ILLINOIS -2 at Nebraska

[Carpet]

Illinois opens up a 2 point chalk at Nebraska

I know I said I am done, would never bet Illinois again all year they have cost me time and time again. In every betting situation you continue to look for that one thing that makes this worth looking at as a bet. That be said (no surprise to many out there) I am back on Illinois to win this game.

The Corn Huskers are all about defense and last time out they played Illinois tooth and nail as they packed it in on defense down low. Since that time Illinois is getting better at beating this defense style of play.

Let me share with you a secret.... We all know that Coach Weber is facing a fire storm from the media and rabid bit fans that want his head. A Coach that has a 67% win rate the whole thing seems a knee jerk reaction.

We all knew that Illinois was losing 70% of it's scoring to graduation, and at the same time welcoming 7 new players to the roster, this was going to be a rebuilding year for sure. At 16-10 this is exactly where I thought this young team would be.

Let me just say this to you, I have the communication from the highest sources that this team is coming into play from the water boy on up at 110%. It is the players who should be apologizing not the coach and they know it.

Illinois by 17 in this game......

[garister]

some day they are bound to win if you keep playing them. Good Luck to you.

[dragon1952]

Uh oh. The Cornholers are up by 7 at HT.

[Taxman]

Let me just say this to you, I have the communication from the highest sources that this team is coming into play from the water boy on up at 110%. It is the players who should be apologizing not the coach and they know it.

Illinois by 17 in this game......

Wow, down by 7 at the half!!! They played well for the first 10 minutes. This team looks confused and lacks confidence. How in the world can Illinois let Nebraska go on a 17-2 run to end the half? The 2-3 zone has them confused, any good coach and/or bench coach would be able to help the team transition through this defensive zone. Guess what everyone is going to throw at Illinois for the reason of the season until they find a way to fix it.

[Taxman]

I see the halftime adjustments worked!!! Currently down 21 with 16 minutes to go.....Don't let Bruce stay on the bench, this team has quit on him!

[Taxman]

Down 30, pathetic!

[Carpet]

The stuffing has been beaten out of Illinois, this team has quit the coach. If we were on a naval ship it would be called a silent mutiny

[Carpet]

The team was in a coaching session and ESPN was on, they showed Illinois a possible dance entry, the Coach pointed out to the team that this is in your control to make it, and to a player they just nodded their collective heads up and down.

Then this same team promptly went out and layed down at Nebraska. This team has let down themselves, the coach and the entire fan base with the lack of effort and play.

I called it a Silent Mutiny, who is running the ship?

[woodee12]

Luckily I passed on this game.

If illinois is even on the radar of the selection committee is looking at I will quit watchin college hoops the rest of my life. No bets, no bracket sheet ever.

I do not care who they beat, when they do not deserve consideration for the NIT.

Pathetic. I think Weber is as overrated as Zook. I good couple years with talent and thats all. No talent, what happens?

Figure out an offense guys like to run, and implement it. Too much standing around and no basketball sense whatsoever.

Who's fault is that?

[Taxman]

Unfortunately, Weber's success came early when he had the talent brought in by Bill Self's recruits. It doesn't matter a hill of beans if your recruiting class from 2013 is top 5, if you have a bunch of sad pouty faces sitting on the bench showing absolutely zero emotion when you are getting it handed to you. If everything stays the same, it will rub off onto next year's class.

I can see a few teams that have amazingly shut it down during this season other than Illinois, look at Pitt and UConn. All 3 teams appear to be leader less out on the court.

I have seen it way to many times, whether it is watching, coaching or playing games, I will never ever forget this quote from my high school coach, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

That's how you have a last place team in the Big Ten absolutely shell Illinois.

When you are a coach or assistant coach, on top of monitoring the game, you must also be a physcologist, parent on top of trying to figure out what is going through your players' heads and find ways to motivate them to the fullest of their abilities. Unfortunately, Coach Weber now has a track record that cannot make this group function as a team.

I am now stepping off my soap box and will stop the bashing as we are all here to select unbiased winners.

[Carpet]

My email to coach Weber

Dear Coach,

Thank you for your response, now the day after Nebraska and I am sitting here thinking about you and our next game.

It is clear that your team quit on you last game, and it pains me to say it. Now the big question how do you get them back?

A Road game at Ohio State can you produce a Purdue like effort playing Ohio State down to the wire? The young players that you placed into the last game with 2 minutes left actually out played Nebraska almost 2-1 (look at your 2 minute stats).

I for one would start the bench, but of course we all know what the reaction would be, OMG Coach Weber has thrown in the towel benching his starters for the Ohio State game, it is to bad your hands are tied this late in season to make such a move.

Back to the Big Question: How do I get my team back? Only you Coach knows the answer to that question and I sure you will find a way to get them back, they are not lost as a team just of course a bit.

When the going gets tough the tough get going, Do we need to have a few Marine Corps drill Instructors to come in and address this group of players?

I am behind you 100% lets win a game and catch fire to win the Big 10 tourney.