39 games 2 losses in the last minute of each game..........they sure get my respect even though they lost tonight..........amazing great team.....
Illinois has to go down as one of the best college teams of all time
- Thread starter maverick2112
- Start date
Like Webber said, if you didn't enjoy this season your nuts. Great season and probably one of the best of all time that didn't win.
Great team but not up to the challenge tonight Caroline lead the
whole way!! North Caroline is the BEST team in AMERICA!
whole way!! North Caroline is the BEST team in AMERICA!
What do you think that people will remember more though, that NC won the championship or about Illinois's run?? thats a tough call, but im from illinois. I almost who won last years game, but i remembered about St Joe's undefeated try.
Who cares about a run? It about winning Championships!!
I guess UConn @ NC would trade the Gold for a St Joe and ILL run!
I guess UConn @ NC would trade the Gold for a St Joe and ILL run!
id be interested in knowing what the best records were for teams that DIDNT win the tournament within the last 20 years?
my point?
the ONLY team that i really remember that had a great record but no title was when duke beat an undefeated unlv team back 15 years ago or whenever that was.
otherwise, i hate to say it but illinois season will be forgotten pretty soon
my point?
the ONLY team that i really remember that had a great record but no title was when duke beat an undefeated unlv team back 15 years ago or whenever that was.
otherwise, i hate to say it but illinois season will be forgotten pretty soon
Sun Tzu said:
alcorn state had a hoops team? thought they just decided to form an athletic department to cater to mcnair in the mid 90s.
sun, i could listen to you and ptgrd1 trade stories of yesteryear basketball all day. you and him know your stuff as far as hoops history goes.
they got everyones respect.but,an amazing great team?only great teams win championships.you get nothing for 2nd place,there an after thought.good luckmaverick2112 said:
nc st undefeated and didnt win tourney hehe ... true true
anyhow, my hats off to Illini no matter what ... Deron drains that trey off wide open double (i thought it was going!
) and Weber cuts down nets, thats how close the margin was to either side winning ...
when we denigrate one side its kinda sad; if you are a Ill fan I feel for you, your team was classy and awesome and likeable as heck ... Like i posted elsewhere I was an old days NC fan big time and found myself rooting for ILL at end ... Funny as I get older I root for team I feel empathy for etc---I used to die for the cards in baseball as a kid but found myself wanting red sox to get their crown this year ...
Kudos to Weber and his boys, yeah they jacked a bushel of treys but they make 2 more they win and hes a genius; Roy, on the other hand, woulda been second guessed until doomsday ... funny how winning never gets called on carpet in the press, yet the loser always has 10K critics ...
thank gawd Illini made this final 4 memorable and fought back--I was damn impressed and didnt think theyd do it at half
gl and thanx to all
gregg
anyhow, my hats off to Illini no matter what ... Deron drains that trey off wide open double (i thought it was going!
) and Weber cuts down nets, thats how close the margin was to either side winning ... when we denigrate one side its kinda sad; if you are a Ill fan I feel for you, your team was classy and awesome and likeable as heck ... Like i posted elsewhere I was an old days NC fan big time and found myself rooting for ILL at end ... Funny as I get older I root for team I feel empathy for etc---I used to die for the cards in baseball as a kid but found myself wanting red sox to get their crown this year ...
Kudos to Weber and his boys, yeah they jacked a bushel of treys but they make 2 more they win and hes a genius; Roy, on the other hand, woulda been second guessed until doomsday ... funny how winning never gets called on carpet in the press, yet the loser always has 10K critics ...
thank gawd Illini made this final 4 memorable and fought back--I was damn impressed and didnt think theyd do it at half
gl and thanx to all
gregg
They would not have had that record had they been in the ACC during the regular season.
Enough said.
Enough said.
saint,
I could point out some things, like how many big 10 teams were in the final 8? And how many games did Illinois win against them? hmmm...4-0? Did illinois beat cincy by 20+? Gonzaga by 20+? Oh, and WAKE by 20+? Whatever you say. I think carolina lost to wake.
carolina played the game they needed to in order to win, and for the first time all year, illinois did not come through when they needed it (the ohio st loss was a different paced game). If Williams hit that three, I suppose you'd still come in this thread saying how carolina was the better team. carolina was one shot away from losing--the game was that close. In other words, the facts are irrelevent and your opinion is all that matters. Which means it is impossible to discuss something like this with you.
I could point out some things, like how many big 10 teams were in the final 8? And how many games did Illinois win against them? hmmm...4-0? Did illinois beat cincy by 20+? Gonzaga by 20+? Oh, and WAKE by 20+? Whatever you say. I think carolina lost to wake.
carolina played the game they needed to in order to win, and for the first time all year, illinois did not come through when they needed it (the ohio st loss was a different paced game). If Williams hit that three, I suppose you'd still come in this thread saying how carolina was the better team. carolina was one shot away from losing--the game was that close. In other words, the facts are irrelevent and your opinion is all that matters. Which means it is impossible to discuss something like this with you.
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Sadly, yes this season for Illinois will probably be forgotten fairly quickly (say 3-4 years), unless it becomes the point where Illinois started becoming a perennial top-10 team and gets up there with the Kansases and Kentuckys, etc. So the key is that this season, while it's fresh in people's mind, needs to be parlayed into getting some serious recruiting. So far Weber has not been able to do that, but the real test comes during this offseason and next year. With Brown and Augustine back, and a pretty decent core of younger players the Illini should at least remain towards the top of the Big 10 next year, but 2 years from now they will need some solid recruits to stay up there. The recruiting scandal killed Illinois in the early 90s after their last final 4 appearance, and the football team managed to turn a BCS Bowl appearance into three consecutive losing seasons where they averaged about 3 wins. So, anyway, that's why there can still be a lot of good that came from yesterday's game. Only time will tell if it turns into gold or a wasted opportunity.
On last night's game, really proud of them for the way they came back in the 2nd half. But you just can't get that far behind such a great team and expect to win. Still, they had a chance there. After being down 15, that's all you can ask for is to have the ball with the game tied and 2 minutes on the clock; and a chance to tie with under 20 seconds. The shots just didn't fall. I've said all year that if both Illinois and NC brought their A games, NC would win. Well, last night NC brought their B game for the whole game, and Illinois played C- ball in the first half and their A game in the 2nd and that was the difference.
Anyway, I don't care what anyone says; this was a great year for Illini basketball and I've got nothing but orange and blue pride. People might forget about the season overall but 20 years from now people will still talk about 15 points in 4 minutes against Zona. Even if they don't, I will have that memory etched into my mind for the rest of my life. But UNC are the champs today and they deserve it, so congrats to them.
On last night's game, really proud of them for the way they came back in the 2nd half. But you just can't get that far behind such a great team and expect to win. Still, they had a chance there. After being down 15, that's all you can ask for is to have the ball with the game tied and 2 minutes on the clock; and a chance to tie with under 20 seconds. The shots just didn't fall. I've said all year that if both Illinois and NC brought their A games, NC would win. Well, last night NC brought their B game for the whole game, and Illinois played C- ball in the first half and their A game in the 2nd and that was the difference.
Anyway, I don't care what anyone says; this was a great year for Illini basketball and I've got nothing but orange and blue pride. People might forget about the season overall but 20 years from now people will still talk about 15 points in 4 minutes against Zona. Even if they don't, I will have that memory etched into my mind for the rest of my life. But UNC are the champs today and they deserve it, so congrats to them.
mack the knife said:
All I said was that they would not have had their record in the ACC. Do you honestly think they would have run the table in the ACC?? Undefeated in conference play had they been in the ACC. I highly doubt it.
That does not mean they weren't an awesome team and most consistent team all year. They were great to watch and deserve the credit they have received.
