Illinois Post-Game Discussion/Article Links Thread

[DanMcQ]

FOXSports.com Box Score

msn.foxsports.com/cbk/boxscore?gameId=200512080267


Illinois 58 - Jeff GreenHoyas 48


Hoyas Never Get It Going
Georgetown's Offense Stifled At No. 11 Illinois: Illinois 58, Georgetown 48
By Camille Powell

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/08/AR2005120802498.html



Illini too much for Hoyas
By Barker Davis

www.washtimes.com/sports/20051209-120000-1206r.htm


...some perspective, perhaps...

"This is an intimidating place, maybe the most intimidating in the country, and I don't think they were ready for it," said Illinois coach Bruce Weber of his team's quick start. "I think that got to them. We jumped on them early, and then backed it up with a superb defensive effort. We made them work for everything they got tonight, and I think that was the difference."
Said Thompson: "We came out and dug a hole that was a little too deep to dig ourselves out of against a quality team on the road," said Thompson. "We did claw back and keep it competitive. ... Hopefully, it's a learning process."
"We're not going to beat anybody giving up 21 offensive rebounds," said Thompson. "They did a great job going after the ball, and we were just watching. We watched a little too much all night, and that will be addressed and corrected."
"Jeff played tonight, and we need that," said Thompson. "We're all a little down right now about the loss, but it's early. We're only five games into the season, and we've only played at home once. We did that for a reason to gauge where we were as a team, and hopefully we know what we need to work on now. The tough early schedule doesn't look or feel too good right now, but hopefully it will pay dividends in the long run."

Hoyas Report

www.washtimes.com/sports/20051209-124747-1000r.htm

[TigerHoya]

Not looking good out of the gate (8-0 run.)

They are wearing navy for anyone not near a TV.

[TigerHoya]

danmcq said:

FOXSports.com Game Trax

msn.foxsports.com/cbk/gameTrax?gameId=200512080267


...in a continuation of internet Hoya Box Score glitches, Fox's Game Trax has the game site listed as 'Assembly Hall - Bloomington, IN'

How many points does ESPN have Ewing score in theirs by the end of the game tonight?

[DanMcQ]

Unfortunately I'm working at a place without ESPN (but at least I can hear Chvotkin). Sounds a lot like the Hoyas' game up here in Boston last year. Can't win games without scoring....

[TigerHoya]

danmcq said:

Unfortunately I'm working at a place without ESPN (but at least I can hear Chvotkin). Sounds a lot like the Hoyas' game up here in Boston last year. Can't win games without scoring....

This may be a time to be glad you don't have it. I made the mistake of paying to watch that BC game online last year.

[RDF]

In a game where the team with the most points wins, you have to SCORE--and when you fall behind, you can't stay in your system, you have to play basketball and quit trying to prove a damn point. We'd have to shoot 95% in 2ND Half to be competitive and we're too slow of foot on defense to shut them down, so open the game up and see what your kids can do by just playing and quit staying stubborn, running the sets while you get your head kicked in. I am NOT saying to abandon this offense, I'm saying you adjust to the flow of the game and this isn't working--open the game up and let guys run/play.

Frustrating to watch--embarrassing to watch, and if this doesn't show any point guard in America that they can come in immediately and play, I don't know what will?? For the love of Hoops GOD, we NEED A DAMN POINT GUARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[theEDGEfactor]

ne1 feel like throwing up?? 1of the worst halves ive ever seen in the past 5 years for gtown

[RDF]

This is the WORST Half of Offensive Basketball I've EVER seen and I've been around since 1980 at age of 5. AWFUL-just flat awful basketball and when your most talented player (Jeff Green) doesn't get shots, is only getting looks from perimeter, it's not a good thing.

Let's just play ball in 2nd Half and quit worrying about the "system".

[OldHoyafan]

I was afraid that Illinois guards would be too quick for the Hoyas and that is panning out. Dee
Brown is making WALLACE look like a slow high school player. Wallace is a good guard to walk the ball up the floor but against aggressive man'to'man he can't cut it.
We definitely will need Sapp against UConn, Nova, etc.
Painfull to watch but hope it gives the team a learning experience.

[DanMcQ]

...only from Chvotkin will you hear "and Green gets the first hoop of the vesper half"

[TigerHoya]

danmcq said:

...only from Chvotkin will you hear "and Green gets the first hoop of the vesper half"

Need the Illini to send us to the sin stripe more.

[jerseyhoya34]

If we value the basketball and lock down on defense, we have a fighting chance in this thing. But, we have to value each and every possession from here.

[woolax]

While it appears that Georgetown may fall short tonight, I love that JT III is playing tougher out of conference games. Let us reserve judgements until February to see if these games have paid off or not.

[DanMcQ]

jerseyhoya34 said:

If we value the basketball and lock down on defense, we have a fighting chance in this thing. But, we have to value each and every possession from here.

just curious... what's the difference between "each" and "every" possession?



(one of my favorite former baseball-player-turned-broadcaster phrases by the way)

[jerseyhoya34]

They're spelled differently. That's the difference.

[DanMcQ]

Gotcha. I thought maybe one was offense and one was defense. Silly me. ;D

[DanMcQ]

Negatives:

13 points in a half won't get it done - especially on the road. This game (much like a couple last year) was lost in the first half.

Guard play is clearly not at Top 20 level yet. Illinois was just the kind of guard-centric team that this team (at list of this point) has a lot of trouble handling.

Three point shot defense needs to be better.

Free throw shooting needs work.

Rebounding needs work.

Bowman remains MIA. Question: is it more his inability to function in the offense or the guards' inability to involve him?



Positive:

Jeff Green may have finally awakened tonight.


I'll have to actually watch the game to make any more sense out of this. One can only hope that this kind of experience will prevent stage fright in big road games in the future.

Oh yeah, and "Hibbert took it right up the gut for the hooker."

[illinois79]

Good effort tonight by the Hoyas. You look like an NCAA team to me. Well coached and Green is a load!

[hoyaveritas]

Tough game tonight, but I am proud of how the team played in the second half. While the result obviously was not what we wanted, we had a chance to win a game that looked like it was out of hand in the first half. They did right by the name on the front of their jerseys.

Green's game was a great sign that he still has his old magic. Bring on the St. Leo's of the world, and of course, the Big East.

[RockawayHoya]

Sick to my stomach after that one. Say what you want to say about it being a tough game on the road in the hardest place to play in America in the past 5 years, but we gave that game away.

Writing my observations...