Home Game for U 0f H

[HOUCARD]

Illini are getting screwed. The Toyota Center, in Houston, is about 4 miles from the U of H campus. Originally, they were going to be a host school which would not have allowed them to host. The AD (Eddie Nunez) at Houston effectively lobbied the NCAA to make Rice the host school. The wording used is: Nunez relinquished hosting duties to Rice. I am sure Rice, event though they have not made the dance since 1970, received some $ for filing the paperwork. As far as the NCAA is concerned, this makes it a neutral site. Guess the Illini will just have to go kick their buts.

[MIDMOBIRDTWO]

The NCAA set up brackets to enhance attendance. The bottom line is the cash cow.

[Rickster]

yeah sure...that seems pretty "favorite-ismy" ....but, if the Illini win just half of their 4 OT losses this season then they maintain a 2 seed and play in Chicago in the Midwest region. They didn't get it done, so ....

Besides, the Illini have been a pretty good road team all year anyway.

This game will be the "proof in the pudding" test of whether playing a tough schedule really prepares you for the tourney. Houston's frenetic, on-ball pressure defense can overwhelm teams not prepared to handle it. This Illini team should be prepared. I feel like Tomi is the key in this game.

[Rickster]

2 questions for the wisdom of the crowd...

specifically for this game, do they allocate tickets equally to teams playing for sale to their fans? or is it just first come first get? I just glanced at the Alton Telegraph post that tix for the Houston region round 3 are going for more $$ than last year's final four. I'm assuming that includes after-market sales.

second, more generally ...a stat-keeping Q. If you miss a shot but get the offensive rebound, does that count as 1 possession or 2 possessions? It popped into my head when I heard someone say that Illini had a 7 pt lead at half against VCU even though they had 11 fewer possessions. I'm also just curious when we hear the metric of 1.28 pts/possession ...does that include another possession after an offensive rebound?

[ChiefSTL]

2 questions for the wisdom of the crowd...

specifically for this game, do they allocate tickets equally to teams playing for sale to their fans? or is it just first come first get? I just glanced at the Alton Telegraph post that tix for the Houston region round 3 are going for more $$ than last year's final four. I'm assuming that includes after-market sales.

second, more generally ...a stat-keeping Q. If you miss a shot but get the offensive rebound, does that count as 1 possession or 2 possessions? It popped into my head when I heard someone say that Illini had a 7 pt lead at half against VCU even though they had 11 fewer possessions. I'm also just curious when we hear the metric of 1.28 pts/possession ...does that include another possession after an offensive rebound?

Not sure about the tickets, but I would think allotments are the same for each team.

Regarding your rebound question, an offensive rebound does not count as a new possession. The other team would have to possess the ball to count as a new possession.

[Rickster]

2 questions for the wisdom of the crowd...

specifically for this game, do they allocate tickets equally to teams playing for sale to their fans? or is it just first come first get? I just glanced at the Alton Telegraph post that tix for the Houston region round 3 are going for more $$ than last year's final four. I'm assuming that includes after-market sales.

second, more generally ...a stat-keeping Q. If you miss a shot but get the offensive rebound, does that count as 1 possession or 2 possessions? It popped into my head when I heard someone say that Illini had a 7 pt lead at half against VCU even though they had 11 fewer possessions. I'm also just curious when we hear the metric of 1.28 pts/possession ...does that include another possession after an offensive rebound?

Not sure about the tickets, but I would think allotments are the same for each team.

Regarding your rebound question, an offensive rebound does not count as a new possession. The other team would have to possess the ball to count as a new possession.

gotcha...ok that makes sense. Also explains how a team can still have 1.2 pts/possession even if they only shoot 30% for the game.

[12xu]

The Illini played a great defensive game without fouling and held Houston to 34% shooting. Underwood and staff made the correct defensive adjustments and the players did their jobs. The Illinois offense came to life in the second half and with balanced scoring and great rebounding and they went on a 17-0 run to take a 18 pt lead with about 12 min left. Just a great game - except for poor FT shooting. Illinois outrebounded the Cougars 43-34 with Wagler and Mirkovic getting 12 and 10 boards, respectively. The Illini played well on the road during the season and did it again last night.

Now they play Iowa for the right to go to the Final Four! Iowa is the lowest seed still alive, and Illinois beat them in Iowa City during the regular season. If the Illini play a solid game and limit the Hawkeyes' 3 pt shooting - no way they lose.

[Rickster]

The Illini played a great defensive game without fouling and held Houston to 34% shooting. Underwood and staff made the correct defensive adjustments and the players did their jobs.

agreed....if they had played team defense like that all year they would've challenged Mich for the league title and earned #1 seed. I'll eat some crow...I didn't think they had it in them.

On the offensive end, our size, passing and mix of shooting and driving handled that frenetic on-ball D that Houston plays. I'm sure they overwhelm a lot of teams with that. I texted my group during one of those big 2nd half runs "if Houston wants to keep doubling on the ball 40 feet from the basket, they are welcome to it"

if we had shot our season avg from the FT line, we would've won going away. That can't happen again or we might not get the same resulting W.

This seems like nitpicking, but what in the world was BU thinking at the end of the first half?????? Good lord man...we held a high scoring team to 20 freakin pts in the half, had a 5 pt lead...with 16 seconds left just let your team play D. There was no reason whatsoever to give those fouls away. That easily could have hurt us. Just baffling.

[ChiefSTL]

The Illini played a great defensive game without fouling and held Houston to 34% shooting. Underwood and staff made the correct defensive adjustments and the players did their jobs.

agreed....if they had played team defense like that all year they would've challenged Mich for the league title and earned #1 seed. I'll eat some crow...I didn't think they had it in them.

On the offensive end, our size, passing and mix of shooting and driving handled that frenetic on-ball D that Houston plays. I'm sure they overwhelm a lot of teams with that. I texted my group during one of those big 2nd half runs "if Houston wants to keep doubling on the ball 40 feet from the basket, they are welcome to it"

if we had shot our season avg from the FT line, we would've won going away. That can't happen again or we might not get the same resulting W.

This seems like nitpicking, but what in the world was BU thinking at the end of the first half?????? Good lord man...we held a high scoring team to 20 freakin pts in the half, had a 5 pt lead...with 16 seconds left just let your team play D. There was no reason whatsoever to give those fouls away. That easily could have hurt us. Just baffling.

Great game by coaches and players. Crazy to think that we didn't shoot it as well as we can, and still had a healthy double digit lead most of the second half.

I actually agree with the strategy at the end of the half, but not so much the execution. I coach basketball in Illinois and when our rules changed from the tradition 7 foul bonus in a half to 5 fouls in a quarter, it changed our strategy. If i have less than 4 fouls at the end of the quarter, I'm using a foul to force the team to take the ball out and reset their offense. The idea is to use the fouls to shorten the clock for the offense, and not allow them to run a set play. Then you make them take forced shot to end the half. The problem with how they did it, is I don't agree with getting a 2nd foul on Boswell, because as it happened, he picked up a 3rd early in the second half and had to sit. They also shouldn't have backed so far off the shooter with 4 seconds left, knowing it was going up. So I'm on board with what they were doing and I would've done the same, but the execution was poor. It's not very often you have that many fouls to give at the end of a half.

[Rickster]

The Illini played a great defensive game without fouling and held Houston to 34% shooting. Underwood and staff made the correct defensive adjustments and the players did their jobs.

agreed....if they had played team defense like that all year they would've challenged Mich for the league title and earned #1 seed. I'll eat some crow...I didn't think they had it in them.

On the offensive end, our size, passing and mix of shooting and driving handled that frenetic on-ball D that Houston plays. I'm sure they overwhelm a lot of teams with that. I texted my group during one of those big 2nd half runs "if Houston wants to keep doubling on the ball 40 feet from the basket, they are welcome to it"

if we had shot our season avg from the FT line, we would've won going away. That can't happen again or we might not get the same resulting W.

This seems like nitpicking, but what in the world was BU thinking at the end of the first half?????? Good lord man...we held a high scoring team to 20 freakin pts in the half, had a 5 pt lead...with 16 seconds left just let your team play D. There was no reason whatsoever to give those fouls away. That easily could have hurt us. Just baffling.

Great game by coaches and players. Crazy to think that we didn't shoot it as well as we can, and still had a healthy double digit lead most of the second half.

I actually agree with the strategy at the end of the half, but not so much the execution. I coach basketball in Illinois and when our rules changed from the tradition 7 foul bonus in a half to 5 fouls in a quarter, it changed our strategy. If i have less than 4 fouls at the end of the quarter, I'm using a foul to force the team to take the ball out and reset their offense. The idea is to use the fouls to shorten the clock for the offense, and not allow them to run a set play. Then you make them take forced shot to end the half. The problem with how they did it, is I don't agree with getting a 2nd foul on Boswell, because as it happened, he picked up a 3rd early in the second half and had to sit. They also shouldn't have backed so far off the shooter with 4 seconds left, knowing it was going up. So I'm on board with what they were doing and I would've done the same, but the execution was poor. It's not very often you have that many fouls to give at the end of a half.

OK, shorten the clock to force them into a bad shot...I get that. But I wouldn't add fouls to my starters in the first half. That strategy makes more sense to me at the end of the game in a 1 possession game. Houston was shooting like 16% in the first half from a combo of good team D and bad shooting. Roll with that and avoid the fouls. The situation outweighed the strategy in my mind.

[12xu]

The Illini played a great defensive game without fouling and held Houston to 34% shooting. Underwood and staff made the correct defensive adjustments and the players did their jobs.

agreed....if they had played team defense like that all year they would've challenged Mich for the league title and earned #1 seed. I'll eat some crow...I didn't think they had it in them.

On the offensive end, our size, passing and mix of shooting and driving handled that frenetic on-ball D that Houston plays. I'm sure they overwhelm a lot of teams with that. I texted my group during one of those big 2nd half runs "if Houston wants to keep doubling on the ball 40 feet from the basket, they are welcome to it"

if we had shot our season avg from the FT line, we would've won going away. That can't happen again or we might not get the same resulting W.

This seems like nitpicking, but what in the world was BU thinking at the end of the first half?????? Good lord man...we held a high scoring team to 20 freakin pts in the half, had a 5 pt lead...with 16 seconds left just let your team play D. There was no reason whatsoever to give those fouls away. That easily could have hurt us. Just baffling.

Great game by coaches and players. Crazy to think that we didn't shoot it as well as we can, and still had a healthy double digit lead most of the second half.

I actually agree with the strategy at the end of the half, but not so much the execution. I coach basketball in Illinois and when our rules changed from the tradition 7 foul bonus in a half to 5 fouls in a quarter, it changed our strategy. If i have less than 4 fouls at the end of the quarter, I'm using a foul to force the team to take the ball out and reset their offense. The idea is to use the fouls to shorten the clock for the offense, and not allow them to run a set play. Then you make them take forced shot to end the half. The problem with how they did it, is I don't agree with getting a 2nd foul on Boswell, because as it happened, he picked up a 3rd early in the second half and had to sit. They also shouldn't have backed so far off the shooter with 4 seconds left, knowing it was going up. So I'm on board with what they were doing and I would've done the same, but the execution was poor. It's not very often you have that many fouls to give at the end of a half.

OK, shorten the clock to force them into a bad shot...I get that. But I wouldn't add fouls to my starters in the first half. That strategy makes more sense to me at the end of the game in a 1 possession game. Houston was shooting like 16% in the first half from a combo of good team D and bad shooting. Roll with that and avoid the fouls. The situation outweighed the strategy in my mind.

I agree and especially they shouldn't have had Boswell foul when he already had one.