Illini Zip

Ok, Marvin!! 👀

Did they give us the points for that goaltend?

Ypsilanti sounds like someplace where groundhogs should see their shadow in Spring.

C’mon, Amani. Smart defense.

Good energy early.

I read that about Harris, but I’m still not optimistic for a return. I would love to be wrong. I think he’s 6-7, but plays much bigger. We could really use him. I can’t believe he has missed 7 games already.

I am just thinking about the players Groce has had at Akron. And what hurts the most about losing Harris is I’m afraid we are going to be just too small. I long for a complete team without glaring holes. Last year it was our shooting. Can you imagine this roster? LCJ Castaneda Cheese Young Tribble Banks Dawson (healthy) Ivey Ali Xerius Freeman Riak Aziz Walk ons: Reese, Marshall, Harris, Nate and Tavari.

I liked reading that Seth had six rebounds. We need that as much as his made threes.

I followed Groce here because I love his offense in its purest form. I know opinions differ and I have friends who think it’s nothing more than rec-ball. But it’s not. Granted it’s not a traditional set offense. Players are making split-second decisions while constantly on the move and depending on what the defense presents. It’s not predictable, but it’s also not random. And it’s a bitch to defend when it’s humming. Is it heavy on the 3 pointer, yes. For many of the reasons @Let'sGoZips94 has already mentioned. But it’s a lot more than that. Ideally, every player in a Zips uniform should be able to drive the ball and score at all three levels. They should be able to pass effectively on the move and post-up their defender. Even Tavari. The constant motion is that of a wash-machine or even better a hand-mixer with 5 beaters. Constant movement, drive and kick. Drive and kick. Driving can lead to lay ups, dunks, floaters, mid-range jumpers, fade-aways or passes back out to an open shooter on the perimeter. You will see some players, especially the point guards given the green light to bomb threes from near the logo. Castaneda and LCJ certainly hit some crazy threes. That pulls the defense out and opens up the driving lanes. You will also see plenty of wrinkles worked in; pick and pop, give and go, inside out, but the drive and kick is the straw that stirs the drink. And what makes all of that driving possible? A deep bench and a commitment to shooting the 3 ball well and often.

Great game. I was afraid to say anything during the game. I didn’t want to jinx the good shooting night. Go Zips!!

The surprise stat of the night has to be that the 18 made threes was five short of the number of times Reghi said “respite”.

That’s the question. It might be awhile before we get that answer. Like after the season. But technically he’s just a junior this year so he would have another year anyway. The question is really, does he have 2 years of eligibility left? And if so, can we get a young man who already has multiple degrees to hang around that long?

The Battle of the Bros.

The only thing I can think of is a financial incentive of some sort for the league winner. The MAC Tournament used to include all 12 teams I believe. If we went back to that, teams ranked 5 - 12 would have to play an additional round. Making it worth while to be a top 4 team. And then I like the idea of reseeding after each round. That would ensure the top seed had the easiest road to a championship. In theory anyway.

Ahh, he turned the ball over at the 10:02 mark. Who needs him? 😀

I think we just need to become our best selves. Nothing more. I liked seeing Nate steal the ball and finish on the other end with an emphatic 2-handed dunk. Sure it might not be as cool as a tomahawk dunk, but it’s better than him missing altogether. That’s progress. Keep making those adjustments and improvements throughout the season. Collectively and individually. Rebounding, too much dribbling around, traveling, bad passes, missed free-throws, missed layups, dumb fouls, moving screens, broken defensive assignments. I think we are our own worst enemy at times. Sure, I would like to see Marvin get more opportunities going forward and Young become the primary ball-handler. But other than that nobody is standing out as an obvious starter right now. Maybe Nate, but he can be inconsistent as well. I would let the match-up dictate playing time. Certain players might distinguish themselves by March, but right now the whole active roster is engaged and I don’t expect that to change. And I don’t foresee a schematic change either.

Yep, that’s right. I guess my point is you don’t have to be the tallest, fastest or jump out of the gym to be an effective rebounder. Wilson can be an immovable object and if he boxes out properly should be able to Hoover-up anything that falls his way.

BG’s big guy, Marcus Johnson ended the night with 14 points. Which is good, but I thought our combination of big bodies (okonkwo, Lyles and Wilson) did a decent job of keeping him contained. Also, I wish Seth Wilson could have seen Lucas Smith play. Smith was a little taller, but Wilson is stronger and heavier. For someone fresh out of the rec. gym Smith could sure rebound. I think Wilson could do the same if he worked at it.

I am interested in learning more about Harris. I imagine he will be undergoing surgery since they ruled him out for the season. Let’s hope for a full recovery. Now would that mean he has 2 years of eligibility left? And if so, how do we get him to stay for those years. The guy already has multiple degrees. Maybe he could get into an internship program with a local business for credit hours or something.

I believe Harris was averaging 5 rebounds per game. That would have helped for sure.

I will really be rooting for Marvin’s continued/accelerated development now. He has an huge opportunity in front of him. Project MK-Ultra. Ha!!

Damn. Losing Harris hurts. We can still accomplish a lot, but I think our ceiling just dropped.

I do think Mahaffey will redshirt, but it sounds like he had a good offseason.

During the pre-game interview Groce responded to that question saying that both Harris and Eric Mahaffey’s return are indefinite. I was hoping for something more encouraging myself.

We need to ice the game from the line. We had two shots. But I’ll take the win.