The Fighting Illini’s win last night over Michigan State may have salvaged their season. On the heels of a debacle against Purdue, if the Illini lost at home to the Spartans, not only would Bruce Weber be curled up in a fetal position on the floor of Assembly Hall but the Illini would be left groveling for an NIT bid. Today, they remain in the mix for NCAA postseason action.
Illinois Stays Afloats
While not the offensive cage match, 80 possession game some consider great basketball, last night’s game was a testament to one of the virtues that makes the Big Ten great: Great coaches coaching tough players. When shots don’t fall (as happens to many of the Illini’s) you don’t hang your head and pout. Instead, you’re coached to get back on defense and do whatever it takes to get a win. That’s heart, it’s hard to measure but easy to see, and it’s one of the reasons I love the Big Ten. Standing at 16-8 and looking to even their conference record, the Illini have a chance to close ranks and form a redoubt for the February stretch. With a charitable schedule (Minnesota coming to town on Saturday) it’s possible the Illini could still finish 10-6 in conference. Such a record would be yet another notch in Weber’s coaching belt, a testament to his ballast on a team adrift.
A Must Win In Ann Arbor
Michigan should beat Iowa tonight in Ann Arbor, but will they? Inside the Crisler Arena locker room, you hear whispers of self-doubt. On the precipice of freefall, Michigan has dropped two straight and with their brutal February schedule, they simply cannot afford a loss at home to Iowa. Alford will have Haluska and manchild Tyler Smith ready. As it has been all season, and throughout his tenure, it remains to be seen if Amaker will have his seniors ready. If Michigan loses tonight, what has seemed inevitable for the past three seasons in Ann Arbor becomes a certainty.
Landry and the Boys
I love Alando Tucker and Neitzel’s performance in Columbus on Saturday was remarkable, however, Carl Landry may still be the best player in the conference. He’s averaging 19 points on just 9 shots a game. Against Ohio State tonight, if Landry takes a few more shots and manages to find some room in the post, Greg Oden could easliy find himself on the bench in foul trouble. Lutz and Teague will be counted on to balance Landry’s interior game. For Purdue, this is a huge game in Mackey and one they could really use on their resume.
Matt Painter is proving to be an innovative coach, demonstrated recently by his crafty defense against Wisconsin and Illinois. Thad Matta is slowly proving to be the benefactor of great talent yet unable to integrate it into a cohesive team. Here’s Hoopraker’s take on Matta from December. Lost in Neitzel’s effort in the Buckeye’s win on Saturday was Matta’s obliviousness to the ommission of Oden from the offense. The philosphy of a coach can be seen in what plays he calls out of a timeout, and in Matta’s case the philosphy is quick three pointers. I’m betting Matt Painter has recognized the same tendency. Let’s see how he handles it.
Bo and Badgers
Tonight, Bo Ryan and Wisconsin rumble into Assembly Hall in Bloomington with a gaudy 21-1 record, feared and undefeated in conference. The Hooisers play 40 minutes of defense, have an athletic backcourt and haven’t lost in Bloomington this season. The Hooiser faithful will be going cuckoo. In addition to being extremely well-coached, however, the Badgers match up well with IU: they are deep and strong in the frontcourt and they defend well on the perimeter. DJ White will need to rebound his arse off and Wilmont will need to hit some threes but it still may not be enough.
