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General Category => Fighting Illini Basketball Forum => Topic started by: ILLINICHIEF on January 14, 2026, 01:17:24 PM

Title: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ILLINICHIEF on January 14, 2026, 01:17:24 PM
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401825442/illinois-northwestern

ILLINI heavily favored -8.5, seems a little low, especially if Martinelli has an average game or worse. Would not surprise me to see Mirk and him mix it up at some point. He is easy to dislike on that team.

89-72 ILLINI win.

NW steals/Rebound averages take a hit tonight. Wagler/Boswell might be Top 3 backcourts combined in the nation. They will both have big games tonight.

Andrej follow up game of 17pts
Wagler again with a good game of 18, 5 Rbs, 5 Asst, 3 Stl.
Boswell gets 17 as well and makes a lot of driving easy hoops.
Mirk gets us 12-12 tonight along with 2-3 assists
Tomi goes for 10 and 10 yes 2 double doubles
Big Z has 10 and 4 blocks for us

Bench scores the difference for us...easy win, but frustrating with the way Collins coaches and they play.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Miles Leonard on January 14, 2026, 02:04:35 PM
Time to end the mini curse in Evanston. Haven’t won there since 2022.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ThePAMan on January 14, 2026, 02:25:44 PM
Heard tickets were pricey on the secondary market from a fellow Illini at the dog park.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ridingthegrange on January 14, 2026, 03:54:18 PM
Drive the hoop and hit the FTs!  We can get them in foul trouble.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ILLove1997 on January 14, 2026, 04:28:02 PM
Time to end the mini curse in Evanston. Haven’t won there since 2022.

Thats crazy considering how good we have been
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Custard on January 14, 2026, 04:54:25 PM
In NW Indiana for work and thought about going to the game but getting buttfucked by a snowstorm
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: murphstahoe on January 14, 2026, 04:55:18 PM
In NW Indiana for work and thought about going to the game but getting buttfucked by a snowstorm

is that what they call ICE these days?
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ILLINICHIEF on January 14, 2026, 06:53:08 PM
is that what they call ICE these days?

Nope he is still called Baby
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Miles Leonard on January 14, 2026, 08:24:27 PM
Our ability to crash the offensive glass is keeping us ahead of the Cats. Way too much chucking as usual.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ThePAMan on January 14, 2026, 08:27:29 PM
Cup is on
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ILLINICHIEF on January 14, 2026, 08:28:02 PM
Lucky to be where we are:

6-5 score at that time should have been 12-5, 22% from 3 with 18 already....HUGE height advantages everywhere....take it to the paint, DAMN.



Martinelli "block" call was by definition a block, by logic a bailout. Otherwise Refs, lettin em play a little tonight, wait to see how many over the backs are called on the ILLINI after Collins complains at the half.

Staff learned something at Iowa....the appeal for a flagrant. Good job staff, all 10 of you...LOL

Boswell showing once again, why he IS the man who runs this team...Wagler is the boy wonder though!!



Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Custard on January 14, 2026, 08:50:17 PM
Got back far enough south to get out of the snow but it’s cold and bitter and windy. I’ve gotten to be such a pussy about the cold since I moved south. But warm inside Harry’s Chocolate Shop on Purdue Campus! Only guy here in Illini gear!
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on January 14, 2026, 08:52:26 PM
All of a sudden Wagler has 12
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Miles Leonard on January 14, 2026, 09:01:41 PM
All of a sudden Wagler has 12

Wagler is HIM
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on January 14, 2026, 09:08:25 PM
They can get rid of this appeal stuff.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Miles Leonard on January 14, 2026, 09:12:20 PM
Reed the latest to have a career night against us
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Judge Judy on January 14, 2026, 09:12:50 PM
We’re still winning, but getting fucked on these calls. It’s blatantly obvious and ridiculous…
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: illiniray on January 14, 2026, 09:14:50 PM
Wagler got mugged; gets called for a hook and hold
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Custard on January 14, 2026, 09:24:18 PM
Wagler got mugged; gets called for a hook and hold

Yeah wtf was that?
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Miles Leonard on January 14, 2026, 09:27:23 PM
Tomi coming up fucking clutch!
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on January 14, 2026, 09:32:11 PM
Falling out of bounds and he still bounced it off the rim
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ILLove1997 on January 14, 2026, 09:32:46 PM
Wagler is a fucking gem 💎
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Miles Leonard on January 14, 2026, 09:33:25 PM
Nice win over a scrappy better-than-their-record Northwestern team on the road.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: illiniray on January 14, 2026, 09:34:26 PM
Never in doubt
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Custard on January 14, 2026, 09:37:35 PM
Never felt so sure we’d win a game that was down to 5-6 so many times in second half. Every time they threatened we just answered in a big way. Even when the zebras were trying to keep it close. This team is really good and only getting better. Not sure if anyone here has been paying any attention to the metrics but we are in pretty elite territory. Have to keep winning obviously but I feel like 15-5 in the B1G and a 4/5 seed might be the floor at this point barring something unforeseen happening.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ILLINICHIEF on January 14, 2026, 09:39:22 PM
Pretty cool to see the brotherly love in the huddle by Z towards Tomi....rubbin the head and givin him a kiss, rootin him on. Tomi hasn't been is best this year vs last year, but seeing his biggest fan root him on was kind of special.

Stoyakovic was Stoylostvic tonight

Tomi great shooting night
Ben Great rebounding/defense...he has really rounded into a much better overall player
Jake does seem to be a leader for sure on here, as BU claims...good minutes
Big Z rebounds and blocks shots with an anger at times...love it
Boswell just does Boswell things...wait till March and see where this takes us.
Wagler boy wonder is just that a wonder to watch play a systematic type of game, quiet, unassuming, measured, fluid...enjoy it, him and Boswell are the best backcourt in the country imo right now.

Great win, off the total, but covered the spread, another W on the road, pays big dividends in the end for us.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Custard on January 14, 2026, 10:15:59 PM
Great teams have plenty of guys that can step up when another guy is having a tough night due to matchups. Like him or not Collins is a good coach who schemes well and gets the most out of what he has. We just overwhelmed them with size and skill and clutch plays.

I agree it was really good to see Tomi break out of his slump and have a breakout game. He needed that because he’s been a shell of himself all season. We get him going anything like he was tonight and look the fuck out. You could see how happy he was, think he’s been in his own head about the slump he’s been in since his injury.

I have had questions all year about this lineup and all these euro commies.  Do they actually want to win basketball games or do they just want to showcase themselves for the next payday?

I always knew the latter was true, but there was something about tonight that makes me think these guys have not only formed a team and want to win, but they also want to create a legacy. They have a real chance to be something special. So please please please don’t lose at home to Minnesota.
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: Reacher on January 15, 2026, 02:49:47 AM
Thats crazy considering how good we have been

That could be like 2 games
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: bringbackself on January 15, 2026, 04:18:15 AM
Was there a lot of illini fans
Title: Re: ILLINI vs Northwestern Game Thread
Post by: ridingthegrange on January 15, 2026, 09:29:34 AM
Great teams have plenty of guys that can step up when another guy is having a tough night due to matchups. Like him or not Collins is a good coach who schemes well and gets the most out of what he has. We just overwhelmed them with size and skill and clutch plays.

I agree it was really good to see Tomi break out of his slump and have a breakout game. He needed that because he’s been a shell of himself all season. We get him going anything like he was tonight and look the fuck out. You could see how happy he was, think he’s been in his own head about the slump he’s been in since his injury.

I have had questions all year about this lineup and all these euro commies.  Do they actually want to win basketball games or do they just want to showcase themselves for the next payday?

I always knew the latter was true, but there was something about tonight that makes me think these guys have not only formed a team and want to win, but they also want to create a legacy. They have a real chance to be something special. So please please please don’t lose at home to Minnesota.

Well said.  Tomi looked great!  I'd been wondering if he was not yet healed up.  Smash the gophs!