OT: University of Illinois WBB Picks the WRONG DII Team to Play | The Boneyard

OT: University of Illinois WBB Picks the WRONG DII Team to Play

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Charliebball said:
Apparently this college is quite a big player in DII athletics
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Yes, I was going to look it up but didn't see a history tab, but I believe they are quite good.

I have a theory that says a P5 team "should" beat most "non-P5" D1 teams, never mind teams from lesser divisions.
 
KnightBridgeAZ said:
Yes, I was going to look it up but didn't see a history tab, but I believe they are quite good.

I have a theory that says a P5 team "should" beat most "non-P5" D1 teams, never mind teams from lesser divisions.
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Pretty much the bottom half of all P5 conferences would struggle to win a mid major title, and the two or three at the bottom would likely struggle to win any non-P5 league.
 
The top DII teams are pretty amazing. Skillwise, they're the match of the DI folks - they just tend to be smaller - height and muscle-wise - and they have less practice time.

I miss the olde days when there was a college senior all star game at the Final Four. DII and DIII Players of the Years were on the team - and one year one of them showed out. It was great.
 
ChicagoGG said:
A learning experience for both teams. One happier than the other with the lesson.
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The key thing is that both learned something that should help them going forward............that doesn't happen when the DI team beats the DII/III team by 100 points................
 
KnightBridgeAZ said:
Ouch!

The purpose of exhibition games is never to lose!
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Let's not forget that back in 2007 Geno scheduled USA Basketball in the preseason, the first game, too. It was a REAL game, and one that UConn lost, albeit not by much (74-90). Pretty darn good for a bunch of college kids against the Best.

So SOMETIMES you have a different agenda.
 
And what most of these responses miss is the most vital thing: University of Illinois WBB has been a dumpster fire for most of the last ten years. Ask Morgan Tuck's sis. Or ask anyone who has lived around here for a few decades. When Theresa Grentz was here, even though she was egocentric and frequently abrasive, at least she won (more than a few).

Given the strength of high school basketball in Illinois, one would think that the landgrant (or "keystone" as they like to call themselves) university could recruit, coach, and play far better than the status quo.
But the truth is that men's sports here are not just driving the bus, but owning it too. A UConn fan likely cannot grasp how little interest there is in women's sports here. It isn't comparable.

In fairness, the location of our biggest city (Chicago) makes it prime recruiting territory for Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, ND, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and maybe a dozen others or more. U of Illinois will never get the cream of the Chicago crop, as there is too large a field of strong competitors for those players' services.
 
It looks like it's going to be a long season again for the Stumblin' Illini.

Coach Matt Bollant had a lot of success coaching three star kids at Green Bay, and
much was expected at Illinois. Coaching three star kids ( with an occasional four
star like Chatrice White) at Illinois, he hasn't duplicated the Green Bay success.
 
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BigBird said:
A UConn fan likely cannot grasp how little interest there is in women's sports here. It isn't comparable.
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So true, & I would venture to say this is true of most colleges even in P5 conferences.
 
Looks like White left just in time. A bad team with her, a bad team without her. Good thing Missouri still has Sophie.
 
ThisJustIn said:
The top DII teams are pretty amazing. Skillwise, they're the match of the DI folks - they just tend to be smaller - height and muscle-wise - and they have less practice time.

I miss the olde days when there was a college senior all star game at the Final Four. DII and DIII Players of the Years were on the team - and one year one of them showed out. It was great.
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Let me say, Emporia State is a good team and they played Baylor really tough. And they were talented, just not as physically gifted and not nearly as deep, so their players eventually wore down. But they came out ready and there was no intimidation factor at all. I think they really took Baylor by surprise.
 
UcMiami said:
Pretty much the bottom half of all P5 conferences would struggle to win a mid major title, and the two or three at the bottom would likely struggle to win any non-P5 league.
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That is true - but given the financial advantages that most P5 schools have, my general argument has always been that they should be better. I know they aren't, just as I know there are teams in lower divisions that can compete with D1 teams. That's why they play the games.
 
KnightBridgeAZ said:
That is true - but given the financial advantages that most P5 schools have, my general argument has always been that they should be better. I know they aren't, just as I know there are teams in lower divisions that can compete with D1 teams. That's why they play the games.
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Exactly. Take away the P-5 money they earn due to the talent at the top of the conference and they would end up near the bottom of the standings of a mid-major conference.
 
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