Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

# 1 ranked Illinois at Michigan State Mens NCAA Basketball

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • # 1 ranked Illinois at Michigan State Mens NCAA Basketball

    Illinois takes its perfect record and ranking into the Breslin Center on Tuesday

    Illinois opens up a 2.5 chalk, My numbers came in at 3.0 Illinois

    Tuesday night is White Out Night, where everyone will be wearing white for MSU in the stands (come on cant pick a better color than white)...

    MSU has a GREAT record at home something like 95-6 AT HOME....This is one of the toughest places to play in all america...

    MSU matches up very well with this illini team, much better than Wisconsin, they are quicker and a better athlectic team than the badgers who seem a step slow against Illinois...

    MSU post a solid defensive average, but that all went by the wayside giving up 75 to Oakland in a tune up game last Sat...

    I have studied this matchup for weeks, and over the last few days I have poured over both tangible and intangible information....

    Here is what I come up with:

    The Key to this game will be TURNOVERS

    All things being equal, the T/O will be the deciding factor for the Illini... MSU is prone to turning the ball over an average of 15 times a game....Illinois plays solid control ball and averages 11 A GAME....

    2 games ago coach Izzo of MSU said if we turn the ball over like that against Illinois we will suffer the worst loss in all of NCAA basketball....

    Now I know they are working on the turnover problem , point is they have one....

    Junior Paul Davis is still nursing a Left ankle sprain and is scheduled to play, One GIANT foot from 6-10 Augustine sends him back to the bench...

    MSU's Chris Hill is hitting a shooting slump at the wrong time of the year, this sharp shooter trying to adjust his range hit just 4-13 vs Oakland..It tells me his shot is still off...I suspect he will force the issue from long range and this could be a factor if he is off.....

    There is no real bad blood between these 2 teams, the coaches know each other, Izzo recruited heavily for Dee Brown and Deron Williams, they all like each other and respect each other...

    This Illinois team started talking quietly about MSU in the locker room after the Wisky win, they want to go up to the breslin center and put a lock on the Big ten....The coach of the Illini said it wasnt me talking it was the players.....


    So after hours of analysis

    My pick is Illinois to win straight up and cover 2.5

    Good Luck to all

    Carpet

    Semper Fi

  • #2
    This is posted over at doc's sports- good article on Illinois

    Illinois: Now or Never
    by Max



    The Fighting Illini of Illinois is off to their best start in school history currently sitting at 21-0. This team has a great balance of size, quickness, long range shooting, and experience. This is a rarity in the college hoops climate, where players with any ability get bad advice and usually declare for the NBA if they have any chance of getting drafted. But this team has stayed together and because of that it has reaped the benefits and it is definitely the team to beat in the Big Ten and one of the two best teams in the nation. The following will look into the future of what lies ahead for this team and discus minor flaws that may prevent them from reaching their goal of an NCAA Championship.

    The Illini basketball team is one of the most unselfish squads in the country. It seems that a different player leads the team in scoring each game and when a crucial basket is needed they can turn to one of nine players. Nothing is more evident then last Tuesday night when this team was in deep trouble against Wisconsin. With less than eight minutes to play, the Badgers were up eight and seemed to have this game in control. This would have given them their 39th consecutive victory at the Kohl Center. The Illini basketball squad needed a spark; and senior Jack Ingram stepped up and delivered. Ingram hit back-to-back three point shots, with the second one putting his team ahead for good. He finished the game with eight points and kept perfection alive for his team.

    But Illinois' goal is to win the Championship; finishing undefeated would just be an added bonus. Making the Final Four appears to a certainty because of the close proximity of their first four games. Assuming this team does not go into the tank and lose more then three games the remainder of the season; they will be the number one seed in the Midwest. That sets up perfectly for them with first round games likely coming in Indianapolis. Two easy wins here and onto the Regional Finals they would go. Here, Illinois would reap a great benefit with these games be played in their backyard at the United Center. The entire arena would be filled with Orange making these two home games for them.

    After that, the Final Four is a mere two and a half hour drive down to the Gateway City. Everything seems to favor the Illini basketball team this year with a beautiful draw and that would allow them to travel by bus to every site. Since the trips would all be less then three hours away, the Orange Crush faithful will dominate the stands at every venue. Illinois truly hit the lottery with everything falling into place this season.

    The only thing that could plague this team is a three-guard offense with a dominant big man. The Illini are vulnerable inside, but do have enough big men to throw at teams to combat foul trouble. The first exam will come on Feb. 1 when they travel to East Lansing to play the Spartans. Michigan State fits this criteria to a T, and expect the Izzones to be rocking. But as previously stated, Illinois can afford a couple of losses and still maintain the No.1 seed in the Midwest. It truly is now or never for the Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team.

    Comment


    • #3
      Illinois rolls over MSU by 13 a huge win for the Illini

      Hitting 13 treys and shooting 57% from the floor, at one point they hit 12 straight shots..

      With Illinois knocking down threes Izo went to a ZONE Defense, why oh why did he think that would help his team....

      This team is Very Very special and the March to the Arch continues...

      I hope you all jumped on the band wagon tonight and kicked the book square in the wallet as I did...

      Good Luck to all

      Carpet

      Semper Fi

      Comment

      Working...
      X