***OFFICIAL ILLINOIS AT MINNESOTA IN-GAME THREAD!!!***


Hey GopherinIowa,

I was so pumped yesterday morning. Vikings, then timberwolves today, followed by the Gophers.

It's been awesome. LOL
Disappointing performances are contagious in MN apparently.
 

Really tough to play JOJ and Payne at the same time when the other teams will most likely start copying the Fighting Illini’s defensive blueprint… which is sag off ten feet (unless they are within 8 feet of the hoop) and dare them to shoot or dribble
 

Poor defense, no guard play, Illinois tough d. Give up 80 points on your home court.
Yuck.
I watched The Vikings yesterday with the softest defense they've ever had.

I just watched an embarrassing wolves defensive game. Gave up 39 in the fourth and couldn't stop a gnat.

You just said poor defense in this one. No toughness or physicality to speak of.

That's 9 hours of gawd -awful defense.

Can I get an award or something?
 

Tam Stats 2nd half
Game Stats
Illinois
Minnesota
Points3718
FG14-256-25
FG%56.024.0
3P2-50-6
3P%40.00.0
FT7-106-12
FT%70.050.0
Rebounds2311
Offensive Rebounds65
Defensive Rebounds176
Ties00
Lead Changes00
Time with Lead15:171:01
Lead % of Game42.12.8
Last Lead36-35
Last Lead: Time17:54 (2nd)
Largest Lead251
Largest Lead: Score72-4736-35
Largest Lead: Time4:32 (2nd)18:55 (2nd)
Assists73
Turnovers51
Bench Points95
Blocks31
On Court Points2738
Fastbreak Points51
Steals13
Points off Turnovers10
Points in the Paint248
Second Chance Points62
Personal Fouls107
Technical Fouls01
MN played a controlled, value-each-possession game (boring WI BB) and was playing ILL even up at the half.
At the start of the second half, ILL went up-tempo playground BB and MN fell into the trap.
What were the PPP for MN in the first half compared to the second half?
 




MN played a controlled, value-each-possession game (boring WI BB) and was playing ILL even up at the half.
At the start of the second half, ILL went up-tempo playground BB and MN fell into the trap.
What were the PPP for MN in the first half compared to the second half?
The change from 1st half to 2nd was striking. Illinois simply imposed their better talent with gusto.

Illinois in the second reached down, grabbed sand at the beach, and threw it in the face of the Gophers before pushing past the Gophers and taking their lunch.

This is a good lesson to learn. At some point the Gophers need some swag right back. Maybe next season when Evans gives them a few windmill dunks.
 

The change from 1st half to 2nd was striking. Illinois simply imposed their better talent with gusto.

Illinois in the second reached down, grabbed sand at the beach, and threw it in the face of the Gophers before pushing past the Gophers and taking their lunch.

This is a good lesson to learn. At some point the Gophers need some swag right back. Maybe next season when Evans gives them a few windmill dunks.
Cooper is the only guy on the team that is any threat whatsoever with the ball in his hand on the perimeter and he isn't even really quick enough to burn opponents for pressing.

They played hard but if Illinois plays well they just are too much for us.
 



I think we are something like 1-6 against Illinois since 2019.

I agree with those who have said that the faster pace in the second half was not to our benefit. IL has size, speed, athleticism, and depth. They also have 8 former consensus Top 100 guys on their roster. They are a very tough matchup for us when they can use all of their tools. Too bad we have to play them another time this season.
 

I don’t mind a high post attack (although it does take one of our best rebounders away from the basket), but why is it Payne instead of Garcia? Garcia would have to be guarded, taking a defender away from the hoop. Plus it puts Payne down low (which is the only place he is dangerous). Gotta believe Garcia would be a better passer up top, as well.
 

Garcia is quick off the dribble, no way their big guys could stay with him, not sure what Illinois did in the second half but they shut him down. Illinois didn't miss much to start the second half and boom it was over.

I also think Johnson stayed with Samuels to long to start the second half, Illinois is a terrible matchup for him. With Samuels and Ola-Joseph in the game at the same time Gophs are easy to defend.
 

I don't think anyone believed that after the OSU game we would go on a 10 game winning streak but still, I was hopeful we could keep it close and have a chance at the end - no dice. Still, nice to feel like we gave as much as we got in the first half.

First Half - Dainja was out alot of the first half and the lane really opened up when he left. Ill was better on defense when he came back in in the second half and it seemed like he provided the extra strength to grind the gophs down on both ends.

Battle - I really like to see Battle take those 18 foot jumpers - seems like he hits a high percentage of them. I would like to see him take 6 or 8 of those per game and limit his 3 pointer attempts. Looked like he tweaked his back. Hope he can make it back by Thursday.

JOJ Flagrant - I get the flagrant on JOJ but he did not lean in or swing his elbow - he just put the other guy on notice he would not be slipping past him at will at high speed. I think if I am the ref I probably go over to the player that took the elbow and welcome him to the Big10.

Freshman - Like to see the young guys get the extra playing time. To be sure - they did not look good - but I image there is a ton of material that Ben can use to teach.

Purdue is next - Forget about this loss. If you play your game and hit your shots on Thursday we can take em.
 



Tonight’s game showed what speed does to the gophers, it carved them up. In the last few games (Badgers and Buckeyes) neither of those teams have speed and they play slow which dramatically played into our weaknesses and hide those flaws. My prediction is teams with slow guards, our defense will look fine. But when the opponent has fast guards it will look like tonight.
 

That was one of the worst halves of basketball I’ve watched in a while. They managed to piss all the goodwill they built up from the OSU game down their leg.

First half the game was super fun, and the barn was a good place to be. Then they completely forgot to come out of the tunnel for the second half.
 

I don't think anyone believed that after the OSU game we would go on a 10 game winning streak but still, I was hopeful we could keep it close and have a chance at the end - no dice. Still, nice to feel like we gave as much as we got in the first half.

First Half - Dainja was out alot of the first half and the lane really opened up when he left. Ill was better on defense when he came back in in the second half and it seemed like he provided the extra strength to grind the gophs down on both ends.

Battle - I really like to see Battle take those 18 foot jumpers - seems like he hits a high percentage of them. I would like to see him take 6 or 8 of those per game and limit his 3 pointer attempts. Looked like he tweaked his back. Hope he can make it back by Thursday.

JOJ Flagrant - I get the flagrant on JOJ but he did not lean in or swing his elbow - he just put the other guy on notice he would not be slipping past him at will at high speed. I think if I am the ref I probably go over to the player that took the elbow and welcome him to the Big10.

Freshman - Like to see the young guys get the extra playing time. To be sure - they did not look good - but I image there is a ton of material that Ben can use to teach.

Purdue is next - Forget about this loss. If you play your game and hit your shots on Thursday we can take em.
Battle jump shot at the elbow is money. Really happy they started getting back to that.
 


I don’t mind a high post attack (although it does take one of our best rebounders away from the basket), but why is it Payne instead of Garcia? Garcia would have to be guarded, taking a defender away from the hoop. Plus it puts Payne down low (which is the only place he is dangerous). Gotta believe Garcia would be a better passer up top, as well.
This. The other team wasn't even thinking about guarding him from there. I do remember him putting it on the floor and drawing a foul later in the game. Too little, too late.
 

Gopher freshman shot 4-20

Illinois freshman shot 12-21 and looked far more athletic.

This is why they are young may or may not lead to future success. Everyone just assumes it will.

Even in defeating OSU, their freshman looked better than ours.
 

Garcia is quick off the dribble, no way their big guys could stay with him, not sure what Illinois did in the second half but they shut him down. Illinois didn't miss much to start the second half and boom it was over.

I also think Johnson stayed with Samuels to long to start the second half, Illinois is a terrible matchup for him. With Samuels and Ola-Joseph in the game at the same time Gophs are easy to defend.
Illinois has a couple of 6'10"/6'9" guys who are more athletic than him and could press.

Garcia is quick off the dribble for a 4, but he isn't going to blow by Mayer or Hawkins.
 


It was terrible, but at least carrington got past his mental block and went to the hole a few times… that is a step in the right direction
Looked pretty tenative doing it; if he goes hard, and he would’ve had 3 more buckets and a forced a foul tonight.
 

I watched The Vikings yesterday with the softest defense they've ever had.

I just watched an embarrassing wolves defensive game. Gave up 39 in the fourth and couldn't stop a gnat.

You just said poor defense in this one. No toughness or physicality to speak of.

That's 9 hours of gawd -awful defense.

Can I get an award or something?
Quit thinking you're so special. You get a participation certificate just like the rest of us.
 

Looked pretty tenative doing it; if he goes hard, and he would’ve had 3 more buckets and a forced a foul tonight.
Completely agree. He may be a terrible finisher for all we know…but it was a step in the right direction
 



Quit thinking you're so special. You get a participation certificate just like the rest of us.

If you read enough of his posts......you'll realize that he is in fact special. Like his parents, classmates, and teachers found out.
 



This phrase is pretty ironic in that you'd almost have to be a boomer to still say "Ok boomer".
Lol I am far from that Oldy Locks. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were the Gopher fan sitting next to me crying for over-the-back calls all game as if such an infraction exists.
 




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