You don’t win the Big Ten Championship without winning at Nebraska.
And you don’t win at Nebraska without Omar Payne.
So, while it was a rocky year for him overall, he was still a part of the first
#Illini
title in 17 years. Good luck to him.
Even without a win at Penn State, an
#Illini
win vs. Purdue would put us at:
• 4-1 record
• Still ranked
• Hosting Michigan
• 100th anniversary game
Can we start a
#GamedayUIUC
campaign and push for
@CollegeGameDay
to FINALLY come to Champaign-Urbana?
Michigan earned their Big Ten title.
The
#Illini
earned theirs as well.
There is no negative to awarding a co-championship to a 16-4 team that beat the 14-3 team head-to-head.
Get it done,
#B1G
.
Some things that stood out tonight:
* Coleman was PHENOMENAL
* Ty makes me proud as hell
* Domask gutted through a tough night
* Harmon was scrappy as all get out
* Quincy was reliable as ever
Easiest
#Illini
team to root for in some time.
I don’t want this season to end.
But, I don’t think I’ve had a more fun month watching
#Illini
basketball than March 2024.
Win or lose, I’m grateful to have the program relevant again.
But while we’re here, F it . . . let’s win another.
Trump is currently in the Oval Office awarding the National Medal of Arts to singers Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs, minutes after becoming the first president ever impeached twice.
I'm rarely at a loss for words, but the magnitude of this
#Illini
win at Nebraska has rendered me speechless.
Life is good when Illinois football is good. And by golly, I think they're a bit of alright.
This
#Illini
team is different.
They play hard. They play for each other. They clearly LIKE each other.
And, a mere eight games into the season, they’re coalescing into a damn good team.
Impossible to be anything but thrilled with this team right now.
I have some exciting personal news to share: after being diagnosed with end-stage liver disease in November, my mom received a transplant yesterday.
The operation went smoothly and, according to the surgeon, she has a "beautiful liver". Currently, she is resting and recovering.
I can legitimately say this was the most unexpectedly fun season I’ve had as an
#Illini
basketball fan in a long time.
In particular, March 2024 will be one of my favorite months - from a win at Wisconsin on March 1 to a BTT title and Elite 8 appearance.
Well done, fellas.
“Gard shouldn’t have called a timeout.”
“We gotta find out what the Wisconsin assistant said.”
What are we doing here, Twitter? This is a pattern of behavior for Juwan Howard and he should be punished accordingly.
When Domask tied the game up with 4 to go, SFC was loud. The kind of loud I grew accustomed to from 2000-2006.
We didn’t win tonight, and that stinks. But the program is healthier than it’s been in over 15 years, and I appreciate any opportunity to soak it in.
#Illini
One moment I absolutely loved in this
#Illini
game: Epps launching that 3 with less than a minute to go.
No hesitation. Had a great look, possible winning shot, and took it.
He will make more than he will miss going forward.
Underwood can be as pissed off as he wants, but either:
1) He’s done his worst coaching job despite amassing a bunch of talent
2) He’s amassed a bunch of talented morons who don’t take to his coaching
Neither option is good.
Brad Underwood has excelled at the macro aspects of running a program.
But, there are far too many examples of him stinking in the micro, in-game aspects of coaching.
It has cost this team a few times this year, and likely will cost them in March. Again.
#Illini
To my Young 👑 Terrance Shannon Jr! Love and Salute you! Proud of you!! God is Good! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
The apologies should be 30X louder than the hate he got but we know how it goes. Anyways back to the regular scheduled program.
Great days ahead! ☀️☀️☀️✨✨✨
Since the cries of “racist!” have already started . . .
If Brad Underwood did this, his ass should be fired. As a fan and alum, I would be deeply embarrassed.
This isn’t piling on Juwan. This is calling things out for what they are.
You don’t win the Big Ten Tournament without Giorgi’s incredible second half run.
The guy was easy to root for, and he deserves to see his family again. He’ll make a few bucks playing in Europe and receive a hero’s welcome whenever he comes back to CU.
Congrats to both teams and all they have accomplished. Saw both teams on the field and didn’t get it done. Would love the opportunity to meet both again on a neutral field and officials. Can’t happen this year but
#famILLy
we will be there sooner than later
#ILL
Younger
#Illini
fans have asked me what it was like to live through the Self years.
The answer is: we’re living it right now. It’s all the more impressive given what Underwood had to start with five years ago.
That’s one of the most fun times I’ve had watching an
#Illini
basketball game in some time, and there’s been some good ones the last few years.
This team plays balls to the wall, and I love it.
Epps
Podz
Curbelo
Miller
Griffin
Smith
Regardless of circumstance, you eventually need some continuity at the guard position.
To date, Ayo and Trent are the only HS guards Underwood’s recruited to NOT transfer.
#Illini
Drunken pack of Iowa fans near me trying to roast Illinois fans. “Who even knows where Champaign is?!”
Guys . . . you live in Iowa. Other than your caucus every four years, your state is the epitome of irrelevant.
Coleman cares. I'd love to see him back next year.
His frustration speaks to a larger disconnect this year. Coaching, player performance, some combination . . .
Why was it so disconnected all year? And, why did it get WORSE?
He seems stumped. So am I.
Coleman Hawkins was visibly frustrated in the locker room following the Illini loss, apologizing for letting down the fans, taking blame for some of the teams faults, and added this:
"It's not hard to swallow, it's expected when you don't move the ball, when you don't execute."
I hate . . . HATE . . . making anything about the refs.
But, tonight's officiating was atrocious and had way too large of an impact on the game.
Funny, because Seth Greenberg called them a "Final Four caliber" team on the broadcast.
Bullshit. They were awful.
I, for one, love to hate Michigan basketball.
And I love it even more because I know they HATE
#Illini
basketball.
It’s sports. It’s all part of the fun.
Over the last decade, I felt like I made progress and could control my anger while watching Illinois basketball.
Mostly, that’s because they weren’t winning. Now that they are? I’m reminded how much I hate every other Big Ten team.
Not discouraged. Purdue made plays that a title contender would make.
More impressed with the overall defensive intensity, and I’m encouraged heading into the tournaments that count.
Beat Iowa and get to Sunday in the BTT.
#Illini
Couldn’t be prouder of or happier with an
#Illini
team.
They took a red-hot
#Badgers
team’s very best shot and won.
Raise that banner, and let’s grab another over the next few weeks!
TSJ gets the not guilty verdict.
Going to process the last few days before recording a podcast, but the prosecution’s case was flimsy at best.
And I’m being far too generous by just saying “flimsy”.
The reason I was agitated with Skyy's "personal issues" excuse is that it was likely BS, and it diminishes those actually DEALING with personal issues.
He got a sweet NIL deal, made some cash, got benched, and left.
I don't blame the kid so much as his enabler parents.
Coleman Hawkins after Arkansas: “When there’s promises for guys, when there’s little things like a freshman point guard coming in & bailing on you when times get tough…”
Could not have been a better start to March.
Marcus. TSJ. Coleman strong again. Some defensive stinginess when it counted.
And best of all? FOUR straight at the Kohl Center.
#Illini
COMMIT:
#illini
land five-star wing Will Riley
The 6-foot-8 Canadian wing, who likely will reclassify to the Class of 2024, is the highest-ranked prep prospect Illinois has landed during the last two decades.
How he fits (immediately) and what it means:
Coming to grips with two truths:
* 8-4 is a wildly successful second season for Bielema’s
#Illini
* Purdue earned a trip to Indy because they won when it mattered most. You didn’t.
Rest up, get extra practices in, and I’ll see you in Nashville for a fun ass New Years.
Here’s the deal: as a fan, I am over the moon with the result. I haven’t experienced that kind of joy as an Illini fan in a long time.
Being critical of what I saw for the first 42 games does not require an apology, nor should it rob me of the enjoyment.
Go Freakin’
#Illini
.
We’re not even at the first media timeout and I’m reminded how much I loathe Wisconsin basketball.
The players, their identity, their constant flopping and flailing about like idiots.
All of it.
In the worst division in power five history, Bret Bielema will go 1-5.
This season has been an abject failure and any momentum we had is lost.
Hard to be hyperbolic about how damaging this season has been.
#Illini
The second half was chicken soup for the
#Illini
fan’s soul.
The execution was sharp, the defense was stingy, and the swagger was on full display.
It felt like a half that exorcised some past tournament demons. Do that on Saturday and punch a ticket to Boston.
I’m prone to hyperbole, but out of this hyper-talented group of freshmen, Jayden Epps exudes “next great
#Illini
”.
He plays, acts, and looks like a seasoned 22-year-old veteran. Without him, this game doesn’t make it to overtime.
90 minutes later, and I’m still wondering . . . how did the
#Illini
win that game?!
Mostly, it’s because their floor is immensely high. Even in a messy 2nd half, their athleticism and defense can overcome a suspect offense.
The fact they won THIS game, THIS early, bodes well.
FOR SURE:
Rodgers
Goode
Harris
Dainja
Hansberry
Gibbs-Lawhorn
MAYBE:
Hawkins
IFFY:
Shannon
Lots to sort through, but the ceiling is retaining Hawkins and TSJ, grabbing a point guard, and a pure shooter.
Would feel pretty good about that.
Yeah, it’s Eastern Illinois.
But, for at least one week, hope springs eternal for 2024
#Illini
football.
Last year? There was a sense of unease after week one.
There are so many positives to take away from tonight, but being one who focuses on the macro . . .
It is so much fun when Illinois has a damn good basketball program.
The time has come to eliminate the line after games of shaking hands . Too many incidents taking places with the action in the
@BadgerMBB
vs
@umichbball
being SICKENING . Punches thrown behavior was out of control & UGLY ! The
@B1GMBBall
Commish must act on what happened .
Perusing
#Illini
basketball on
@kenpomeroy
this morning, and found an exciting nugget:
Kenpom has similarity scores, comparing current players to those from the past.
One comp for freshman Jayden Epps?
Freshman Jalen Brunson.
Gotta give props to Underwood.
The hockey substitution seemed to up the intensity. It was a desperate moment calling for desperate measures.
For a coach who stayed the course much of the last six weeks, it was a welcome change that paid off.
#Illini
What I hate the most is not getting a W for Trent. At least in person, I don’t recall an individual performance where someone busted their ass to that degree.
A phenomenal performance for a guy who had to run point, defend, and still was lights out shooting.
One of the most impressive halves of basketball I’ve ever seen from an
#Illini
team.
I don’t know what was said at the early 2nd half timeout, but from that point forward, Illinois waxed Nebraska.
Let’s hang a banner tomorrow.
Upon reflection, last night's
#Illini
win feels even bigger.
Trailing 50-41, they closed the game on a 34-16 run.
Down 33-16 on the boards, they outrebounded MSU 14-9 in closing time.
Only 5 turnovers (zero from Epps) and 10 fouls.
Monster win in a kick-ass enivronment.
There’s this trend in sports to be the “classiest” fan or fan base around.
If Kofi goes to another college, I’ll be pissed. I won’t wax poetic about his two years here, but I also won’t send him angry tweets.
Nothing personal. But it’s okay to be pissed when things go badly.
Haven’t been this buzzed for an
#Illini
home game since Iowa ‘22 (Big Ten clincher).
Vibes are strong. Underwood has won his last four Senior Nights:
* Iowa ‘20
* Nebraska ‘21
* Iowa ‘22
* Michigan ‘23
Borowski is an absolute joke.
He calls the intentional on Goode because it looked like an open path foul. Except, that call DOESN’T EXIST in college basketball.
Freaking moron.
Alright,
@IlliniFootball
- when and where can I get this new swag?
The cursive
#Illini
is super slick. Can’t wait to see the rebrand.
(Photo:
@IlliniHQ
)
Tonight feels like a big moment for Brad Underwood.
For fans,
#BragginRights
means something. Unfortunately, his
#Illini
teams have underperformed against some middling
#Mizzou
rosters.
This 2023-24 team appears to be more “put together” in the early going. Get the W.
To be clear, I’m not even mad.
When a team continually shows you what they are, believe them.
Not bad. Not great. Sometimes quite good, but not always.
Sure beats the Groce era. But, this isn’t shaping up to be a memorable year.
Let’s just fast forward three weeks to see if this
#Illini
team somehow, some way, can win two in a row.
Because until then, there’s nothing new. It’s the same tired rinse and repeat narrative.
Frankly, it’s annoying and fast becoming a bore.
Despite the loss:
* moved up to
#7
on KenPom
* won’t drop much in NET
* won’t fall far in AP rankings
Played with house money and came out relatively unscathed.
#Illini
For the
#Illini
football program and its fan base, tonight’s win was absolutely massive.
Glowing, and don’t think I’ll stop until kickoff next Saturday.
Certain wins just mean more.
If the
#Illini
got one more W the rest of the year, I'd choose last night.
The opponent, the 2OTs, a collapse then comeback . . .
As a fan, you want to accrue memorable moments. Last night's game is an all-timer.
A win like this changes the perception of Bielema’s first season. Today, style points mattered and offered more proof that progress was made.
I’d love one of those close losses back, but my optimism for
#Illini
football isn’t any lower at this 5-7 than it would be at 6-6.