It was the Illini’s sixth loss in their final eight games, but as Izzo has predicted could happen all season, that was more a product of the imbalanced Big Ten schedule than anything else: Three of the losses were to Ohio State, one to Purdue before the Robbie Hummel injury, one to Wisconsin, one to Minnesota.
"This is why the Big Ten has to take a serious look at how we schedule," Izzo said. "When someone says you lost at the end, and that's where you are, it's ridiculous. It's so schedule-driven, as I told you when we were 9-0."
Izzo said Illinois also probably was victimized by tough non-conference losses to NCAA-bound Gonzaga and Missouri.
Illini to face Stony Brook in opening round of NIT Wednesday
by Joe Kutsunis on Mar 14, 2010 8:25 PM CDT
16 comments
Cirque Du Soleil, I hope you are worth it.
The Illini will play on Wednesday night, at Stony Brook Sports Complex. in Stony Brook, New York. It seats 5,000.
We are the #1 seed in the NIT and have to play in a rec center on Long Island, because of a french interpretive dance circus.
Let that sink in.
The game will be on ESPNU, so I hope it will also be on 360. 8pm Central
ANOTHER UPDATE: This local paper suggests the complex will be open after all.
It will be the first basketball game held in the Stony Brook Arena in nearly two years. The basketball teams have been playing their home games in the smaller Prichard Gymnasium for the last two years. According to a report on Newsday.com, the Arena was prepared earlier this year in case the men’s basketball team had made it to the America East finals.
16 comments | 0 recs |
Illini will not be playing in the NCAA Tournament
by Joe Kutsunis on Mar 14, 2010 5:42 PM CDT
19 comments
19 comments | 0 recs
Selection Show and Acid Reflux Openthread
by Joe Kutsunis on Mar 14, 2010 2:37 PM CDT
159 comments
This is exactly where we didn't want to be on Sunday March 14th. Without control over our post season destiny and rooting for chalk in the conference tournaments.
We know the resume and we know who might end up jumping us. Use this to discuss and react as the minutes wind down toward the Illini's fate next week.
It is going to be close, but I don't have a great feeling.... come on Ohio State, crush the Gophers.
159 comments | 0 recs
Big Ten Day 3, game 2. Openthreadmigod Gophers and Boilers
by Joe Kutsunis on Mar 13, 2010 3:57 PM CST
4 comments
Pick yourselves up guys. There is still more Basketball to be consumed. CONSUME.
4 comments | 0 recs
Illini finally fall to Evan Turner, Ohio State in two overtimes 88-81
by Joe Kutsunis on Mar 13, 2010 3:34 PM CST
3 comments
Rolling update reload for more.
Well, it's not like they didn't have their chances. The Illini did force the Buckeyes into a pair of extra sessions. In the final seconds of second half, the Illini had the ball, and Bruce called a timeout with 3 seconds to go. The resulting play ended up in a shot that would not have counted,
In a similar situation at the end of the first over time, Bruce did not call a timeout. The result was a desperation shot that fell short.
In either of those situations, there is plenty to second guess for Bruce. He tried both, and both resulted in no points. It is what it is.
Overall though the Illini did play quite well. Well outside of the 18-0 run from OSU. The seven minute scoreless drought was exacerbated by the hated Jon Diebler shooting the threes that keep Bruce Weber up at night. The Illini were able, however to ultimately overcome this. Mike Tisdale played limited minutes due to fouls, but his shots in the final 10 of regulation kept the Illini alive.
Even in the loss, we have to take our hats off to the performance of Tyler Griffey. Tyler's 13 points and 5 rebounds are without a doubt the most meaningful contribution he has made all year, especially given the magnitude of the situation. He stepped in for Mike Tisdale who as we mentioned before is as important to the offense of the Illini as McCamey, and the offense did not miss a beat.
3 comments | 0 recs |
This is it. Illini and Ohio State in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
by Joe Kutsunis on Mar 13, 2010 12:45 PM CST
141 comments
141 comments | 0 recs
Big Ten Tournament Day 2: You Can't Ask For A Better Day Of Basketball
by Joe Kutsunis on Mar 12, 2010 11:20 PM CST
2 comments
Tonight's upset of Michigan State by Minnesota was the perfect cap to a very long but intensely satisfying day of Big Ten Basketball.
Evan Turner's 40 foot buzzer beater to beat Michigan, the Illini withstanding the longest two minutes of basketball imaginable, Purdue overcoming a Northwestern team that would not stay dead, and lastly of course an overtime slug-fest between the Spartans and Gophers.
It was a feast of basketball that will not likely be matched in my first hand experience for some time. It is of course all the more satisfying due to the fact that my Illini have secured (knock on wood) their ticket for selection Sunday. Combine that with the unlikely Minnesota win, and you have the recipe for a six bid Big Ten this year, which before today could have been very easily only four.
This is my first Big Ten Tournament, and I have to say the atmosphere is unlike any you will see. The fanbases of eight different teams came into Conseco today, and most stayed around for every game. These are fans that know one another, know the other teams, and have a huge amount of emotion invested in these games. To see Michigan fans stand up and chant "little brother" to Michigan State fans, a full 10 hours after losing to their other hated rival Ohio State. A lone Penn State fan, with no team to root on, chanting "we are...." with no response is priceless. Purdue fans taking pictures of themselves making despicable gestures near the Steve Alford bobble head statue. Illinois alumni coming up to me and asking "are the Illini in now? Can I finally stop worrying?"
It is a rare opportunity to get the entire conference in one place, at one time to try and rip each other limb from limb.
For all the stress that getting here was, it is already completely worth it.
2 comments | 0 recs |
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Big Ten Conference Standings
(updated 3.15.2010 at 12:34 AM CDT)
| Conf | Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
Purdue Boilermakers
|
14 | 4 | 27 | 5 |
|
Ohio St. Buckeyes
|
14 | 4 | 27 | 7 |
|
Michigan St. Spartans
|
14 | 4 | 24 | 8 |
|
Wisconsin Badgers
|
13 | 5 | 23 | 8 |
|
Illinois Fighting Illini
|
10 | 8 | 19 | 14 |
|
Minnesota Golden Gophers
|
9 | 9 | 21 | 13 |
|
Northwestern Wildcats
|
7 | 11 | 20 | 13 |
|
Michigan Wolverines
|
7 | 11 | 15 | 17 |
|
Indiana Hoosiers
|
4 | 14 | 10 | 21 |
|
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
4 | 14 | 10 | 22 |
|
Penn St. Nittany Lions
|
3 | 15 | 11 | 20 |
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
