Illinois Post Game Thread

[Bomber36]

I’m sure somebody already said this, but I just got home and don’t wanna go through all nine pages. It’s nothing we haven’t seen.

Not sure….but you aren't wrong. How was the live experience?

 

[dalydosehoops]

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: UConn manhandles Illinois with 30-0 run to reach 7th Final Four

Dan Hurley and UConn celebrate East Regional championship Saturday, as Huskies thumped Illinois to return to Final Four. (Photo by Jaden Dal...

dalydoseofhoops.blogspot.com

 

[alphasigko]

That was the most dominating game by a big man I think I’ve ever seen.

You must be young... Kareem? Walton?

That being said, it was DC's best performance ever!

 

[Classof87]

I think their strategy was highly dependent on getting help from the stripes. Let’s run at Clingan and do what we can to get 2 fouls on him early.

When they didn’t get bailed out from the refs, and Clingan was having none of it they fell apart. Also they highly underestimated Johnson when he came in.

I knew we would be okay when I saw Illinois not really playing as team - trying to go ”one of one” and when that didn’t work, launching 3s.

One thing I know for sure is that will never beat us in a neutral court (without home cooking from refs) is the strategy Illinois came with tonight.

I've been perusing an Illini chat board and the prevailing opinion is that the refs are a large part of why they got spanked. They refused to blow the whistle on DC when Illinois drove on him. It's kind of amusing to read, and def very sad, lol.

 

[Bomber36]

I've been perusing an Illini chat board and the prevailing opinion is that the refs are a large part of why they got spanked. They refused to blow the whistle on DC when Illinois drove on him. It's kind of amusing to read, and def very sad, lol.

Like I said, they are delusional.

 

[caw]

Illinois fell to #4 offense and UConn moved up to #4 defense after that display on Kenpom.

 

[alphasigko]

That 30-0 run was the best performance of any Husky team that I have ever watched since 1969....

 

[Bomber36]

That 30-0 run was the best performance of any Husky team that I have even watched since 1969....

It was surreal to watch. What an amazing performance.

 

[bendm]

Illinois fell to #4 offense and UConn moved up to #4 defense after that display on Kenpom.

We might end up playing the #2 offense in back to back games if Purdue and Bama swap spots

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Gives me flashbacks to boat's similar reverse along the baseline against Kentucky...that ended well so I'd say there's some mojo

 

[REB1094]

I've been perusing an Illini chat board and the prevailing opinion is that the refs are a large part of why they got spanked. They refused to blow the whistle on DC when Illinois drove on him. It's kind of amusing to read, and def very sad, lol.

Saw a bit of this on Twitter too. The complaint is that Shannon and Domask got hit all night and barely got calls

It’s true. They did. So did Newton, Castle, and Clingan

Everyone was getting beat up and the officials consistently let them play through it. Kudos to the refs for that

If Illinois got twice as many FTs, and then shot 100% instead of 71%, they lose 77-74. What are we doing here?

 

[David 76]

Just fantastic!

 

[cohenzone]

We’ve had very good teams that couldn’t blitz the Little Sisters of the Poor like that. That was scary and ought to be legendary.

 

[alphasigko]

We’ve had very good teams that couldn’t blitz the Little Sisters of the Poor like that. That was scary and ought to be legendary.

It IS legendary

 

[RedStickHusky]

I think for me the biggest difference in the season and particularly the last 6 weeks is the absolute total buy in from Steph Castle.

Taking a one and done prospect and getting him to buy in to his role like they have is amazing. He's tasked with the best offensive player every night and shuts them down. He's not asked to play on the ball much. He's not asked to score much. He's a 5 star recruit with an NBA check waiting in his mail box at home and they've gotten him to buy in to a role you'd struggle to get 3rd and 4th year players to do.

Big props to Castle and the coaching staff. As one and dones go there's not many who've done it the way he has. The kid is a winner, plays as hard as any kid on the floor and he's a freshman with way bigger basketball aspirations than what he can accomplish in one year at uconn.

I'd also contend as far as on ball defenders go he's the best in the country right now and potentially maybe the best to ever play at uconn.

They're paying him back with a trip to the final four. He said in the post game that's what he came for.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Wasn’t Hurley saying preseason that he had to get Castle hungry/committed on defense? To go from that to our best perimeter defender is insane

We were hearing about his defense from day 1.

 

[Ha Who]

Post in thread 'UCONN….'
UCONN….

 

[RedStickHusky]

Castle's been quie.... never mind.

 

[uconnfan68]

One of my favorite moments was when they thought they were going to score down low when DC went out, and SJ swatted it.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Just incredible. What else can you say?

 

[JCisthegoat]

Saw a bit of this on Twitter too. The complaint is that Shannon and Domask got hit all night and barely got calls

It’s true. They did. So did Newton, Castle, and Clingan

Everyone was getting beat up and the officials consistently let them play through it. Kudos to the refs for that

If Illinois got twice as many FTs, and then shot 100% instead of 71%, they lose 77-74. What are we doing here?

I think we had an advantageous whistle in the first half. But it didn’t decide the game

 

[HooperScooper]

Yeah that is total bs. They had 5 on the Jumbotron and even that was low. 4? NFW. He was absolutely dominant in the paint.

They gave him back his 5th.

UConn 77-52 Illinois (Mar 30, 2024) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Illinois Fighting Illini NCAAM game from March 30, 2024 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

 

[HuskyHawk]

They gave him back his 5th.

UConn 77-52 Illinois (Mar 30, 2024) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Illinois Fighting Illini NCAAM game from March 30, 2024 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

Ok now where are 6, 7, 8 and 9.

 

[Waquoit]

Did you hear the commentary, "Castle's been quiet," a moment before the jam? I had flashbacks of "You're not getting the ball from Brand."

 

[SoCalCanine]

I’m smiling like an idiot when coach underwood said “ we are going to keep going at him (Clingan)”


Is there a dumber coach? I mean, no time out im any stretch of 30-0 run? No half time adjustments at all?

In the chat, I said Shemp, but maybe he's closer to Curly?