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 Kendrick Nunn led the way with a career-high 28
points, many of which when Illinois was desperate for a hoop.
Malcolm Hill seemed to be a slow starter but he finished the night
w/ 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Illinois’ cold shooting on
the night led to Yale switching to a zone and almost became the
Illini’s undoing. The Illini did force 23 turnovers 15 of those
coming in the first half, which helped carry Illinois to an 8-point
halftime lead at 33-25. However, another slow 2nd half start allowed
Yale to come roaring back in near-record time and had me saying,
“Who let he dawgs out?”
Justin Sears led the way for the Bulldogs with 21 points while Makai
Mason chipped in 15. Brandon Sherrod pulled down 14 rebounds.
Can I get a Rebound from the Congregation?
On the night Illinois was out-rebounded by Yale 48-25 (that is not a
misprint) including a 25-14 deficit at halftime, which may have
prevented an even bigger halftime lead. If Yale out-rebounds the
Illini what will they do when some of the beasts from the Big 10
come to call? Lower bases, more physical blocking out, and
especially weak side rebounding has to improve. Tick-tacky calls
that you will never see in a league game need to go away too-they
say it’s a point of emphasis=we’ll see how long that stays around.
Hustle Plays
I don’t have access to the “Matto chart,” but so far this season
that appears to be an area where Illinois needs to make more
improvement. If they get out-rebounded by taller or more physical
opponents from time to time, they will need to make up for it by
coming up with more loose balls and getting more than their share of
the 50-50 stuff as well. With as many players as they have used
(probably a deeper bench than we have seen in recent years) then
they have to do better expending energy and making recoveries.
I love a deeper bench, if and only if, the players inserted into the
line-up bring productive minutes. Sometimes that has happened. Other
times it has been disruptive and has discombobulated the rotation
and the flow. Props to Maverick Morgan
Illinois has been playing him in spurts and he seems to be making
some improvements. His 6 points in the first half helped the Illini
stretch its lead. Will he be able to do that against bigger, more
physical post players in the weeks ahead? We’d sure like to see it.
In fact, he, Michael Finke, and Leron Black (if he ever gets
healthy) will have to shore-up the middle if the Illini hope to be
competitive this season. [to top of second column] |
Take it to the Rack
One of the many things I learned from Lincoln Railer assistant
coach Eric Ewald when he was my assistant at Lincoln Christian
University is, you’ve got to take the ball to the basket at
least once every three possessions. Dribble penetration creates
open shooters on the perimeter, breaks down defenses, and gets
you to the free throw line (especially if we’re going to call
every tick-tacky thing we’ve ever seen). Illinois does have some
good 3-point shooters but sometimes we rely on it so much that
it becomes fool’s gold. More drives to the hoop, even when we’re
facing a zone, will help this team in countless ways.
It’s going to be an Adventure
Judging by what we’ve seen so far this season, it’s going to be
an adventure. At times there will be struggles. With all the
injuries this team has had, missed opportunities, and
misfortune, it has been snake bit in many ways. It feels like
we’re a hockey team sometimes and the other team is always on a
power play. However, these players have the potential to bring
even more to the table than may meet the eye or what you read in
the program. They will need to play with their hair on fire and
with a desperation that they may not have reached before.
Where are they Now?
Saw former Illini great Dee Brown last night as he is now
working for the university. Does he have any eligibility left?
With the win the Illini evened their season record at 5-5. Next
up for Illinois is the annual United Center game versus UIC at
1pm Saturday. [By JEFF MAYFIELD]
Respond to the writer at
jeffqmay@gmail.com.
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