OK, it happens. Good for our team to get bullied and know for next time.
Now time to channel the anger.
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I think this should be change for further down the line. We have seen how Michigan saw issues with quicker guards eg. Washington, Curbelo, Frazier. The quickness in the backcourt is still lacking. You canât fix that this year and Michigan is just a bad matchup against Illinois with or without Ayo. In big games when you canât really play Davis, Johns seems to be so up and down itâs a 6 man rotation. Johns needs to look at Grandison who he was just a garbage man today but so valuable. Johns seems confused at times as to what he wants to be. Hustle, moving around on D, getting boards, getting after it isnât something you need to think about it, you just do it.
We got high on our own supply for a minute there. I have no issues chalking this up to the mental reminder they need to bring it 100% every game.
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But itâs a valid, but moot, point because he hasnât been consistently able do so that after almost three complete seasons.
Whenâs the last time we had a game with 7 or fewer 3Pt attempts?
I agree and it isnât really concerning just more frustrating. I donât know how long this game will be discussed but this was a real eye opener. Even for a guy like Wagner, after 2 games being aggressive, hunting his shot and seemingly turning the corner he completely disappeared.
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IMO, Wagner tonight was an anomoly; Johns tonight was not.
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Michigan state win tonight should seal both games this week being Quad 2 right?
I guess it depends in which way itâs an anomaly, he probably wonât shoot like that again. He seemed extremely passive though and never came to get the ball at all. In fact Austin Davis wanted to dribble the air out of the ball more than Wagner wanted to touch it.
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Did I miss exactly what Juwan/Michigan did to provoke the pseudo-rivalry? Seems like Underwood is trying to make this into a federal production. I just donât see where the animosity is coming from. Isnât Illinois already ârivalsâ with Indiana and Purdue? This is an established Big Ten program, not Rutgers. Iâm not sure they need to make up fake hatred, but it seems Underwood is really going all-in on the beef.
It doesnât depend on which way. Franz consistently is a better player, within what he is and his skillset, than Johns, within what he is and his skillset. Hence why I consider it an anomoly.
For one, weâve always been in Illinoisâ crosshairs, even though theyâre not in ours, since Bo ran up the score 40 years ago.
But I think this yearâs is because we rescheduled our game after we were technically off lockdown but it would have been the third day back.
Look, Iâm not saying itâs validâŚ
We are their only rival. Itâs even crazier in basketball. Honestly more animosity there than MSU. Iâve lived in east Lansing and Champaign and the fans at Illinois are way worse to Michigan fans.
Thatâs fair but if we think heâs the best player then part of him needed to at least try to take over. Early on Dickinson was forcing stuff a bit and wasnât comfortable. Wagner is probably their best option to get his own shot off the dribble or create for others and he didnât do that. There are still games left this year and after Iowa/Indiana I thought he was turning a corner.
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Whoof. Thatâs REALLY gonna piss em off when we hang the banner.
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The hate for Michigan started in 89 with two games. One in football and one in BB. The âflyingâ Illini had a great BB team and were favored to win the national championship. They beat us twice in the regular season and we met in the semifinals where they expected to win again and go on to beat Seton Hall for the championship. When we played them they were not at full strength. When we beat them in the semifinals they were devastated. Hence their one way rivalry with us.
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Didnât even occur to me, but considering the stakes and how close it was, makes a lot of sense.
Almost forgot about thatâŚpretty sure Illinois had thrashed us twice that season before we matched up in the National Semiâs. It went down to the wire, when Sean Higgins hit a baseline jumper in the final seconds to win it. Pretty sure I have the game recorded somewhere on a videotape - certain I donât have a VHS player to watch itâŚmaybe itâs on YouTube?
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It is on YouTube, because I saw it embedded on one of the Illinois boards and they were all still talking about it.
Higgins hit the game winner on the baseline, like 4 ft away from the basket, off of an offensive rebound.
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