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Author
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Topic: UK/Illini
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handycat
Player
Member # 2323
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posted 03-22-2025 09:40 AM
This is a tough one for me. I’ve been a die hard UK fan all my life but Illinois is a close 2nd. I’ve lived 40 miles from Assembly Hall for 45 years. I watched or listened to all of both teams games this year. Some required recording or streaming.
Illinois, like UK, has a ton of injuries and sickness this year. Unlike UK, they have all their players back and are reasonably healthy.
I believe Illinois players have a higher skill level. They will probably have at least 3 players in the NBA at some point. UK has more experience in spite of UK having 3 freshman players in the rotation. Illinois has one 18 year old and two 19 year olds in their starting line up.
They both shoot a ton of threes. Illinois is fourth in 3 pt attempts in the nation. UK shoots a much better percentage.
IMO, the most consistent thing about both teams in their inconsistency. My hope is the best of both teams show up. If they do, it should be a high scoring and fast paced game that will be fun to watch. If neither team shows up, it will be ugly.
The last two times we played each other was in the 83/84 season. We won both. I was at the game in the Assembly Hall and (if I remember correctly) James Blackmon hit a shot at the buzzer to win it. I believe the second game at Lexington was also close.
To be clear, I’ll be pulling for UK but an Illinois lose will hurt. What a dilemma. On one hand, I can’t win, on the other hand I can’t lose.
Posts: 5500 | From: decatur ill. | Registered: Feb 2005
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Trey Ball
Administrator
Member # 332
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posted 03-22-2025 11:13 AM
handy,
I feel for you. I have always been a closet Illini fan myself. I loved their 1988-89 team with Kendall Gill/Kenny Battle/Stephen Bardo/Nick Anderson/Marcus Libetry/Lowell Hamilton/Larry Smith. They should have won the title that year, but Michigan got them in the Final Four 83-81. Illinois had beaten them the first time two during the regular season and had just beat them by double digits at Michigan a few weeks prior.
Also Illinois, is why I don't like Bruce Pearl as he secretly recorded his conversations with Deon Thomas and handed them over to the NCAA because Jimmy Collins and Illinois offered more than Dr. Tom Davis and Iowa for his services. LOL.
Spot on analysis of this years Illinois team in my opinion. When Illinois has a full healthy squad and engaged they can beat anyone in the country and beat them badly. Super talented and YOUNG team. Their PG is their leading scorer and a NBA Lottery pick at 6'6". Then Big Z,s brother is their second leading scorer. The kid from Canada was absolutely on fire last night.
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Wife's Mad. Told me we never talk anymore. And just last nite while watching super bowl told her 2 or 3 times to get me a coke and popcorn. Also told her not to forget to take out trash in the morning. Ain't that something. Also told me I was too indecisive. Can't figure out what to do about that. One nice thing I guess. She called me a pro crastinator. Don't know what a crastinator is but I guess I'm a good one for her to call me a pro. Gonna wait til tomorrow to look that up though. I love her but somrtimes can't help but thinking I should have told uncle Junior to keep his coon hound pup and stevens double barrel and also his youngest daughter.
redbone
Posts: 11878 | From: IN, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Trey Ball
Administrator
Member # 332
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posted 03-22-2025 11:22 AM
I also like Brad Underwood. I think he is a very good coach.
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Wife's Mad. Told me we never talk anymore. And just last nite while watching super bowl told her 2 or 3 times to get me a coke and popcorn. Also told her not to forget to take out trash in the morning. Ain't that something. Also told me I was too indecisive. Can't figure out what to do about that. One nice thing I guess. She called me a pro crastinator. Don't know what a crastinator is but I guess I'm a good one for her to call me a pro. Gonna wait til tomorrow to look that up though. I love her but somrtimes can't help but thinking I should have told uncle Junior to keep his coon hound pup and stevens double barrel and also his youngest daughter.
redbone
Posts: 11878 | From: IN, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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handycat
Player
Member # 2323
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posted 03-22-2025 11:46 AM
quote:
Also Illinois, is why I don't like Bruce Pearl as he secretly recorded his conversations with Deon Thomas and handed them over to the NCAA because Jimmy Collins and Illinois offered more than Dr. Tom Davis and Iowa for his services. LOL.
Yea, that’s when I first started hating the man. He has given me several reasons since then.
IMO, Illinois got by far the better of the twins. I’ve seen recent mock drafts where he is a second round pick. As you said, Illini’s point guard is probably a lottery pick but is turnover prone. I’ve been seeing where the kid from Canada, Riley, could go late 1st round. Another one to watch is the freshman Johnson. He can be a beast. He broke his wrist and has just returned.
Posts: 5500 | From: decatur ill. | Registered: Feb 2005
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Trey Ball
Administrator
Member # 332
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posted 03-22-2025 12:54 PM
If Illinois plays at their best and even if UK plays at their best minus Jaxon and fully healthy Butler, I think UK probably loses by double digits.
Illinois had a few games on the ROAD, no less, this year where they just destroyed some good teams. I think they beat Oregon something like 110 to 75, beat Michigan at Michigan by 20. Lost to MSU at MSU by 2 and really should have won that game as well.
On the flip side they had some bad losses with injuries and sickness as well: Lost to Maryland by 21 and 23, to Wisconsin by 21, and Duke beat them by 43 a few months ago.
Very much a carbon copy of this UK team, except with a lot more NBA level talent.
[ 03-22-2025, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: Trey Ball ]
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Wife's Mad. Told me we never talk anymore. And just last nite while watching super bowl told her 2 or 3 times to get me a coke and popcorn. Also told her not to forget to take out trash in the morning. Ain't that something. Also told me I was too indecisive. Can't figure out what to do about that. One nice thing I guess. She called me a pro crastinator. Don't know what a crastinator is but I guess I'm a good one for her to call me a pro. Gonna wait til tomorrow to look that up though. I love her but somrtimes can't help but thinking I should have told uncle Junior to keep his coon hound pup and stevens double barrel and also his youngest daughter.
redbone
Posts: 11878 | From: IN, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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rlt4uk
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Member # 3194
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posted 03-23-2025 12:28 AM
For us to win IMO UK has to have double digit 3's, and less than 10 turnovers. If not Illinois wins easy.
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Bleeding Blue in south Alabama. Kentucky born, Kentucky bred,I'll be kentucky until i'm dead!
Posts: 10071 | From: enterprise, al 36330 | Registered: Sep 2010
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Bama Cat
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Member # 153
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posted 03-23-2025 10:30 AM
My sentiments exactly! And don't get in foul trouble.
Posts: 14382 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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ukman
Player
Member # 3032
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posted 03-23-2025 08:36 PM
Well, we didn't get 10+ threes, we managed to spread our fouls around so we weren't really in foul trouble, and we were only 60% from the FT line. The turnovers is what won us the game. We only had 5 to their 14 and I think we had like 22 points off turnovers. That was the difference. Of course, it would have been much easier if our posts could actually finish inside of 2 feet.
Posts: 5823 | From: georgia | Registered: Jan 2009
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