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General Category => Fighting Illini Basketball Forum => Topic started by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 05:38:51 PM

Title: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 05:38:51 PM
Keep the streak going. That's it.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Beach Bum on February 27, 2026, 05:57:49 PM
Is Morez playing
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ILLINICHIEF on February 27, 2026, 06:45:39 PM
Is Morez playing
Yes but not very well, we hope.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Judge Judy on February 27, 2026, 07:05:34 PM
Yes but not very well, we hope.

He gonna get the Eric Gordon treatment. Let’s just hope his game play is worse than Gordon’s was…
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Judge Judy on February 27, 2026, 07:31:44 PM
Rebound the ball!!
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 07:34:00 PM
Morez for three and of fucking course it goes down 😂
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Judge Judy on February 27, 2026, 08:00:07 PM
Morez for three and of fucking course it goes down 😂

He’s tearing us up…
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 08:03:34 PM
He’s tearing us up…

He's outworking our guys all by himself.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Judge Judy on February 27, 2026, 08:04:34 PM
He's outworking our guys all by himself.

Yep. They’re the better team that half…
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on February 27, 2026, 08:05:28 PM
I just sat down and Morez with 13 points and 5 rebounds and yapping at Jake.
Lfg
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on February 27, 2026, 08:07:20 PM
Box out. We're not going to outjump them.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Judge Judy on February 27, 2026, 08:10:29 PM
I just sat down and Morez with 13 points and 5 rebounds and yapping at Jake.
Lfg

Yeah he talking shit. Need to shut him up 2nd half. He’s leading them in all categories…
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 08:21:40 PM
Wheels are ready to come off
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Judge Judy on February 27, 2026, 08:23:07 PM
We’re getting punked on our own floor…
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on February 27, 2026, 08:24:33 PM
We're going to have to shoot lights out from 3
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 08:25:09 PM
Something, ANYTHING out of Stojakovic would be nice
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Judge Judy on February 27, 2026, 08:30:22 PM
Something, ANYTHING out of Stojakovic would be nice

He’s disappeared…

Cut it in half. Need a big run…
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on February 27, 2026, 08:31:02 PM
My bro went to the MSU-ILL baseball game today.
We won in 10.
Let's get another win vs the other Michigan team
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on February 27, 2026, 08:44:16 PM
We have no answers. If we’re missing 3s we’re hosed.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 08:47:39 PM
Keep the streak going. That's it.

It's like they say, "all good things must come to an end"
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Beach Bum on February 27, 2026, 08:48:08 PM
Glad I didn't fork over big money to go.

We may be elite 8 caliber, but there's a huge gap between us and scUM/Duke/UConn
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on February 27, 2026, 08:49:39 PM
Thoroughly outclassed.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on February 27, 2026, 08:53:27 PM
Keep fluffing Underachiever....
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: bringbackself on February 27, 2026, 09:03:02 PM
Dusty may > underwood
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Beach Bum on February 27, 2026, 09:05:56 PM
Bunch of Europeans still has it's limitations against certain teams.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on February 27, 2026, 09:07:24 PM
You've got yourself a good team, Sven
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on February 27, 2026, 09:09:39 PM
You've got yourself a good team, Sven

Illinois has a shitty game day coach.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: bringbackself on February 27, 2026, 09:12:02 PM
Illinois has a shitty game day coach.

BUT THE NUMBER 1 OFFENSE!
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on February 27, 2026, 09:12:36 PM
BUT THE NUMBER 1 OFFENSE!

Except when it counts.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 09:18:14 PM
Bunch of Europeans still has it's limitations against certain teams.

The Euro pipeline is good for the lols and the memes and certainly they are skilled but handling physicality is not their strong suit.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Miles Leonard on February 27, 2026, 09:30:12 PM
And look, Michigan is loaded. They are a nightmare matchup for just about every team in the country. This is not loser talk or copium, we certainly didn't come close to matching their intensity or physicality. It's calling it what it is.

Focus on beating Oregon and Maryland and reset for the dance.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on February 27, 2026, 09:35:20 PM
And look, Michigan is loaded. They are a nightmare matchup for just about every team in the country. This is not loser talk or copium, we certainly didn't come close to matching their intensity or physicality. It's calling it what it is.

Focus on beating Oregon and Maryland and reset for the dance.
👆
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on February 27, 2026, 10:01:30 PM
And we may be looking at a 5 seed in tBTT
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ILLINICHIEF on February 27, 2026, 10:45:41 PM
And we may be looking at a 5 seed in tBTT
This could very well happen and should not after the year we have had.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Custard on February 28, 2026, 12:29:15 AM
Just outmatched. I thought we were built to give them trouble but they abused us at most positions most of the night. We couldn’t hit water from a boat, which might have made it interesting, but a lot of credit to their physicality and aggressiveness for us rushing shots and missing ones we normally make. Once I saw how they were going to swallow the whistle whenever Wagler got mugged I knew we were screwed.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: illinicalvin on February 28, 2026, 12:41:29 AM
Basically we would need a very good game to play them evenly and we played below average tonight. We didn't even get back on defense well and that's entirely controllable even when shots aren't failing.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on February 28, 2026, 01:31:25 AM
And look, Michigan is loaded. They are a nightmare matchup for just about every team in the country. This is not loser talk or copium, we certainly didn't come close to matching their intensity or physicality. It's calling it what it is.

Focus on beating Oregon and Maryland and reset for the dance.

They lost to Duke and even Wisconsin.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Custard on February 28, 2026, 01:40:53 AM
They lost to Duke and even Wisconsin.

It’s only been 50 years since any team went undefeated, and those are pretty damn good losses in a day and age where these guys are rich and lazy like DJ Moore and can mentally take games off. Hopefully rich Illini alums like Murph can pony up so we can assemble a juggernaut team like Michigan has!
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on February 28, 2026, 01:42:54 AM
It’s only been 50 years since any team went undefeated, and those are pretty damn good losses in a day and age where these guys are rich and lazy like DJ Moore and can mentally take games off. Hopefully rich Illini alums like Murph can pony up so we can assemble a juggernaut team like Michigan has!

You may want to keep the players you have versus chasing them off.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Lkdog on February 28, 2026, 01:55:22 AM
Michigan is extremely talented and athletic.
Illinois was overmatched physically.
They would beat us 7 times out of ten.

Illinois is skilled but not built to go deep in NCAAs IMO due to defensive liabilities. Not sure they can be rectified.

Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: bringbackself on February 28, 2026, 06:02:25 AM
michigan is good
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Beach Bum on February 28, 2026, 08:09:38 AM
Thinking back last night after the beer haze wore off. Most disappointing thing is that their bigs totally outplayed ours.

Maybe that's a wake up call for the twins. We're supposed to be one of the biggest and best teams in the nation and we just looked average.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Lkdog on February 28, 2026, 10:36:19 AM
Our bigs are pretty much just tall wings who can shoot the three sometimes pretty well. It's five out position less basketball taken to an extreme but no inside presence when you need one.
We are pretty soft team really except for Boswell and they shut him down in second half

We really do not have any big who can take advantage of a mismatch inside off of switches.

Meanwhile inside on D we spent the night with Johnson and Mara's nuts in our face.

Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Somewhere in Mn on February 28, 2026, 10:49:03 AM
It's not the end of the world. Yet.

We've looked like we've lost our legs and have 2 games left. Get some rest and win the next 2.

If 4 teams finish 15-5 it looks like we get a 3 or 4 seed in the BTT. PU would get the 5 seed.

If Nebraska wins out, they have a left coast swing at UCLA and USC coming up, to finish 16-4 they would get the 2 seed and PU still gets the 5 seed.

All is subject to change but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ILLove1997 on March 01, 2026, 10:57:39 AM
What a fucking embarrassing performance, i remember when we rarely ever lost at home even to good teams, let alone by fucking 20
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ILLINICHIEF on March 01, 2026, 12:20:55 PM
What a fucking embarrassing performance, i remember when we rarely ever lost at home even to good teams, let alone by fucking 20

Agreed, however this year Fishigan is FAR from a "good" team, they are in the Top 4 with legit chance to win it all this year.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on March 01, 2026, 01:45:36 PM
I thought we had a legit chance, until we played Michigan.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Custard on March 01, 2026, 02:35:16 PM
You may want to keep the players you have versus chasing them off.

No one chased Morez off, they had a signed NIL deal before the season ended and Michigan threw a huge bag at him. I’ll blame the staff for not knowing his worth but not for chasing him off.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on March 01, 2026, 02:36:11 PM
No one chased Morez off, they had a signed NIL deal before the season ended and Michigan threw a huge bag at him. I’ll blame the staff for not knowing his worth but not for chasing him off.

You think he would fit into this offense?
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on March 01, 2026, 02:41:57 PM
You think he would fit into this offense?

Could use his physicality in the low post. And yes, he could fit into this offense.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on March 01, 2026, 02:48:29 PM
Could use his physicality in the low post. And yes, he could fit into this offense.

They didn't seem to know how to fit him in when he was here
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on March 01, 2026, 06:42:39 PM
They didn't seem to know how to fit him in when he was here

He was a freshman on a good team. Game was not as advanced as two other freshmen. Played a meaningful role, and also missed a month or so with an injury if my memory serves me correctly. He’d certainly be a useful player on this team.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Lkdog on March 02, 2026, 11:22:40 AM
Johnson has improved. Having a nice year and would have given us some inside toughness.

BTN basketball show this morning stated we are 58th in country in Defense in last six games. They think we simply do not have the personnel and are too slow to guard for 40 minutes.

They need to find a way.




Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on March 02, 2026, 11:38:18 AM
Wasn't there complaints that he was clogging the lane when he was in? Or am I thinking of an earlier season where big men where getting in the way?
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on March 02, 2026, 01:24:23 PM
Wasn't there complaints that he was clogging the lane when he was in? Or am I thinking of an earlier season where big men where getting in the way?

From whom? Sounds like super quality analysis.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on March 02, 2026, 01:26:52 PM
From whom? Sounds like super quality analysis.

From here.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Jobu on March 02, 2026, 01:28:53 PM
If I remember right, Fatass was eager to get rid of Kofi because he was a lane clogger.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Beach Bum on March 02, 2026, 01:48:31 PM
Hate to say it, but seems like Morez made absolutely the right decision. Now let's see how season finishes.

Shit when from an academic standpoint it's better.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on March 02, 2026, 03:11:53 PM
From here.

Case closed.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on March 02, 2026, 03:12:49 PM
If I remember right, Fatass was eager to get rid of Kofi because he was a lane clogger.

Yep.

This team would be unstoppable with Kofi.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on March 02, 2026, 03:30:24 PM
Yep.

This team would be unstoppable with Kofi.

They had 2 AAs and lost at the time as a 1. Why would that be different now?
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Jobu on March 02, 2026, 04:06:41 PM
They had 2 AAs and lost at the time as a 1. Why would that be different now?

I don't think I remember being as pissed off about an Illini loss as I was at that one. Maybe when Self lost to Notre Dame in the round of 32.

Fucking Porter Moser buttfucked Brad Underwood that day. It was disgusting.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ThePAMan on March 02, 2026, 04:19:01 PM
I don't think I remember being as pissed off about an Illini loss as I was at that one. Maybe when Self lost to Notre Dame in the round of 32.

Fucking Porter Moser buttfucked Brad Underwood that day. It was disgusting.

2 additional big losses in TOTTM.... Austin-Peay and Flying Illini not boxing out against Michigan in FF.  2005 is the grand daddy of them all, of course.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Jobu on March 02, 2026, 04:50:05 PM
2 additional big losses in TOTTM.... Austin-Peay and Flying Illini not boxing out against Michigan in FF.  2005 is the grand daddy of them all, of course.

Yeah, Austin Peay, I was pretty young, and I just lol'ed it. The Michigan one hurt. And yes, us making fatass (sorry Custard) Sean May look like the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain was quite the piece of shit too.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: ILLINICHIEF on March 02, 2026, 05:58:45 PM
Yeah, Austin Peay, I was pretty young, and I just lol'ed it. The Michigan one hurt. And yes, us making fatass (sorry Custard) Sean May look like the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain was quite the piece of shit too.

40 3' pt shots ( i believe the most in a C-Ship game at the time) before it was the "game" that it is nowadays, didn't help either.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Reacher on March 02, 2026, 11:33:47 PM
They had 2 AAs and lost at the time as a 1. Why would that be different now?

Better supporting cast IMO. Kofi was also only a sophomore, though he had a great year.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Custard on March 03, 2026, 04:06:35 PM
Just to clear a few things up:

There was talk about Dainja not playing as much as some thought he should have two seasons ago because him clogging the lane took away from what TSJ could do getting to the rim. Also that it hurt Domask playing booty ball because Dain in the lane allowed defenders to help onto Domask easier than if Hawkins was in and drew a defender to the perimeter. Dain also couldn’t shoot much.

I loved what Kofi did here and he should have come back another year if not two. I shared at the time that I was also not heartbroken that we could get away from the old school post play style we implemented when he was here because the game has mostly moved on from that. No one is winning championships with 1980s style bigs dominating the ball these days.

Kofi was a black hole once he got the ball and never figured out how to find open shooters once he was doubled. Sure, Purdue made a title game with Edey, but he was a much better passer and defended better in space and at the rim than Kofi. Kofi was basically one of the last of a dying breed of college basketball player now that teams are trying to play 5 out and stretch you everywhere defensively. Nobody has to like that, but it’s true.
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Jobu on March 03, 2026, 04:08:32 PM
Ok, fatass
Title: Re: Illinois vs Michigan
Post by: Custard on March 04, 2026, 12:29:24 AM
Ok, fatass

You’re welcome!