Illinois outplayed Northwestern in a 66-50 win last night in front of a sparse, but energetic, State Farm Center crowd. Defense was the story of the night, as the Illini swarmed and scrapped and held the Wildcats to 32.1% shooting overall and 22.2% from three. They corralled 12 more rebounds, swiped 6 steals, and … Continue reading Illini Defense Throttles Northwestern, 66-50
Author: tockmo
Pre-gamin’: Illinois vs. Northwestern
7:00 February 21, 2017 TV: BTN Radio: 97.5 FM WHMS 1400 AM WDWS Questions Worth Asking How will Northwestern star Scottie Lindsey's return affect the rematch? Illinois won at Northwestern earlier this month, 68-61. Lindsey, who leads the Wildcats in scoring at 15.0 points per game, missed that match with a case of mono. He … Continue reading Pre-gamin’: Illinois vs. Northwestern
Illini Outlast the Hawkeyes 70-66, Earn Season Sweep
On a beautiful, warm February day, the Illini pulled off an ugly road win against the cold-shooting Hawkeyes. Beating Iowa is always a pleasure, and earning the sweep against this bitter rival is one of the highlights of a difficult season. Illinois came out with Tracy Abrams in the starting lineup, a nod to his … Continue reading Illini Outlast the Hawkeyes 70-66, Earn Season Sweep
Pre-gamin’: Illinois at Iowa
1:00 February 18, 2017 TV: BTN Radio: 97.5 FM WHMS 1400 AM WDWS Questions Worth Asking Can the Illini repeat their defensive performance against Hawkeyes star Peter Jok? The combination of Malcolm Hill and Kipper Nichols held Jok to 10 points on 3-9 shooting in the Illini win in Champaign last month. At the time, … Continue reading Pre-gamin’: Illinois at Iowa
Comparing John and Lou Part 2: John Groce’s First Five Seasons
Now let's take a look at the past seven seasons: Year Overall Record B10 Rec B10 Rank RTs Played Highest RT Played Avg Rank of RTs Played Wins vs RTs 10-11 20-14 9-9 4 8 1 8.9 17 MSU 11-12 17-15 6-12 9 9 5 13.8 19 Gonz, 5 OSU, 10 MSU 12-13 23-13 8-10 … Continue reading Comparing John and Lou Part 2: John Groce’s First Five Seasons
Comparing John and Lou, Part 1: Lou Henson’s First Five Illini Seasons
It's been a long bye week for Illini basketball. Things get going again with the game at Iowa Saturday afternoon. In the lull between games, there's been speculation about John Groce's job status (of course). It's actually been quieter than I expected, but because there haven't been any games – and partially because spring football … Continue reading Comparing John and Lou, Part 1: Lou Henson’s First Five Illini Seasons
It’s Baseball Season! Cubs Pitchers and Catchers Reported Today
Unfortunately, I don't have time to do a deep dive into expectations for this Cubs season just yet - their first trying to repeat as World Series Champs since spring training 1909! (Did they have spring training in 1909? Might have to look into that...) I anticipate Cubs coverage will ramp up as the Illini … Continue reading It’s Baseball Season! Cubs Pitchers and Catchers Reported Today
Illini Miss Opportunity to Save Season in Loss to Penn State 70-83
Well, folks, that should just about do it. Illinois had an opportunity to keep momentum rolling, to show that their upward defensive trajectory wasn't an anomaly, to prove that they were coming together just in time to maybe squeeze into the tournament and save their coach's job. They blew it. There's no way to sugar … Continue reading Illini Miss Opportunity to Save Season in Loss to Penn State 70-83
Pre-gamin’: Illinois vs. Penn State
1:00 February 11, 2017 TV: BTN Radio: 97.5 FM WHMS 1400 AM WDWS Questions Worth Asking Will John Groce go with a short bench like he did at Northwestern? As discussed after the win, nine Illini played and only eight saw more than 4 minutes. Illinois played its most "connected" game against the Wildcats. Coincidence? … Continue reading Pre-gamin’: Illinois vs. Penn State
Illini Play Tough and Together, Beat Northwestern 68-61
That game was fun to watch. Well, maybe not the first five minutes when the score was just 6-2 Northwestern, but most of us didn't see that as we watched Penn State upset Maryland 70-64 in a game that was already running long before Maryland started to foul. We don't seem to have missed any … Continue reading Illini Play Tough and Together, Beat Northwestern 68-61
The Paignful Truth 