Iowa Will Beat Illinois

[Ronman]

Past performance is not the most reliable predictor of future results. Current facts are more reliable. Iowa is a better team than Illinois right now.

Perhaps you should talk to your doctor about adjusting your meds.

 

[Ronman]

Illinois was very good this season until the illness and injury. Illinois had 9 different starting lineup in the last month. Ivisic had mono, a bad ankle sprain and then the flu. Jakucionis missed two games with injury then played others with the flu. White, Riley, Davis, Gibbs-Lawhorn all had the flu. Morez broke his wrist just as he was playing very well. Illinois and Wisconsin last week just waved to each other after the game so that Wisconsin didn’t have to shake hands with the sick Illini. Yes, some excuses, but Illinois hasn’t had its whole team since the Indiana game when they had Indiana down 32 in the first half. They won by 32 at Oregon. They beat Wisconsin, Missouri, Arkansas, UCLA. Health is the key. They are not a great team. Youngest power 5 team in the country. But they are pretty good when they are healthy.

Well, whatever the excuses, no one cares except the Illini. And as I see it now, with the two games they have left, even if they win them both (unlikely), the best they can finish in the Conference standings is 7th.

 

[littlez]

Well, whatever the excuses, no one cares except the Illini. And as I see it now, with the two games they have left, even if they win them both (unlikely), the best they can finish in the Conference standings is 7th.

This. Most underachieving team in the conference this year. That Duke game was an embarrassment for the conference.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

This. Most underachieving team in the conference this year. That Duke game was an embarrassment for the conference.

They definitely didn't live up to billing, but I think rutgers gives them a run for biggest underachievers.
While ru did take the head to head matchup with illanoy, that's about the only thing they've accomplished. They were a big disappointment.

 

[AmericaNeedsMe]

They definitely didn't live up to billing, but I think rutgers gives them a run for biggest underachievers.
While ru did take the head to head matchup with illanoy, that's about the only thing they've accomplished. They were a big disappointment.

IU, Rutgers and Illinois have all significantly underperformed their NIL investment and pre-season hype.

 

[AmericaNeedsMe]

Perhaps you should talk to your doctor about adjusting your meds.

 

[hawkjt]

As far as assessing a programs performance it is clear for most fans on here nothing really matters til March. Regular season performance is completely a pass/fail exercise...make the tourny you pass.
Illini haved passed
Now the real grading begins in March.
Illini can have a great season by winning 2 games in tourny.

I have never graded this way but younger fans don't give a crap about anything cept March.
RU failed. IU probably passes.
All that matters is those 2 games in March.

 

[BrewHawk]

As far as assessing a programs performance it is clear for most fans on here nothing really matters til March. Regular season performance is completely a pass/fail exercise...make the tourny you pass.
Illini haved passed
Now the real grading begins in March.
Illini can have a great season by winning 2 games in tourny.

I have never graded this way but younger fans don't give a crap about anything cept March.
RU failed. IU probably passes.
All that matters is those 2 games in March.

That is what any program that has a pulse is building toward.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

As far as assessing a programs performance it is clear for most fans on here nothing really matters til March. Regular season performance is completely a pass/fail exercise...make the tourny you pass.
Illini haved passed
Now the real grading begins in March.
Illini can have a great season by winning 2 games in tourny.

I have never graded this way but younger fans don't give a crap about anything cept March.
RU failed. IU probably passes.
All that matters is those 2 games in March.

That's pretty true. Downplay this program's postseason failures all you want, but in the end, like it or not, its what people remember most.

Okay, every program loses early in the tournamentat some point. I remember Duke, UNC, Kansas, Arizona, Kentucky.. All losing first round games as high seeds in the past. Happens to everyone. The difference in Iowa fan's case is that they have no postseason to point to and say "Well at least we have that one year's tournament run" to feel better about.

The 1986-87 team is the one that made me a hardcore fan, but that 1987 Elite 8 run doesn't mean a lot to me at this point, nearly 4 decades later. It's long past time for some fresh memories to hang onto.

The few times Iowa has had a high seed with a chance to do something with it, they have totally wet the bed. Myself and most others are tired of it.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

The regular season is about positioning for post season. illanoy failed the mid terms but has a chance to turn it around on the final(make an unexpected NCAA tourney run). ru, however, is a fail/fail. There's no chance for recovery from their dogsh!t performance this season.
Although Iowa's expectations were low, at least if you were paying attention, they are also a fail/fail.

 

[HawkBall23]

As far as assessing a programs performance it is clear for most fans on here nothing really matters til March. Regular season performance is completely a pass/fail exercise...make the tourny you pass.
Illini haved passed
Now the real grading begins in March.
Illini can have a great season by winning 2 games in tourny.

I have never graded this way but younger fans don't give a crap about anything cept March.
RU failed. IU probably passes.
All that matters is those 2 games in March.

No worries. Screw the 'no Sweet 16s, or better, in 15+ years' crap, we can fall back on all those regular season crowns that Fran led Iowa to...........

oh, wait.