UConn vs Illinois (Final Four) | Page 14 | The Boneyard

UConn vs Illinois (Final Four)

RuffRuff said:
Remember the days when it was said Hurley can't win a close game......

It feels like 80% of the "analysts" are picking Illinois because they've been playing well. I feel like we have an answer for anything they can throw at us. I love this matchup. Teams that are willing to run the half court without pressuring the ball, bring it. That's where coaching matters.
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Agreed Ruff. Everyone loves how they have played in the tournament. They beat teams 139, 43, 5, and 27 in the NCAAs.

Compare that to UConn. We have faced teams 186, 30, 11, and 1. Big difference.
 
I like our chances just fine, but it's also not crazy to think a team that loses close games is playing well but unlucky and a team that wins close games is playing with fire. Will be very interesting.
 
Marat said:
And any lead will not feel safe for them after seeing how UConn game back vs Duke.
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The one thing I'll say about this Illinois team, is they do seem unflappable, starting with Wagler. He does have a very calm and cool way about him, never feels like he's playing too fast or stressed. I don't think they're going to be the kind of team playing stressed.

I think we out-execute them.
 
Inyatkin said:
I like our chances just fine, but it's also not crazy to think a team that loses close games is playing well but unlucky and a team that wins close games is playing with fire. Will be very interesting.
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I'm curious if during the days when half of this board kept saying "Dan Hurley can't win close games" if they were thinking he was unlucky.
 
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BFieldHusky said:
Agreed Ruff. Everyone loves how they have played in the tournament. They beat teams 139, 43, 5, and 27 in the NCAAs.

Compare that to UConn. We have faced teams 186, 30, 11, and 1. Big difference.
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And yet people made that argument about our 4 seed National Champion too. I simply like the matchup and think it favors us. There's a certain type of team that gives us real problems, but Illinois is not that type of team.
 
FfldCntyFan said:
I'm curious if during the days when half of this board kept saying "Dan Hurley can't win close games" if they were thinking he was unlucky.
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No one wants to hear it, but it happens all the time. A ball bounces one way and not the other. Fans always want to make it something innate, but close games really can go either way all the time.
 
Got to love Hurley, we came for rings, not watches. We don't hang F4 banners at Uconn. This guy is truly one of the best coaching sound bites out there across sports. What he does after coaching will be fun to watch.

 
I'm sure given the "well, actually..." nature of twitter someone is going to post a pic of the 2009 FF banner
 
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I've heard on a few pods that UConn is 15th in KenPom net rating for just tournament games. Michigan and AZ are 1-2, and I think Illinois is 5. That's why we're hearing a lot of analysts pick Illinois; so much of their "analysis" these days is really just looking at advanced metrics.
 
BFieldHusky said:
Illinois doesn't play aggressive defense and doesn't force turnovers. Our offense runs very smoothly against those types of teams.
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I also like that fact that we have been doing all this with a hobbled Silas, and almost no Stew. We've been getting Malachi really good minutes, who is the kind of guard that will give Illinois trouble.

I may be too overconfident on this on, but I really feel like we win this one comfortably. I also think the actions will get Mullins and Ball much more comfortable against Illinois and we'll have a good day shooting.

Biggest issue I'd have in this one is that Ivisic is pulling Tarris away from the rim and hitting 3's. He only took 3 of them in the first game. We outrebounded them in game 1, by 5, and we didn't shoot it all that great.

Separately

sports.yahoo.com

NCAA tournament Final Four ticket prices fell considerably after Duke's loss to UConn

How much will it cost those who want to see Arizona take on Michigan or UConn face Illinois? How about UConn vs. South Carolina and Texas vs. UCLA in the women's tournament?
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com
 
Kemba15 said:
I've heard on a few pods that UConn is 15th in KenPom net rating for just tournament games. Michigan and AZ are 1-2, and I think Illinois is 5. That's why we're hearing a lot of analysts pick Illinois; so much of their "analysis" these days is really just looking at advanced metrics.
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Bump KenPom. He never gets UConn right.
 
Let them view us as underdogs. It will be that much sweeter when we kick their backsides.

I'll say it again:

UNDERESTIMATE US AT YOUR OWN PERIL!
 
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Inyatkin said:
No one wants to hear it, but it happens all the time. A ball bounces one way and not the other. Fans always want to make it something innate, but close games really can go either way all the time.
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If Silas doesn't tip that ball, Hurley is probably getting killed for poor clock management - taking 20 seconds on offense, and then not fouling and giving up a dunk. You'd be hearing lots of "you have to go quick. You have to foul. You need extra possessions to at least give yourself a chance."

If Mullins shoots an air ball, he also might be getting killed for not taking a timeout. A two ties it, so an inbounds play, once it was clear AK had nothing off the pass, might have given us a chance at a better look than a 40 footer.

But Silas tipped it and Mullins hit it.

(and can you imagine if he did call timeout right before Mullins nailed a 40 footer? - but that could have happened. I'm sure some UConn fans were out there screaming for one)
 
HW611 said:
Sat in the 100s for 2023 (tickets were like $100) and it felt so far.
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I was in Detroit in 2009 with floor seats and I felt like I needed binoculars. It's a terrible watch unless you have amazing seats.
 
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HuskyHawk said:
And yet people made that argument about our 4 seed National Champion too. I simply like the matchup and think it favors us. There's a certain type of team that gives us real problems, but Illinois is not that type of team.
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Our 4 seeded National Championship team wasn't playing a Top 5 team in the Final 4. We drew a 5 seed Miami. Quite different.

Totally agree on the matchup.
 
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