy Glockner: Honestly, it's gotten to the point where I probably wouldn't drop Illinois if it lost a game. Illini have answered every challenge in emphatic fashion.
Mark Tupper takes a look at the rest of the Illinois season and true to his promise, predicts eight more wins and an undefeated finish to the regular season. (On his blog, Tupper talks about some phone conversations between he and Dick Vitale and Digger Phelps and Bruce Weber. Digger once again proved how out of touch with reality he is).
Marlen Garcia of the Chicago Tribune metions the elephant in the living room, by pointing out here that many of the remaining Big Ten teams that the Illini will face are losing their stars. Bracy Wright sprained his ankle and is unlikely to play against Illinois on Sunday. Michigan star Daniel Horton is facing domestic abuse charges and will not be facing the Illini on Tuesday. Finally, Iowa star Pierre Pierce has been dismissed from the Iowa basketball team in the midst of his own investigation.
Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl predicts an Illinois win if they were to matchup with North Carolina. He bases his prediction on UNC's lack of a win against a quality opponent in an unfriendly environment and the fewer mistakes made by the Illini. He also says that the jury's still out on Weber as a recruiter at Illinois. Mike DeCourcy agrees with Illini Wonk when he writes that Illinois already has Big Ten wrapped up.
John Supinie writes here in the Peoria Journal-Star that Illinois' impressive wins against Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan State erased any concerns that surfaced earlier in the month. Part of the reason for their improved play is the hot shooting from Deron Williams, who is profiled by Garcia here. According to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Illini are shooting back into a groove and Chicago Sun-Times sport-writer Herb Gould ways the Illini are playing with confidence.
Illinois is playing well and seems to be getting better every game. If they keep up this pace, Stephen Bardo might have a hard time convincing anyone that the 1998-89 Flyin' Illini were the best team in school history.
UPDATE: It seems everyone these days has an opinion on whether or not Illinois will finish the regular season undefeated. Today it was the Boston's Globe's Mark Blaudschun who writes about both Illinois and Boston College here. Here's a flavor: Can either or both make it through the regular season unbeaten? The guess here is that they can't, but in looking at their schedules, Illinois would seem to have a better chance. But if either Illinois or BC pulls it off, it would rank as one of the more remarkable achievements in college basketball history, especially for BC, which was nowhere in sight in preseason rankings.
posted by Illiniwonk at 9:46 PM
When putting the Fighting Illini at the top of their Power 16, ESPN.com included the following notes: Not much more you can say. Have answered every challenge and rarely been challenged. We're starting to dust off the Unbeaten Watch. All seven ESPN experts listed Illinois #1 and several had comments on the Illini.
Jay Bilas wrote: Any doubt, now? Illinois is the best team. I am now on a crusade to get James Augustine the pub he deserves. He could start for any team in the country, and he is a really good player. I love watching the Illini play.
Pat Forde said OK, I'm softening my stance against Illinois' chances for an undefeated run. Twelve straight made shots against Michigan State? Take that, Izzone. And take that, everyone else. The Illini look more impressive every time out.
But the best quote came from Andy Glockner: Honestly, it's gotten to the point where I probably wouldn't drop Illinois if it lost a game. Illini have answered every challenge in emphatic fashion.
Mark Tupper takes a look at the rest of the Illinois season and true to his promise, predicts eight more wins and an undefeated finish to the regular season. (On his blog, Tupper talks about some phone conversations between he and Dick Vitale and Digger Phelps and Bruce Weber. Digger once again proved how out of touch with reality he is).
Marlen Garcia of the Chicago Tribune metions the elephant in the living room, by pointing out here that many of the remaining Big Ten teams that the Illini will face are losing their stars. Bracy Wright sprained his ankle and is unlikely to play against Illinois on Sunday. Michigan star Daniel Horton is facing domestic abuse charges and will not be facing the Illini on Tuesday. Finally, Iowa star Pierre Pierce has been dismissed from the Iowa basketball team in the midst of his own investigation.
Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl predicts an Illinois win if they were to matchup with North Carolina. He bases his prediction on UNC's lack of a win against a quality opponent in an unfriendly environment and the fewer mistakes made by the Illini. He also says that the jury's still out on Weber as a recruiter at Illinois. Mike DeCourcy agrees with Illini Wonk when he writes that Illinois already has Big Ten wrapped up.
John Supinie writes here in the Peoria Journal-Star that Illinois' impressive wins against Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan State erased any concerns that surfaced earlier in the month. Part of the reason for their improved play is the hot shooting from Deron Williams, who is profiled by Garcia here. According to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Illini are shooting back into a groove and Chicago Sun-Times sport-writer Herb Gould ways the Illini are playing with confidence.
Illinois is playing well and seems to be getting better every game. If they keep up this pace, Stephen Bardo might have a hard time convincing anyone that the 1998-89 Flyin' Illini were the best team in school history.
UPDATE: It seems everyone these days has an opinion on whether or not Illinois will finish the regular season undefeated. Today it was the Boston's Globe's Mark Blaudschun who writes about both Illinois and Boston College here. Here's a flavor: Can either or both make it through the regular season unbeaten? The guess here is that they can't, but in looking at their schedules, Illinois would seem to have a better chance. But if either Illinois or BC pulls it off, it would rank as one of the more remarkable achievements in college basketball history, especially for BC, which was nowhere in sight in preseason rankings.
posted by Illiniwonk at 9:46 PM
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The funny thing about Digger's comment is he doesn't take into consideration just WHO his mythical players are.
His comment that he can beat the Illini using a 1-3-1 seems to imply that he would win using any 5 stiffs. That is the ultimate slap in the fce to IL. I suppose the IL team wouldn't even make it out of their locker room for their fear of facing a Phelps coached team.
If he had a team that was dominate inside but a weak guard tandem, Head-Williams-Brown would chew his players up on both halves of the court. Brown & co would have fast break layups off of steals nearly every possession. If his so called team was strong up front but weak down in the paint then Auggie and Powell would have 25 points each. And the guard trio would have 20 assists or more.
His comment that he can beat the Illini using a 1-3-1 seems to imply that he would win using any 5 stiffs. That is the ultimate slap in the fce to IL. I suppose the IL team wouldn't even make it out of their locker room for their fear of facing a Phelps coached team.
If he had a team that was dominate inside but a weak guard tandem, Head-Williams-Brown would chew his players up on both halves of the court. Brown & co would have fast break layups off of steals nearly every possession. If his so called team was strong up front but weak down in the paint then Auggie and Powell would have 25 points each. And the guard trio would have 20 assists or more.
moe & wpr,
Both great points. Illini Wonk has been developing some overall thoughts on this team and one of the biggest ones is their lack of lapses which always seemed to characterize Illinois teams in the past.
As for Digger, the guy just keeps digging himself deeper & deeper in the hole with Illini fans. If he truly believes that all it would take to stop this year's team is him coaching anyone in a 1-3-1 zone then the only conclusion we can draw is that he hasn't watched this team play. Illini Wonk hopes that he keeps dissing this team and this team keeps proving him wrong.
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Both great points. Illini Wonk has been developing some overall thoughts on this team and one of the biggest ones is their lack of lapses which always seemed to characterize Illinois teams in the past.
As for Digger, the guy just keeps digging himself deeper & deeper in the hole with Illini fans. If he truly believes that all it would take to stop this year's team is him coaching anyone in a 1-3-1 zone then the only conclusion we can draw is that he hasn't watched this team play. Illini Wonk hopes that he keeps dissing this team and this team keeps proving him wrong.
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