I never imagined Illinois would beat Michigan State by 10 Thursday night and afterward I would find myself feeling less certain about their Big Ten Conference championship hopes than before the game began. That said, I’m trying to keep in mind that this was one game and — good or bad — we can’t assume a continuing trend will weave through the next six or seven games.
Dee Brown was off-the-charts incredible. I can’t ever remember one player throwing in so many difficult shots, most of which seemed to come with the shot clock slipping away and Illinois in deep trouble. Those were spirit-breaking shots and after he hit one of his seven 3s, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo just stood with his hands on his hips, looking hopelessly frustrated because the defense against Dee Brown wasn’t all that bad.
But the rest of the Illini offense was terrible. James Augustine never got going and had as many turnovers (7) as points. Frankly, he was outplayed by Matt Trannon, wo is better known as a football player. Illinois got zippo from Marcus Arnold, Warren Carter and Jamar Smith. Until Rich McBride hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds to go, I’d have to say the best offensive player was Shaun Pruitt, simply because he was willing to wheel the ball inside with authority.
Illinois can’t win the Big Ten title playing that way on offense. Maybe that’s too obvious a statement. The good news is that Illinois probably won’t continue playing that way on offense. Brown won’t be that great and his suporting cast won’t be that bad. That seems a safe bet.
By the way, that was Bruce Weber’s first technical foul at Illinois. The last one he got was in Sweden on the summer tour when a ref told him he didn’t understand English. Bruce should have yelled in Swedish.
I thought it was a silly technical because what Weber said (to referee J.D. Collins) was “He traveled when he trapped and he traveled when he caught it.” That’s it. He was talking about a play by MSU point guard Drew Neitzel. And then Weber nearly got a second technical from Ted Valentine when he pleaded his case. “Don’t yell at me,” Valentine yelled back.
Fortunately, the two free throws Michigan State got as a result of the technical did not matter. I’ll bet Weber was thinking about it at the time, because you’d hate to lose a one-pointer and look back on that moment, regardless of whether he deserved the call or not.
Now it’s on to Iowa, which lost Thursday night. It’s going to be tough there. I’m assuming the offense will be more balanced. Illinois will need to keep up its defensive intensity. Brian Randle was a load guarding Maurice Ager and he’ll play a key role Saturday.
Despite what faults I found with the offense, Illinois is 1-0 and owns a victory over one of the three teams I think has the best chance at the championship. That seems good enough for now.
Mark Tupper can be reached at mtupper@herald-review.com or at 421-7983.
January 6th, 2006 at 12:11 am
I can’t disagree with our lack of “O” except for Dee who was just amazing.
The real puzzler was why Auggie was having such trouble on the offensive end especially with traveling. Also why did Jamar disappear.
At least Auggie had a good rebounding and D game.
MIA’s were Smith, Arnold, Carter and to a point Randle but he played great D.
McBride and Frazier I thought put in solid minutes and each had very key 3 ptrs.
I just hope they can get the O and the motion figured out pretty soon.
By the way Tup, Has your opinion of Dee’s chances in the NBA changed after tonite or the past few games?
January 6th, 2006 at 12:23 am
Hey Tupp-
Any chance that the muted offensensive performance had something to do with MSU being a really good team? To take an example, go back and watch how hard they guarded Jamar when he was in the game. They had us scouted well, played great defense, and it took the performance of a lifetime by Dee Brown to get us out with a W.
Shouldn’t raise red flags about the offense - should just show that MSU is a good team.
And enough with the Augustine bashing! His defense was phenomenal (with only 2 fouls), he rebounded well, and his hustle led to create loose ball situations, and turnovers for Michigan St. I’d say what Augie didn’t do offensively he more than made up for on Paul Davis.
You should come away from that game with far more positives than negatives. Had an off-night offensively and still beat a very good team by 10. ‘Nuff said.
January 6th, 2006 at 12:27 am
I’m excited to have won, but I agree with the discomforted feeling. Sure, this was about the margin of victory I expected, although the score was much lower than I anticipated. But it seems like our offense just isn’t looking very fluid. Our effective field goal percentage (counting a three as a basket and a half) was actually somewhat over 50% for the game, which is the kind of number that wins conference crowns, but I’m uncomfortable with how many of those points came on Dee’s unbelievable circus shots. I’ve never seen a player who could hit HORSE shots with more consistency, but I still wouldn’t stake our offense on him shooting like that again.
All in all, we just weren’t as aggressive as I would’ve liked. I loved seeing Frazier in there because of how he attacks defenses and flies around without fouling or turning the ball over. He impresses me more and more each time I see him. But the other players were generally unable to get any rhythm to our attack, and Augustine had a nightmare game for turnovers. Our offense will get better after another game or two as we get used to the physical nature of Big Ten play, but in the meantime we’d better be prepared for an ugly game on Saturday– Iowa has had arguably the best defense in the country this year.
Our defense was outstanding, though. Sure, the pace of the game was slow (~57 possessions where you’d expect ~70 in a typical game) but it’s nonetheless an incredible feat to hold a team over thirty (!) points below their season average. MSU has as impressive an offense as I’ve seen this year, yet we managed to hold them to about 40% effective shooting. That means we turned one of the top three or four offenses in the country into last year’s Penn State team for a night! The way we denied the post and contested every jumper, I have a hard time seeing anyone scoring much on us this year. It’s just a matter of kicking our offense into gear.
Really, it’s easy to come away unimpressed by a game like this when we should actually be very excited. When watching games, we tend to give more of the credit for plays made to the offense, which means strong defensive teams can look much worse than strong offensive teams even when they’re equally good. That’s one reason why many outside observers thought MSU would win the game tonight, and why they continue to pick MSU to win the league even though Illinois has clearly been more impressive this season. So let’s enjoy the victory! Lord knows we’ll have a game on our hands on Saturday. Go Illini!!!
January 6th, 2006 at 12:56 am
I’m thrilled this game didn’t develop into what I had thought it would.
While it’s obvious that Illinois doesn’t have an o like last year, Illinois o wasn’t as horrible as some folks think it was. Mich St played some excellent defense. They scouted the Illini extremely well and it was Dee Brown with the extra intangibles and a little luck that made the difference. That aspect of it reminded me a little of the Mich St game years ago when Kruger was here. We played there one year where Mateen Cleaves hit a basket everytime he just looked at the hoop. We had everyone else shut down but Cleaves played like Jordan that one day much like Brown tonight.
This game will be a good one to remind the players the rest of the season how important defense is. Not that they need reminding as they’ve done well with it thus far but I’m sure there’s going to be more work on o through the season so if some of the younger players start forgetting, he can certainly point to it to remind them.
Now on to Iowa and god help us that we didn’t burn up too much emotion and energy. I was a little worried seeing Brown limping at one point in the 2nd half. Don’t know what it was about but hope it’s temporary.
Go Illini! Best defensive performance on the whole I’ve seen from them in many years.
January 6th, 2006 at 1:09 am
First comment. I hope that JD and TV have that level of guts when they travel to Madison. Boot Bobby Ryan out of a game and it will do wonders for the Big Ten.
January 6th, 2006 at 1:55 am
Mark, you always struck me as a glass half full kind of guy… I look at it this way, does MSU or Illinois’ team have more room to improve between now and the conference ending game in East Lansing? I say Illinois without question. We beat a very good team on a night of very mixed performances, and those nights happened even last year. The defense was simply phenomenal, and we outrebounded Michigan State, which is a nice feather for the cap as well.
This game will give Weber a lot to work with that he hasn’t had from the last couple games. I think the team was coming along ahead of schedule, and also ahead of the schedule. I think if they had had a top quality non conference game in the last couple, they could have been sharper tonight, but i’m not complaining - just saying that tonight’s game should provide the next stepping stone for improvement.
Thanks Dee, that was awesome!
-ADD
January 6th, 2006 at 4:13 am
Yep, the offense sucked other than Dee. A lot of his shots were off balance but still went in. Good thing too. Lets forget about the others offensive lack of output and hope it all comes back at Iowa. Both teams played outstanding defense. One last thing, because I know I can’t get fined or suspended……….that was the worse officiated game I have seen in a long long time. Wellmer, Collins and Valentine sucked. I guess they had an off night too.
January 6th, 2006 at 6:29 am
Tupps, exactly what I saw last night. Seems to be the blueprint for this team, great defense, stand around and watch Dee Brown. We looked like we did the first ten games of the season. Exactly what you said, pass, pass, pass, and give it to Dee with the shot clock running down. Looked like they didn’t know what to do with it, so the only purpose they had with the ball was to get rid of it and not turn it over. Someone needs to start to dribble penetrate. It seemed that in a big game like this, people were nervous and afraid to attempt anything. They became very tentative. Lets hope they loosen up a bit and get some offensive swagger. How they respond to this offensively will be important. Will they become more tentative or not.
I love Brian Randles defense and rebounding, but they simply did not guard him last night putting more pressure on the other 4 on offense. What are you going to do, can’t live without him. He may have been the difference with his job on Ager.
I am liking Chester Frasier more and more with his ball handling and quickness. I can’t remember the last time he had a turnover. Solid minutes in relief of Dee, except then the one person offense was off the floor.
I know Tom Izzo respects and likes Coach Weber, and his halftime interview on TV was pure praise for Dee, and he admitted that “both coaches weren’t happy about the technical”. He is a class act, and second best coach in the big10.
All in all a GREAT win. I am still punch drunk on the orange koolaid. Watch out for Iowa. A win on Saturday would be a GREAT road win. I will be watching.
January 6th, 2006 at 7:25 am
I think the offensive concerns are very justified. If Michigan St scouted us then we certainly should have scouted there defense as well. So far the motion offense looks like a whole lot of motion and no OFFENSE. In other words a plan of attack. I agree that Shaun Pruit needs to get the ball more he seems hell bent on going to the rim. As I will continue to say until I die if we had a small forward who could put it on the floor and go to the rim this thing would be light years better (I have given up on a small forward who can stick a jumper.)
January 6th, 2006 at 7:47 am
I heard someone thought Dee might not be good enough for the NBA. But, for one night at least, the NBA probably wasn’t good enough for him. The rest of the team will improve as time passes.
January 6th, 2006 at 7:58 am
Tupps, you are right on the money. I love Auggie but that was one of his worst games offenseively. We can’t afford that this year. If we play that way Saturday we are going to get beat bad. I do not think Smith will get shut out that often but he looked scared for the first time. Michigan State couldn’t throw it in the ocean last night but someone’s going too. Mcbride, Frazier,Smith and Auggie have to show up every night if we are going to get better. I was sitting at home watching the second half praying for the clock to run out before they caught us. I’ll take it. But still I have so many questions.
January 6th, 2006 at 8:23 am
Come on, gang…STOP WHINING!! I know it looked bad sometimes on offense, but isn’t that one of the reasons Coach decided to push defense and rebounding at the beginning of the season?? It sure paid off big time last night. 30 points BELOW their average!! You do that consistently and you’ll win, no doubt about it. I think we can give the bigs one offensely bad game, ok? Let’s give Tom Izzo and MSU some credit. They had us down very well scoutingwise and the last time I checked they were the FAVORITE to win the league and are considered a top ten, if not top FIVE team in the nation. Did ya think they were gonna lie down and let us do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted? These guys weren’t Tennessee-Martin ya know. Ringo Starr said it best about the league this year.. “Ya know it don’t come easy”. It’s interesting that Chet played like a veteran and Jamar kinda seemed lost. Ah, being a freshman in the Big Ten. Ain’t nuthin’ like it in the world, is it kids? Just wait until ya do it on the road! You’ll actually FEEL the hatred when ya step onto that crummy floor in Carver Hawkeye Arena! I love being hated by those people, don’t you? No love loss there!! As for Dee Brown….I can’t begin to tell ya how many times my son, best friend and I just looked at each other in disbelief and shook our heads. The best performance by one Illini since Dave Downey went off for 50+ WAY back in the dark ages. WOW!! My worry: Is the tank gonna be empty when the second half is winding down Saturday for him? He left it ALL out there gang…. ALL of it! Big shot by Rich to put an end to the craziness..really BIG!! I also thought Shaun put in a bucket or two at the end to help us out. You can complain about lack scoring from the others, but that’s one dimensional thinking. Look at the job they did on the boards, blocked shots, assists and their defense and you can see they had a better game than ya think. Basketball is NOT all offense. That said, we do need work, but that’s why teams have coaches. And if I trust anyone to get this team to improve, it’s Bruce Weber folks. so don’t panic yet. I love this team’s fire. Great thing about the league…there is always another game to look forward to and getting the kinks out. On to Iowa City and another big challenge. We’ll be ready, right Sparty??
January 6th, 2006 at 8:30 am
Sparty boy - How about them apples!
Great, Great, Great defensive effort by the Illini! What a game by Dee, what a defensive game by Randle and the whole team.
Areas that need improving? I was disappointed in the offensive output of the bigs and everyone but Dee. Dee can’t carry us through the B10. But thats what is so impressive about this team, one night it’s Augie, one night it’s Jamar, one night it’s Rich, one night it’s Dee. Who do you stop to beat this team? McBride had a big 3 at the end that really put the last nail in the coffin.
You have to give Michigan State some credit, they played tremendous defense too. They just didn’t have the Dee factor!
Watch Iowa, HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!!
Would somebody make another batch of that orange coolaid for Saturday?
Go ILLINI
January 6th, 2006 at 8:31 am
Forgot to add that I too thought the officiating was horrid both ways! Luckily it didn’t cost us the game….
January 6th, 2006 at 8:36 am
Yes, the offense wasn’t very good; we needed to be more aggressive in going to the basket. But I’m with those who attribute most of that to MSU’s defense. This was the best D Illinois has seen so far, just as Illinois’s was the best MSU has seen. And we won anyway. We have a leg up in the Big Ten race, at least on one contender.
Iowa will be tough, but our lads can do it.
Oskee wow wow! Hail to the Chief!
January 6th, 2006 at 8:45 am
That technical was ridiculous. Give me a break. If that’s all it takes to get a technical this year, then all the coaches in the NCAA are in deep trouble. Weber couldn’t say so in the interviews, but you could read between the lines.
The offense really improved the ball passing in the second half, dishing it into the post much better. Well, even in the first half, Augie had 5 scoring opportunities and just turned it over. He’s allowed one off night per season, and this was it.
How about that gutsy ally-oop play with 1 second left on the shot clock?
I wonder if the post players just weren’t used to playing really great post players, Big Ten Style… I’ve complained about our lack of effort to get the ball in the post before, and it burned us last night. MSU’s defense was just awesome, and little bumps probably assisted in Augie’s multiple traveling.
When we weren’t just standing around watching Dee (can anyone say deer-in-headlight Jamar Smith?), they still kept up with our motion. It was a defensive clinic on both ends, especially Illinois’… I’m in awe of Randle and Macbride’s defensive shut-down.
But ultimately, this is why both coaches were irritated with this game coming first in the BT season. They need some time to get adjusted to the noise, the intensity, the physical nature, and the refs in Big Ten play. Hopefully after Iowa’s game, we’ll have all the adjustment we need.
Iowa will be hungry, and it’s a tough place to win, but I still like Illinois’ chances. Expect them to come out and double team Dee, which will provide scoring opportunities for Augie (pick and roll, baby) and company.
January 6th, 2006 at 8:55 am
Has anybody seen Spartyrules today? I would love to here his opinion of last night’s game.
January 6th, 2006 at 9:09 am
Couldn’t see the game last night. I did find the following interesting, however:
Maurice Ager quoted in the Lansing State Journal on Thursday morning concerning the 30- and 24-point batterings the Spartans suffered in his two previous visits to The Hall in 2003 and 2004:
“As far as I remember,” Ager said, “dumb turnovers by us led to all their baskets.”
Maurice Ager quoted on the CBS Sportsline wire report compilation after last night’s game:
“A lot of times we played right into their hands,” said Ager, who was 3-of-8 from the field. “I feel if I would have played halfway decent we would have come out with the victory.”
I contrast this with Ager’s equivalent on the Illini, Dee Brown. Had Brown been on the losing end of a performance in which Ager shot the lights out Dee would simply say: “We got schooled. They pressured us into submission. We need to improve.”
Had Dee been on the losing end of the two previous bludgeonings that the Spartans endured in Champaign he would have been honest enough to note that the opposing defense created those turnovers and that the opposing offense demoralized the visitors to the extent that they collapsed. And that, frankly, the winners were simply much, much better on those evenings.
But not Maurice. The real reason for MSU’s losses from his POV appears to be that the Spartans were just sloppy, or bored, or distracted, or not in the mood to win.
Seems to me that both last season and this one the Spartans have had an abundance of both talent and inconsistency. Perhaps Ager’s attitude of denial contributes to this. Doesn’t mean they won’t be competitive in March. Does mean that they seem to have less capacity for improvement as the season progresses than do the the Illini.
Does anyone else notice that Tom Izzo (an outstanding coach and admirable man) has spent a lot of time bemoaning to reporters his teams’ lack of effort in crucial games?
So… while the Illini ex-Dee may have ridden Brown last night, I’m optimistic that they will develop a balanced effort, though it may take a couple losses suffered after standing around waiting for Dee to bail them out.
Not too different from Frank Williams-led Illini teams under Bill Self. Except that back then no one ever stepped up and helped him, even in March. Coach Weber appears to have superior powers of motivation.
Beat Iowa!
January 6th, 2006 at 9:24 am
As I was sitting in my living room last night drinking my orange kool-aid and cheering loud for the Illini, I could already see the posts that would come after last nights game. We staunch Illini fans have a tendancy to be overly critical and not enjoy and celebrate the victories that we get instead of worrying about the losses that might come. Augie had an off night, we couldn’t buy a lay-up, so Dee strapped us to his back and carried us over the hill. Well kids, Dee brown is an All American with a huge heart! Maybe some of you haven’t seen Duke or Gonzaga play this year when Redick or Morrrison puts up 40 points. Like those guys, Dee loves the challenge and will take it on when needed. Weber will work on getting others involved (remember we have the best coach in D1) so don’t sweat that.
I’m getting ready to head toward Iowa City for tomorrows showdown, hope to see many of you in the house!
January 6th, 2006 at 9:25 am
# 2 Erik, #4 Jim, and #6 attention deficit (funny funny name)saw the game I saw. A very good MState defense threw our relatively inexperienced offense off, but our guys not only won, they won big. I bet they learned TONS from that game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Weber that intense at a game before, not even at the finals last year. It’s hard to say who willed the team to that win the hardest, but when you add Downtown Dee Brown to Weber that intensity was off any chart ever created. What a great night. Go Illini!
January 6th, 2006 at 9:41 am
Mark,
Any truth to the rumor that Izzo looked across the court and asked Weber why the refs gave him a ‘T’?
I’m not as worried about the offense, because I’m convinced that this was a one time deal — a career night for Dee Brown. This TEAM is too good to begin a trend of counting on him for all of the scoring.
January 6th, 2006 at 9:41 am
FIRST BIG TEN GAME FELLA’S
Remember we have youth and youth takes time to adjust to the physical play and speed in the Big 10. Anybody remember Rich McBride “hitting a wall” his freshman year when the Big 10 season started.
The guy that knew how to handle it DID! and did a little teaching as he went.
Consider this - Now the national media will drone on and on about “stopping Dee Brown to beat the Illini” Our opponents probably agree so will prepare to stop Dee Brown. I seem to remember that we have 4 or 5 guys that can hang 20 points on you any given night, especially if their guy is off double-teaming Dee.
Breath people - and take them one at at time.
Mark, you especially surprised me on this.
January 6th, 2006 at 9:41 am
Re: Auggie’s Offense
MSU’s big men, especially Trannnon, were low-bridging our big men all night. They’ve been doing this for years, and do it better and get away with it more than any team (Wisconsin being close 2nd).
It starts with a bump at the knees and goes up to the hips, and it was really bothering James. It think the refs actually called the knee-bump foul on one of the MSU guards, which is rare, but not Trannon. This is something the Illini just need to deal with.
The low-bridge seemed to affect James, Carter, and even Arnold; Pruitt, not as much.
January 6th, 2006 at 9:43 am
….. also, I wish to add that we saw that best defense last night that we have or will see all year (Indiana may be close, we will have to see) and we will see it again the last conference game of the year in East Lansing.
January 6th, 2006 at 9:47 am
….. one more addition (sorry) as far as I am concerned, Brian Randal doesnt have to score another point all year if he can put the defensive clamps down on players the likes of Ager like he did last night.
Well done Brian!!!
January 6th, 2006 at 10:02 am
I echo the “nervousness” about the offense, but let’s see how things go on the road.
This comment will be repeated as this season continues:
to Ron Guenther: Retire that #11 hoops jersey on Senior Night!
it’s deserved.
January 6th, 2006 at 10:07 am
I don’t think I would be raising too many red flags yet. This game was this first true test of the new Illini team and they passed. Maybe not with flying colors, but they did pass. They went on the court against a vaunted offense and fellow 2005 Final Four team and the Illini simply put the clamps on them. Was the Illini offense questionable? Yep! Did the Spartans spit and sputter as well? Yep! That’s simply what happens when two well coached and talented teams meet.
Does the Illini offense need to improve? Yes, and games like this will help the younger players learn from their mistakes. And, a game like this can only motivate Augie get tougher under the basket and be more aggressive on the offensive end.
January 6th, 2006 at 10:12 am
What, no complaints about free throw shooting?
Yes, it was ugly, Dee aside. But we won. We overcame. Nobody plays well in every facet of the game every game.
No question the offense needs to be better. It looked somewhat like it did in the first 5 or 6 games, when the opposition was much weaker. Then the offense improved, as our guys figured out how to run motion. Last night we saw what it looks like against a really good D, and it was not pretty. But, as it has all season, it will continue to get better. One suggestion in that regard - one main problem is that it was not pass, pass, pass, give the ball to Dee. Its pass, hold, pass, hold, pass, hold, then give the ball to Dee. For motion to work, the ball has to keep moving, as do the players. They are getting it, but they don’t have it all yet. But the season is long, and the tourney not until March. Lets enjoy the ride in the mean time.
January 6th, 2006 at 10:38 am
Like I said before - This team is better than last year’s team!!
Watch the NBA - when McGrady - Kobe - or Iverson is making their 40 or 50 points it is natural that the rest of the team seems a bit lethargic - it was Dee’s night to practice his now obvious NEXT STEP! Illinois by 15 over Iowa!!
January 6th, 2006 at 10:49 am
I agree with you, Mark. It seemed other than Dee Brown (and Shaun Pruitt) that the rest of the Fighting Illini were not in the game. Tom (#1), people are picking up on Jamar Smith and what he can do, so you know Tom Izzo pointed that out to his team. Probably explains why I only saw him shoot just once all game. James Augustine did well defensively but offensively missed easy layups. Everyone was standing around because they did not want to break the rhythm Dee was in. Shaun showed some flashes of playing in the paint and Chester Frazier looked really good last night in relief for Dee.
My concern for last night’s lackluster performance is because it can carry over into Saturday’s game at Iowa. Although we beat Michigan State, this game at Iowa will not be a walk in the park considering they lost last night at Wisconsin so they are pretty mad right now. For Illinois to win, they must have more movement in the offense and more input from other players other than Dee. All in all, a quality win, pretty or ugly. Let’s see what happens Saturday.
January 6th, 2006 at 10:56 am
In the same way that the Illini caused MSU to shoot just 35% from the field, I believe Sparty scouted the Illini well, and disrupted much of our offensive efforts, especially in the paint.
When Dee came out smokin’, Coach changed the offense to feed him. That meant that we never really tried hard to establish other offense. Dee had us on his back - and carried us to a W.
I have no doubt that “Big Game Butterflies” affected the Illini - but that will settle down and we will become more rounded and confident.
What’s important to take away from last nights game is, we can defend a top 10 team, and we can find a way to win. That will build confidence for the team - which will make us better.
Last night was a win-win - I saw no downside at all. The Illini are a lot better than some writers think, and we’ll have room on the bandwagon for them this year, just like last year.
Go Illini !
January 6th, 2006 at 11:01 am
Randle’s defense was so good that I didn’t even notice him or Ager last night. I’m going to re-watch some of it tonight and keep an eye on them. I did notice the MSU defenders dared Randle to shoot. They gave him plenty of space. I wish he wouldn’t stand around in those instances. He could be so dangerous on the drive and dish. Give him a jumpshot and he would be absolutely potent.
I agree with the others who praised MSU’s defense. They’ve been lacking in that area this season, but they really clamped down last night. I noticed that they’d flash on screens to challenge the ball-handler. I can’t count how many times I saw Davis take a step toward Dee on a screen and roll, forcing Dee further from the basket. Much of the credit for Illinois’ offensive woes goes to the Spartans.
I’d like to think the hostile environment and the tenacity of the Illini D helped cause most of MSU’s unforced turnovers (of which there were many). And while that may be true, we’re going to have trouble on the road if we play like we did last night. If that game was in East Lansing, I think the Spartans wouldn’t have been so flustered. Never underestimate the power of the home court in the Big Ten.
Let’s not forget that early this season we had the problem of everyone standing around watching Dee. It may take a few conference games for the team to find their focus again. But I have no doubt whatsoever that this issue will be addressed by Weber. One thing the Illini have excelled at in the past three years has been adaptation. When something goes wrong, it gets fixed pronto even if a few remedial reminders are needed throughout the season.
January 6th, 2006 at 11:06 am
Tupps- You are going to catch hell over your thoughts, but I agree with you 100% for what it’s worth.
January 6th, 2006 at 11:10 am
Let’s see, the Illini are 15-0 and 1-0 in the Big Ten, yet Tupper wants to rip them for being woefully bad on offense. Did they win the game? Get used to it, Tupper. This is what Webers teams will be like for the most part. GREAT team defense with just enough offense to win games. And guess what? It works.
January 6th, 2006 at 11:17 am
Finally, second comment-looks like we held MSU to five free throw attempts below their preseason per-game average (and that would have been seven below without Weber’s technical). OTOH, we were right at our average attempts. So using the seven attempts and their average shooting percentage of about 80%, thats at least five more points MSU would have had-those points would have come in handy for Sparty in the late stages of the game, eh?
So why didn’t MSU get those attempts? The road factor, our defense, the level of competition in pre-season, something else? Better minds than mine will have to figure that out.
But raw stats ain’t everything.
I wish I had Dr. Suess’ gift for rhyme. But during the game I was reminded of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”:
“They won without having a better free throw shooting percentage than MSU!” and…
“Maybe, just maybe, basketball is more than just numbers….”
January 6th, 2006 at 11:23 am
I agree that we will need a more balanced scoring attack to compete night in and night out. However give MSU some credit, they had a great defensive plan a lot of switching and matching up. It worked very well excepted for the fact that DEE spoiled thier plan.
There are other ways to help ypur team win and Augie and the others executed it to perfection most of the time DEFENSE and REBOUNDING.
January 6th, 2006 at 11:38 am
Erik (#2): you make an excellent point - great teams like MSU are good because they’re able to disrupt their opponents’ offensive rhythms, and we’re just plain lucky they weren’t able to contain Dee as well as everyone else.
I’d really like to agree with you about James Augustine, but I just can’t. Sure, he played great defense with few fouls, rebounded well and hustled up a few loose balls.
But 7 turnovers from a senior and team leader?
I mean C’MON AUGIE . . . 4 travels?!?!?
It ain’t bashin’ to point out the obvious, but one sloppy game aside, what worries most about Augie is this: he simply doesn’t play the game tough enough.
He needs to play more like a guy that eats nails for breakfast instead of Cap’n Crunch, and that factor will not only be the dynamic that determines how far Illinois will go this year, but whether or not Augustine has a future in the NBA.
THAT said . . . Dave S. #3 and Jim #4 both said a mouthful: that was some of the best Illinois defense I’ve ever seen, against a very talented opponent, and it was the difference in keeping the homecourt winning streak intact.
Illini88 (#5): thanks for the grin, and you’re absolutely right. I’d love to see Collins and Valentine pull that s~~t in Madison.
They’d be cheesed and feathered.
ADD (#6): of course Illinois has more room to improve than Michigan State, and pointing that out for us earns you the “DUH” of the day award.
That was Tupps’ point, and if you’ll re-read his last paragraph, you’ll find his glass a bit over the half full mark.
I like your take on the Illini’s learning curve though. Most of us thought it would be more of a rebuilding kind of year, and it’s a helluva nice surprise to see our boys legitimize their #6 ranking.
Bill R. (#7): I had to remind Illini88 of this yesterday, and I’ll remind you today: the refs are for Dook and whoever’s playing Illinois, so you can’t really call it an “off” night for the 2-legged zebras, but I DO agree with you:
In the name of all that which does not suck, the officiating sucked, particularly the T on Weber, although, according to the game notes on fightingillini.com, Weber yelled loud enough at Collins that everyone in the building heard it (a relatively quite moment because Augie was shooting free throws).
shark (#8): I thought I recognized that fin in the water! Where you been?
Excellent comments too - Randle ran a defensive clinic on Ager the whole night, and I’d say he WAS the difference.
Now if he could only be that good when WE’VE got the ball, ooooh baby Katy bar the door.
I’m liking Chet Frazier more and more too, and there are times when I think he’s even faster than Dee. It’s a solid future for Chester.
And big-time dittos for your comments on Tom Izzo. He truly is a class act, and I credit him with keeping the Big 10 in the spotlight while practically every other school in the league was going through coaching changes.
All in all a satisfying win, and in spite of my above remarks about the refs, I was pleased the foul issue wasn’t the factor I was afraid that it would be.
I thought Pruitt showed improvement, and while I’d like to see him be a bigger scoring threat inside, he put in some solid minutes last night and definitely showed more confidence.
I’m also extremely happy to see Dee have a game like that. I would love to see him realize his dream of playing in the NBA, and performances like that are what made Deron Williams a top 5 pick and Luther Head a first rounder.
Twenty-five-and-a-half hours until our first Big 10 road game and I’m jittery already.
Pass that orange Koolaid shark!!!
January 6th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
I think you’re overacting a little Mark. Its not the first time Illinois has been bailed out by a single performance. Remember the Illinois State game two years ago when a recovering Deron Williams played in his 1st game back and saved us from an embrassing defeat?
Plus MSU defense isn’t too shabby either and that had something to do with our offensive woes. Plus this was 1st Big Ten game of the year on Prime time T.V. and that was a new experience for many of our young Illini.
We’ll be ok as the offense adjusts to life in the Big 10.
January 6th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
MSU is returning 4 starters from a final four team and guess what? We won…
Things are going to be just fine. I know the offense look stiff at times, but MSU is a probable final four team again this year and guess what? We won!
Our defense against a top 10 team was great and guess what? We won!
Dee Brown had his best game of his career and guess what? We won!
WE WON!!!!!!!
We also have 4 other guys on the team that are capable of doing the same thing as Dee.
Next up the Iowa Squakeyes….
Illini 78 Squakeyes 60
Go ILLINI and pass the orange coolaid…
January 6th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
Last night’s game reminded me of the game at North Carolina: a big game with Dee doing most of the work.
Remember how the rest of the team — not just the other 4 starters, but everyone –responded in their next few games (ignoring the first 10 minutes of the Xavier game).
Look to see a similar learning curve-response at Iowa.
January 6th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Last 10 minutes of game - better balance at crunch:
McBride 5 pts,
Brown 4 pts + 1 reb,
Pruitt 4 pts + 1 reb,
Randle 1 pt + 2 rebs,
Augie 2 pts + 2 rebs
January 6th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Paul from Atlanta (#28): I was gonna complain about the free throws (a sucky 63%), but that’s hard to do in light of the lack of offensive balance.
Reviewing the box score again, I noticed a stat that made me realize just how lucky we were last night: we got off 48 field goal attempts to MSU’s 47, and the 10-point final margin belies how easily it could have swung the other way.
Fortunately, 22 of those 48 attempts were taken by a strokin’ Dee Brown.
Fred Colvin (#29): and like I said before, this team is NOT better than last year’s.
At least not yet.
Ease up on the Orange Koolaid, willya?
dhaab (#34): Tupps’ didn’t “rip” the Illini for being woefully bad on offense. He accurately reported that their offense was woefully bad last night.
It WAS, that’s the truth, and using your own words, I recommend that you “get used to it.”
P.S. - is that you, Dave - brother of Cheryl?
And for anyone else that thinks Tupps’ above post disses or bashes the Illini in any way:
You’re wrong.
Go back and read ALL of it this time and quit skimming over the parts like:
“we can’t assume a continuing trend will weave through the next six or seven games,”
OR:
“The good news is that Illinois probably won’t continue playing that way on offense.”
AND:
“Despite what faults I found with the offense, Illinois is 1-0 and owns a victory over one of the three teams I think has the best chance at the championship. That seems good enough for now.”
I’ve known Mark Tupper long enough, know him well enough, and live close enough to him that it would only take five minutes to get in front of him and smack him up side the head if I thought he was “ripping” or bashing my beloved Illini in any way.
And if he WAS, I guaran-freakin’-tee you that Bruce Weber and his boys wouldn’t meet with him in person a couple times a week, allowing him to gather the kind of inside info that we come here to read in the first place.
I’m not a Tupper apologist, but I’m here to tell you that neither is Mark Tupper an Illini apologist, as some of you seem to expect him to be.
He’s a sports writer, not your own personal sycophant who exists to paint pretty pictures for your fairy tale life as Illini fans.
I’ll finish this post with a prediction of my own: it’s gonna be CLOSE at Iowa, no matter who wins the game, and maybe even go into overtime like last year when they almost edged us on our own home court.
I’ll inch out on a limb and say Illinois 68, Iowa 67 with a possible overtime (or even two).
You can bet yer sweet bippie I’ll be drinking something stronger than Orange Koolaid . . .
January 6th, 2006 at 5:59 pm
I agree with Editor about the Iowa game. Anyone who thinks we just saw the toughest defense of the year against MSU is in for a surprise when we go to visit the Hawkeyes. I predict a much better game for Jamar, since he won’t have to go against wings quite as quick and athletic, but we shouldn’t count on James scoring much against a shot-blocker like Hansen inside, and Dee likely won’t be able to reproduce the magic of Thursday. I’m picking Illinois, 60-58, with good games from Randle and Smith making the difference.