Illini Zip

Tavari inbounding the basketball is going to give me an ulcer.

I don’t know if we will play better in the second half, but I have a feeling Groce is lighting a fire in the locker room right now.

Marvin and Tavari with a little 2 man game. Nice!!

We’re a little sleepy. Wake up guys!!

I really like this writer’s presentation.

I agree, but this was a road game. The refs tried their best to make this game interesting, especially in the first 5 minutes of the second half. But to the Zips credit they pushed right through it. That’s a great sign. What was the foul shot differential? I bet they barely sniff 60 points without all of those opportunities from the line. Edit: To my surprise the box score shows we actually shot more free throws. We were 22 of 26 to their 16 of 22. I still think they got plenty of home cooking, but I am probably off a bit.

ROAD KILL!!!

Okonkwo is shooting much better from the line.

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.