I’m not sure it’s Underwood’s fault that no one can make a 3 pointer, or that everyone seems to miss easy layups, or that Curbelo always has more turnovers than points, or that the officials decided to call a technical when they haven’t made that kind of call in 10 years.
All that said, Illinois was simply outplayed by a better team. Yesterday and Friday.
I’ll take two big ten champs two years in a row over John Groce any day.
Not a Big Ten fan, but that technical foul call on the Illini killed the momentum and energized Houston. Those officials join a long list of “playoff” blunders.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:03 am:
===I’ll take two big ten champs two years in a row over John Groce any day.===
Amen. This Illini team was extremely likable - you could tell they (mostly) had fun together and it seemed like a good mesh of personalities. But as the season progressed it became clear they had a pretty big offense problem and that bit them hard
The best men’s collegiate basketball program in Illinois is the Loyola Ramblers.
B1G came up very small on Sunday, Purdue saved a possible “0 for Sunday” finish for B1G, and the old adage of “well, B1G is the best conference, can you imagine playing that conference schedule?” It looked like a few teams would have no problem being competitive in B1G.
There’s a reason both Bruce Weber and Bill Self found next level success elsewhere, Illinois needs to have a culture where it’s a program you want to stay for legacy. I’m going to enjoy the program for what it is, enjoy the pure joy of the basketball, but it’s a shiner Loyola, and misguided that when looking at both programs, Loyola knows exactly who they are, Illinois looks in a mirror and hasn’t grasped how others see them.
Lovely weather yesterday and today, and such nice outdoor places to go and enjoy this spring. As far as winning sports, we have the Sox to look forward to. Last year they did well despite injuries. Hopefully they stay healthy this year, may fortune be with them.
Face facts. The Big Ten is a very competitive league and there is parity among the top ten teams, but it is a parity below the level of play in other major conferences. Illinois could very easily have been .500 in the league rather than co- champs. Fortune was on their side this season. The proof is in the crucible of competition that is the Tournament. That said, I think Underwood is a fine coach who generally gets the most out of what he has. Fortune or not, bad coaches don’t bring home conference championships. I think his biggest mistake may have been playing Curbelo so much when he finally came back from injury. They had been playing pretty well and had decent rhythm without him.
Underwood is good at recruiting, but poor game planning and in game adjustments cost them yesterday. Players still have to make plays but there was way to much chaos on the floor and at that level, with the competition they have played, no way that should happen.
- Birds on the Bat - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:40 am:
The best men’s collegiate basketball program in Illinois is the Loyola Ramblers
Nope. Loyola is a .500 team in the Big Ten. I think yesterday’s loss does fall squarely on Underwood’s shoulders, too. The offense consists of chucking 3’s and dumping to Kofi and hoping he doesn’t fumble it. Guards can’t penetrate, period. Curbelo will enter transfer portal. The Illini are better with Underwood, but it’s fair to question Underwood as a game coach. Adjustments are not his strong suit.
I think the refs. got it right on the Illinois technical foul. The player was far our front, and did not have to dunk the ball. He could have laid it in. He could have simply dunked the ball. But technically, grandiose dunks are still against the rules in the NCAA, so technically, it was a technical, unnecessary foul.
That said, it reminds me of the guy from Michigan calling a time out against Duke all those years ago. I feel really, really sorry for the kid.
The last time they played, Illinois got throttled.
===in the Big Ten===
Are we only comparing “B1G” or “Final Fours”
It’s obvious that Loyola is the best program, otherwise head to head will never matter, and the “Illini” thinking is, again, looking in a mirror and refusing to see what everyone else knows, including that head to head throttling.
In reality?
B1G is not as strong as BIGXII or the ACC…
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:55 am:
=Curbelo will enter transfer portal.=
I’m not sure this would be a bad thing. He’s entertaining as heck, but 17% from 3, 32% overall, and 60 assists to 53 turnovers is unsustainable. If he returns, I hope he spends the next six months in the gym shooting jumpers. He needs it.
A lot of changes on the way next year for college basketball in Illinois.
The Illini will likely have to adjust to life without Kofi in the middle. That might be for the best. They have some good young talent at the wing position.
Loyola is moving to the Atlantic 10, and will probably be a pretty young team with all of the seniors they had this year.
UIC is moving to the Missouri Valley. Hopes are that they can jumpstart their program in the Valley like Loyola did.
And speaking of the Valley, if Bradley doesn’t lose much to transfers, they could be really, really good.
Houston were ferocious on both ends and able to neutralize Cockburn. March Madness is about guard play. Houston’s were longer, more athletic, and unlike the Illinois guards they attacked the rim.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:44 am:
I find Underwood’s coaching to be a puzzle. When you have such a strong scorer for a big guy, shouldn’t he touch the ball every trip down court? Al McGuire would say yes, I think.
But 17 turnovers on Sunday indicate an overall undisciplined team. Too often they seem unsure of what play they should be running. And please, don’t inbound the ball to Cockburn, as long as hacking his arms when he holds the ball is not a foul this year.
===I think the refs. got it right on the Illinois technical foul.===
Disagree. Had he not hung on to the rim, his head might have hit the backboard and he might have landed flat on his back. It was a hot dog move, it was a survival move. The CBS announcers got it right, the refs got it wrong.
My point is Bruce Weber — a heck of a nice guy — had more NCAA tourney wins at Illinois than at KState, including a second place trophy. At KState he lost the first round tourney game four out of five times. Maybe you’re just anti-Big 10.
===At KState he lost the first round tourney game four out of five times.===
Also had an Elite 8 appearance, and was such an awful coach he was selected to coach Team USA’s U-19 team, and the won a gold medal… in 2019… after Illinois.
When replacing Weber, how did that go?
Again, all I heard via text was “winning the conference” is a big deal, well, Weber won the BIGXII, twice, arguably a better conference “considering”…
I want Illinois to take the big steps to start to match the hype and the thirst of the fan base, but in reality, since Bruce Weber, they’ve had success, but Loyola as a program is the best in Illinois. Losing to Loyola, and losing as they did, as celebrated as that team was, it was also a wake-up call.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 11:23 am:
I wonder how SJR readers spent their first paperless Saturday in Springfield daily newspaper history.
H-W, did you see Underwood’s comments after the game? Not even the official stood by the call, not to mention Reggie Miller or the CBS rules analyst. The rules for technical fouls say nothing about layup vs. dunk, it’s all about the actions while dunking. Hanging on the rim to prevent injury is not grandiose & is acceptable. Personal opinions about what somebody should have done when their actions are legal is not an acceptable reason for a tech. So excusing the call by saying he should have done a layup is giving the ref a free pass on what was one of many bad calls so far during the tournament. But I also woulda thought NCAA officials should have a basic understanding of physics…
The one area of disappointment with Underwood is the post-season performance. 2 top 4 seeds in a row with no Sweet Sixteen appearances is not what fans are expecting. That being said, simply winning is an improvement which is sad for fans old enough to remember the teams of the early 00s. But the play of Goode & Melendez yesterday certainly gives hope for the future.
As for Loyola, they may have been the best team in the state in recent years, but a 13 pt. loss to Ohio St. in the first round kinda puts that in doubt now. Whether that’s a 1 time issue or a signs of a decline remains to be seen. That being said I would like to see more intra-state games in the early season between the various non-conference opponents. Heck, even do a round robin at the United Center or another Chicago area venue with a different mix of teams every year (i.e. Illinois, Loyola, NIU, EIU 1 year then Northwestern, ISU, WIU and SIUE).
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 1:47 pm:
==(i.e. Illinois, Loyola, NIU, EIU 1 year then Northwestern, ISU, WIU and SIUE==
Don’t forget DePaul, Chicago State, SIUC and Bradley.
@MyTwoCents - No, I didn’t even see the game. I do not subscribe to cable TV, nor purchase packages that include sports. So I would not have seen any comments after the game.
I am mostly attempting to tease the fans who suggest a game hangs on a moment, and that in the absence of a moment, the universe would shift.
As a old Virginia Tech alum, I know for a fact our sports universe was not made or unmade by a single moment. Thinking that way assumes the other 39 minutes and 50 seconds were acceptable, but that one play, that one moment, decided by the Fates, determined our lot in life. At Virginia Tech, Home of the Hokies (formerly, home of the Fighting Gobblers), we simply chose to accept another name - “the Virginia Tech Chokies.”
Sorry for your losses, everybody. Welcome to my tradition.
Anyone know when the Tram to the parking lots at O’hare airport will reopen? They have been out for three years. Pain in the — to wait for buses. But hey the mayor announced bunches of healthy food and electronics now available in vending machines at ORD Midway
- Baloneymous - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 7:39 am:
Watching the Illini barely win Friday and lose on Sunday was depressing.
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 7:43 am:
Brad Underwood’s honeymoon with a lot of Illini fans ended yesterday.
- Vote Quimby - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 7:50 am:
Big Ten fails again… mostly. I’m no coach, but I could follow Houston’s game plan yesterday.
But temps are in the 70s again today, so welcome spring
- Steve Rogers - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 7:53 am:
@givemeabreak
I’m not sure it’s Underwood’s fault that no one can make a 3 pointer, or that everyone seems to miss easy layups, or that Curbelo always has more turnovers than points, or that the officials decided to call a technical when they haven’t made that kind of call in 10 years.
All that said, Illinois was simply outplayed by a better team. Yesterday and Friday.
I’ll take two big ten champs two years in a row over John Groce any day.
- Anyone Remember - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 7:56 am:
Not a Big Ten fan, but that technical foul call on the Illini killed the momentum and energized Houston. Those officials join a long list of “playoff” blunders.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:03 am:
===I’ll take two big ten champs two years in a row over John Groce any day.===
Amen. This Illini team was extremely likable - you could tell they (mostly) had fun together and it seemed like a good mesh of personalities. But as the season progressed it became clear they had a pretty big offense problem and that bit them hard
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:09 am:
The best men’s collegiate basketball program in Illinois is the Loyola Ramblers.
B1G came up very small on Sunday, Purdue saved a possible “0 for Sunday” finish for B1G, and the old adage of “well, B1G is the best conference, can you imagine playing that conference schedule?” It looked like a few teams would have no problem being competitive in B1G.
There’s a reason both Bruce Weber and Bill Self found next level success elsewhere, Illinois needs to have a culture where it’s a program you want to stay for legacy. I’m going to enjoy the program for what it is, enjoy the pure joy of the basketball, but it’s a shiner Loyola, and misguided that when looking at both programs, Loyola knows exactly who they are, Illinois looks in a mirror and hasn’t grasped how others see them.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:14 am:
Lovely weather yesterday and today, and such nice outdoor places to go and enjoy this spring. As far as winning sports, we have the Sox to look forward to. Last year they did well despite injuries. Hopefully they stay healthy this year, may fortune be with them.
- Captain Obvious - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:15 am:
Face facts. The Big Ten is a very competitive league and there is parity among the top ten teams, but it is a parity below the level of play in other major conferences. Illinois could very easily have been .500 in the league rather than co- champs. Fortune was on their side this season. The proof is in the crucible of competition that is the Tournament. That said, I think Underwood is a fine coach who generally gets the most out of what he has. Fortune or not, bad coaches don’t bring home conference championships. I think his biggest mistake may have been playing Curbelo so much when he finally came back from injury. They had been playing pretty well and had decent rhythm without him.
- NorthsideNoMore - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:40 am:
Underwood is good at recruiting, but poor game planning and in game adjustments cost them yesterday. Players still have to make plays but there was way to much chaos on the floor and at that level, with the competition they have played, no way that should happen.
- Birds on the Bat - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:40 am:
The best men’s collegiate basketball program in Illinois is the Loyola Ramblers
Nope. Loyola is a .500 team in the Big Ten. I think yesterday’s loss does fall squarely on Underwood’s shoulders, too. The offense consists of chucking 3’s and dumping to Kofi and hoping he doesn’t fumble it. Guards can’t penetrate, period. Curbelo will enter transfer portal. The Illini are better with Underwood, but it’s fair to question Underwood as a game coach. Adjustments are not his strong suit.
- Amalia - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:46 am:
so many interesting games both women’s and men’s. Illinois losing to Houston gave memories of Phi Slama Jama.
- H-W - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:48 am:
I think the refs. got it right on the Illinois technical foul. The player was far our front, and did not have to dunk the ball. He could have laid it in. He could have simply dunked the ball. But technically, grandiose dunks are still against the rules in the NCAA, so technically, it was a technical, unnecessary foul.
That said, it reminds me of the guy from Michigan calling a time out against Duke all those years ago. I feel really, really sorry for the kid.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:51 am:
=== Nope===
Such denial.
The last time they played, Illinois got throttled.
===in the Big Ten===
Are we only comparing “B1G” or “Final Fours”
It’s obvious that Loyola is the best program, otherwise head to head will never matter, and the “Illini” thinking is, again, looking in a mirror and refusing to see what everyone else knows, including that head to head throttling.
In reality?
B1G is not as strong as BIGXII or the ACC…
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 8:55 am:
=Curbelo will enter transfer portal.=
I’m not sure this would be a bad thing. He’s entertaining as heck, but 17% from 3, 32% overall, and 60 assists to 53 turnovers is unsustainable. If he returns, I hope he spends the next six months in the gym shooting jumpers. He needs it.
- Vote Quimby - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:13 am:
Bruce Weber found “next-level success”? If sub-.500 conference record and losing as a 4 seed is success, then I guess so.
- fs - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:14 am:
A lot of changes on the way next year for college basketball in Illinois.
The Illini will likely have to adjust to life without Kofi in the middle. That might be for the best. They have some good young talent at the wing position.
Loyola is moving to the Atlantic 10, and will probably be a pretty young team with all of the seniors they had this year.
UIC is moving to the Missouri Valley. Hopes are that they can jumpstart their program in the Valley like Loyola did.
And speaking of the Valley, if Bradley doesn’t lose much to transfers, they could be really, really good.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:18 am:
=== Bruce Weber found “next-level success”?===
Won 2 BIGXII titles, coached the “under 19” Team USA to a Gold Medal
I mean, aren’t “conference championships” important? That’s all I’ve been hearing since yesterday.
- fs - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:21 am:
== Won 2 BIGXII titles, coached the “under 19” Team USA to a Gold Medal==
Also had a trip to the Elite 8, which the Illini would almost kill for these days.
- Independent - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:40 am:
Houston were ferocious on both ends and able to neutralize Cockburn. March Madness is about guard play. Houston’s were longer, more athletic, and unlike the Illinois guards they attacked the rim.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:44 am:
I find Underwood’s coaching to be a puzzle. When you have such a strong scorer for a big guy, shouldn’t he touch the ball every trip down court? Al McGuire would say yes, I think.
But 17 turnovers on Sunday indicate an overall undisciplined team. Too often they seem unsure of what play they should be running. And please, don’t inbound the ball to Cockburn, as long as hacking his arms when he holds the ball is not a foul this year.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:57 am:
===I think the refs. got it right on the Illinois technical foul.===
Disagree. Had he not hung on to the rim, his head might have hit the backboard and he might have landed flat on his back. It was a hot dog move, it was a survival move. The CBS announcers got it right, the refs got it wrong.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 9:59 am:
*not* a hot dog move.
- Vote Quimby - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 10:14 am:
My point is Bruce Weber — a heck of a nice guy — had more NCAA tourney wins at Illinois than at KState, including a second place trophy. At KState he lost the first round tourney game four out of five times. Maybe you’re just anti-Big 10.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 10:19 am:
===At KState he lost the first round tourney game four out of five times.===
Also had an Elite 8 appearance, and was such an awful coach he was selected to coach Team USA’s U-19 team, and the won a gold medal… in 2019… after Illinois.
When replacing Weber, how did that go?
Again, all I heard via text was “winning the conference” is a big deal, well, Weber won the BIGXII, twice, arguably a better conference “considering”…
- H-W - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 11:05 am:
@47th Ward - Come on. He could have just laid it up.
- Vote Quimby - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 11:11 am:
Some people live to argue.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 11:21 am:
=== Bruce Weber found “next-level success”? ===
Asked… answered…
===Some people live to argue.===
So what’s the beef?
I want Illinois to take the big steps to start to match the hype and the thirst of the fan base, but in reality, since Bruce Weber, they’ve had success, but Loyola as a program is the best in Illinois. Losing to Loyola, and losing as they did, as celebrated as that team was, it was also a wake-up call.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 11:23 am:
I wonder how SJR readers spent their first paperless Saturday in Springfield daily newspaper history.
- MyTwoCents - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 12:14 pm:
H-W, did you see Underwood’s comments after the game? Not even the official stood by the call, not to mention Reggie Miller or the CBS rules analyst. The rules for technical fouls say nothing about layup vs. dunk, it’s all about the actions while dunking. Hanging on the rim to prevent injury is not grandiose & is acceptable. Personal opinions about what somebody should have done when their actions are legal is not an acceptable reason for a tech. So excusing the call by saying he should have done a layup is giving the ref a free pass on what was one of many bad calls so far during the tournament. But I also woulda thought NCAA officials should have a basic understanding of physics…
The one area of disappointment with Underwood is the post-season performance. 2 top 4 seeds in a row with no Sweet Sixteen appearances is not what fans are expecting. That being said, simply winning is an improvement which is sad for fans old enough to remember the teams of the early 00s. But the play of Goode & Melendez yesterday certainly gives hope for the future.
As for Loyola, they may have been the best team in the state in recent years, but a 13 pt. loss to Ohio St. in the first round kinda puts that in doubt now. Whether that’s a 1 time issue or a signs of a decline remains to be seen. That being said I would like to see more intra-state games in the early season between the various non-conference opponents. Heck, even do a round robin at the United Center or another Chicago area venue with a different mix of teams every year (i.e. Illinois, Loyola, NIU, EIU 1 year then Northwestern, ISU, WIU and SIUE).
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 1:47 pm:
==(i.e. Illinois, Loyola, NIU, EIU 1 year then Northwestern, ISU, WIU and SIUE==
Don’t forget DePaul, Chicago State, SIUC and Bradley.
- H-W - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 3:31 pm:
@MyTwoCents - No, I didn’t even see the game. I do not subscribe to cable TV, nor purchase packages that include sports. So I would not have seen any comments after the game.
I am mostly attempting to tease the fans who suggest a game hangs on a moment, and that in the absence of a moment, the universe would shift.
As a old Virginia Tech alum, I know for a fact our sports universe was not made or unmade by a single moment. Thinking that way assumes the other 39 minutes and 50 seconds were acceptable, but that one play, that one moment, decided by the Fates, determined our lot in life. At Virginia Tech, Home of the Hokies (formerly, home of the Fighting Gobblers), we simply chose to accept another name - “the Virginia Tech Chokies.”
Sorry for your losses, everybody. Welcome to my tradition.
- NorthsideNoMore - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 4:46 pm:
Anyone know when the Tram to the parking lots at O’hare airport will reopen? They have been out for three years. Pain in the — to wait for buses. But hey the mayor announced bunches of healthy food and electronics now available in vending machines at ORD Midway