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  1. <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:blogger='http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353</id><updated>2024-03-12T20:12:50.510-05:00</updated><category term="Illini football"/><category term="Illini basketball"/><category term="Ron Zook"/><category term="Illini volleyball"/><category term="Juice Williams"/><category term="Demetri McCamey"/><category term="Bruce Weber"/><category term="Mike Davis"/><category term="Big Ten Network"/><category term="Brandon Paul"/><category term="Rashard Mendenhall"/><category term="Ron Guenther"/><category term="Chief Illiniwek"/><category term="D.J. 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Lee Corso"/><category term="Illini soccer"/><category term="Illini sports"/><category term="Illini tennis"/><category term="Illini track"/><category term="Illini women&#39;s basketball"/><category term="Illinitalk"/><category term="Illinois basketball"/><category term="Illni football"/><category term="Indiana fans"/><category term="Indianapolis Colts"/><category term="Jacob Willis"/><category term="Jason Ford"/><category term="Jay Bilas"/><category term="Jay Mariotti"/><category term="Jay Wright"/><category term="Jeff Allen"/><category term="Jeff Pearlman"/><category term="Joe McKnight"/><category term="Joe Paterno"/><category term="Johannah Bangert"/><category term="John Beilein"/><category term="John L. Smith"/><category term="John Paxson"/><category term="John Supinie"/><category term="Jolette Law"/><category term="Jon Asamoah"/><category term="Jon Scheyer"/><category term="Juanita Jordan"/><category term="Justin Green"/><category term="Justin Spring"/><category term="Katie Couric"/><category term="Kevin Mitchell"/><category term="Kevin Stallings"/><category term="Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl"/><category term="Land of Lincoln Trophy"/><category term="Last Dance"/><category term="Lon Kruger"/><category term="Lou Henson"/><category term="Lucas Johnson"/><category term="Mario Manningham"/><category term="Mark Few"/><category term="Martin O&#39;Donnell"/><category term="Matt Eller"/><category term="Meet &#39;N&#39; Greet"/><category term="Memorial Stadium"/><category term="Michael Hoomanawanui"/><category term="Michael Jordan"/><category term="Michael O&#39;Brien"/><category term="Michael Vick"/><category term="Michigan"/><category term="Mike Downey"/><category term="Mike Hart"/><category term="Mike Locksley"/><category term="Mike Poeta"/><category term="Myers Leonard"/><category term="NFL Illini"/><category term="Northwestern"/><category term="O.J. Mayo"/><category term="Patriots"/><category term="Paul Klee"/><category term="Peoria Richwoods"/><category term="Pete Carroll"/><category term="Peter Vaas"/><category term="Peyton Manning"/><category term="Pierre Thomas"/><category term="Quarterback"/><category term="Rachel Feldman"/><category term="Randall Hunt"/><category term="Regus Benn"/><category term="Rick Barnes"/><category term="Rick Morrissey"/><category term="Robert Archibald"/><category term="Roger Powell"/><category term="Ron Guenther replacement"/><category term="Ryan Palmer"/><category term="SI"/><category term="Schedule"/><category term="Signing Day"/><category term="Spring practice"/><category term="Steve Stricker"/><category term="Syracuse"/><category term="Tavon Wilson"/><category term="Teddy Greenstein"/><category term="Tennis"/><category term="Text Messaging"/><category term="The Brickyard"/><category term="The Journey"/><category term="Theresa Grentz"/><category term="Tim Brewster"/><category term="Tommy Amaker"/><category term="Tony Dungy"/><category term="Trademark"/><category term="Travon Bellamy"/><category term="Trent Meacham"/><category term="Trulon Henry"/><category term="Tyler Abbott"/><category term="University of Delaware"/><category term="Whitney Mercilus"/><category term="Will Davis"/><category term="Will Judson"/><category term="William Van De Steeg"/><category term="Wisconsin"/><category term="Wrestling"/><category term="colonoscopy"/><category term="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"/><title type='text'>Illinitalk</title><subtitle type='html'>The only comprehensive Illini sports blog on the web!</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25'/><author><name>Chief</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07774617681191135810</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>840</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-5782450357375492148</id><published>2012-09-15T22:07:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2012-09-15T22:08:55.689-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini football"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Tim Beckman"/><title type='text'>Taking Stock</title><content type='html'>We&#39;ve had three weeks to watch Tim Beckman&#39;s first Illini team. They&#39;ve played a variety of competition to give us a pretty good idea of what he&#39;s doing with what he&#39;s got to work with.&lt;br /&gt;
  2. &lt;br /&gt;
  3. Against a strong FCS team, Western Michigan, the Illini looked promising. Of course, the 64-yard TD pass to Ryan Lankford to open that game helped a lot. Then, against the quality PAC-12 Arizona State Sun Devils, the Illini looked lost. The defense didn&#39;t quite live up to their billing in the desert. But this week, against the winless Charleston Southern Buccaneers, the Illini looked brilliant. Reilly O&#39;Toole impressed, with the red zone interception as the lone blemish on a stellar afternoon.&lt;br /&gt;
  4. &lt;br /&gt;
  5. My observations to date:&lt;br /&gt;
  6. &lt;ul&gt;
  7. &lt;li&gt;The coaching staff has changed, and this group wants to create a new culture on the field and in the locker room. But they are working with the talent they have, and the team on the field looks much like the Illini of recent years. Inconsistent offense with explosive potential and aggressive, stingy defense. &lt;/li&gt;
  8. &lt;li&gt;Nathan Scheelhaase is the heart of the Illini offense. When he went down, the offense stalled out. And he was sorely missed against the Sun Devils. But his backups have plenty of promise. O&#39;Toole and Miles Osei struggled versus the quality D of ASU, but the reps against Charleston Southern boosted their confidence.&lt;/li&gt;
  9. &lt;li&gt;Ryan Lankford has made a strong bid to replace AJ Jenkins this season. He knows how to get open and to go after the ball.&lt;/li&gt;
  10. &lt;li&gt;The O-line will want to grow together as they head into the Big Ten season. It&#39;s going to get harder to protect the QB...&lt;/li&gt;
  11. &lt;li&gt;I had higher expectations for the start for the running back corps, but young Dami Ayoola was a huge signing. &lt;/li&gt;
  12. &lt;li&gt;I love watching the Illini defense. They tackle well (most of the time). They penetrate the line of scrimmage (at least against smaller teams).&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  13. &lt;li&gt;The D continues to develop NFL-caliber talent. Ashante Williams and Jonathan Brown lead the team with 20 tackles each. Brown has 3.5 TFLs already, and Michael Buchanan adds another 3 TFLs. &lt;/li&gt;
  14. &lt;/ul&gt;
  15. The Illini have lots of room for improvement, but if they make strides quickly, anything could happen in what appears (so far) to be a weak Big Ten. The jury is still out on Beckman, but other than waiting a bit longer than I think he should have to put the second string offense in against Charleston Southern, he appears to be holding serve in the situation he inherited.&lt;br /&gt;
  16. &lt;br /&gt;
  17. Looking forward to the season...Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/5782450357375492148/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=5782450357375492148' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/5782450357375492148'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/5782450357375492148'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/09/taking-stock.html' title='Taking Stock'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-7926954432048545458</id><published>2012-02-28T14:17:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2012-02-28T14:29:45.289-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini gymnastics"/><title type='text'>Tumbling</title><content type='html'>Although that&#39;s what the Illini Men&#39;s Basketball team was doing until they showed some fire against Iowa Sunday, I&#39;d rather focus on actual tumbling. Or gymnastics.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini Men&#39;s Gymnastic team, currently ranked #3, fell narrowly in a dual meet to #2 Penn State last Saturday. But throughout this season, the talented Illini have been hovering at the top of the rankings. As a team, they are first in the country in both parallel bars and high bar. These boys are worth getting excited about, as senior Paul Ruggeri prepares routines to compete in the Big Ten and National All-Arounds and freshman C.J. Maestas continues to wow judges and win Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Head Coach Justin Spring, Illini alum and Olympian, acknowledges that the Illini haven&#39;t found the consistency as a team that he would like, but as the season goes on, he expects his guys to be ready for a strong post-season showing. And since the Conference championship meet is the first weekend in April, Illini fans have something to look forward to after the madness of March.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Keep your eye on these guys. Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/7926954432048545458/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=7926954432048545458' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/7926954432048545458'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/7926954432048545458'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/02/tumbling.html' title='Tumbling'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-8239947879269297765</id><published>2012-02-06T15:55:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2012-02-06T16:12:29.831-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>Another One That Got Away</title><content type='html'>That was a game that the Illini could have (and should have) won. Yes, the Princeton offense and zone defense are challenging to figure out, but protecting home court is essential to remaining competitive in the Big Ten race.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Credit the Wildcats&#39; Reggie Hearn for a fantastic game. He rarely missed, and was an unexpected boost to his offense with a career-high 20 points. And John Shurna led his team as usual.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But the taller, more athletic Illini lost the rebound battle to the smaller Northwestern lineup, and they had more turnovers, too. And even though Meyers Leonard had a huge advantage in the paint, the Illini just couldn&#39;t figure out how to get him the ball every time. Ugh.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This loss is a big disappointment, especially after the win over Michigan State. The Illini have a brutal road schedule coming up, and they need as much confidence as they can muster to play tough and steal a couple games.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There&#39;s still plenty to like about the Illini, despite the needed improvement:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Their passing can be crisp and fast, getting open shots. But it can also be wild, leading to unforced turnovers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;They jump and grab rebounds well, but they often get knocked out of position.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;They&#39;ve got guys who can drive - they just need to maintain body control.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Joe Bertrand brings a great mid-range game to the floor, but he can continue to improve his decision-making (but congrats on your first collegiate 3-pointers, Joe!).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Their defense can be suffocating, but they need to remember to help, as well.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;The question is, can they improve as they play through February so that they are in a strong position to play well in March? Let&#39;s hope so!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go Illini!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/8239947879269297765/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=8239947879269297765' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/8239947879269297765'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/8239947879269297765'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/02/another-one-that-got-away.html' title='Another One That Got Away'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-335543369400559568</id><published>2012-02-03T12:49:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2012-02-03T13:03:34.352-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="former Illini"/><title type='text'>XLVI</title><content type='html'>Congrats to the two Illini who will be on the field for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI Sunday night. Guard David Diehl will do his best to keep Eli Manning on his feet, while punter Steve Weatherford will do what he can to keep the Patriots pinned deep. I enjoy cheering for Illini at the highest level - so all the best for a good game on Sunday, guys!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/335543369400559568/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=335543369400559568' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/335543369400559568'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/335543369400559568'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/02/xlvi.html' title='XLVI'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-2417704735296021758</id><published>2012-02-02T14:00:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2012-02-02T15:34:53.159-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini football"/><title type='text'>Beckman&#39;s Signing Day</title><content type='html'>Coach Beck and his new staff completed their first Illini signing day Wednesday, with 19 players sending in their National Letters of Intent. With two guys already on campus, and a committed walk-on, 22 guys will join Beckman&#39;s first Illini team.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These boys are mostly 2 and 3 star recruits, but that&#39;s to be expected with a coaching transition. Beckman&#39;s influence is evident in that 6 guys are from Ohio, but the link to Florida remains strong, with 5 players from that state.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It will be interesting to see if Beckman places a greater focus on Illinois kids in the coming years. Four players are from Illinois, as was the one that got away, an Edwardsville product who chose Nebraska. The Iowa Hawkeyes took a couple suburban Chicago kids, as did Northwestern.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/020112aao.html&quot;&gt;This class&lt;/a&gt; includes 3 running backs, a couple linemen from each side of the ball, a wide reciever, a tight end, 9 defensive players, a kicker and a local longsnapper (the committed walk-on). After seeing how the defense has played the past couple years, I look forward to seeing if Beckman&#39;s team can get the same kind of production out of these kids.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;ESPNU ranked the Illini recruiting class at the bottom of the Big Ten, and based on the success of the top-tier teams in the conference (Michigan, Ohio State, MSU, Wisconsin, Nebraska, etc.), it will likely take a couple years to see if Beckman can build a competitive team.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But the players are genuinely excited about playing for Coach Beck in orange and blue, and that counts for a lot.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Welcome to Illini nation, boys! Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/2417704735296021758/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=2417704735296021758' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/2417704735296021758'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/2417704735296021758'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/02/beckmans-signing-day.html' title='Beckman&#39;s Signing Day'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-1748423125334085250</id><published>2012-01-31T19:53:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2012-01-31T20:29:52.876-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>We&#39;re So Blue...</title><content type='html'>If the...game?...between the Illini and Michigan State didn&#39;t make you blue, what would? Personally, I&#39;m a bit nauseous. Poor shooting, abundant turnovers, plenty of fouls, great frustration, injuries and poor decisions on both sides made for an u-g-l-y game.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But a win is a win is a win is a win, and Bruce and his boys really, really needed one. Even if they didn&#39;t deserve it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Defense -- for both the Spartans and the Illini -- was the only real bright spot. The Spartans shut down Meyers Leonard, and the Illini, plus fouls and the flu, kept Draymond Green from having much of an impact. The Illini (and an overinflated ball, according to commentator Dan Dakish) held the Spartans to just 24% shooting. And even with 18 offensive rebounds, the Spartans couldn&#39;t hold on to a lead.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tom Izzo&#39;s team, fresh off victory #400 for their coach, did everything they could to let the Illini win. And with their characteristic generosity, the Illini did everything in their power to give those opportunities right back to the Spartans:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The Illini barely managed to win the turnover margin, with 12 to the Spartans 15.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;They allowed the Spartans to dominate on the boards, 43 to 30.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The Illini shot just 53% from the free throw line, and Brandon Paul missed the front end of two 1-and-1 opportunities that could have allowed us all to breathe.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;All that seemed to fit with the Coaches vs. Cancer blue-out that gave Assembly Hall a much more subdued feel than usual. [Note to the Sports Marketing Department: I&#39;m sure the promotion was great for t-shirt sales, but let&#39;s skip this one next year.]&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;However, Paul did lead the Illini with 18 points and 5 assists during his full 40 minutes on the floor. And Myke Henry provided valuable minutes, points, rebounds and hustle off the bench.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This game tape will provide plenty of fodder for the rest of the conference to figure out how to contain the Illini as they head into a brutal road schedule. And plenty of fodder for Coach Weber and staff to harp on during meetings and practice. The boys left plenty to improve on in this game.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But the win was much needed, so we&#39;ll take it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/1748423125334085250/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=1748423125334085250' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1748423125334085250'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1748423125334085250'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/01/were-so-blue.html' title='We&#39;re So Blue...'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-7258533415943677058</id><published>2012-01-28T21:34:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2012-01-28T23:06:44.847-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>Barnyard Basketball</title><content type='html'>Minnesota&#39;s Barn has been almost a home away from home for the Illini in the last decade. The antithesis of the Bryce Jordan Center. Not so this season.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This one hurt. Lots. Especially with that bit of deja vu, as Illinois watched their road lead slip away at the end of regulation much like the Gophers watched their road lead slip away in Champaign. Painful.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini got off to a very strong start offensively, and they looked really good in the first 6 minutes or so as they moved the ball and hit good shots. Defensively, they got a few quick ticky-tack fouls, and that came back to haunt them at the bitter end.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then the Illini got a bit lethargic, as Minnesota came on strong, closed the gap, and took control of the game with their &quot;second line.&quot; The Golden Gophers bench played the Illini better than their starters throughout the game.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But about halfway through the the second half, the Illini chipped away at the lead and took over again. They looked to be in good shape, but a couple big 3s and that old-fashioned 3-point play for the tie that took Meyers Leonard out of the game sucked the heart and fight out of the Illini.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Brandon Paul tried to put the Illini on his back in overtime, but momentum was with the Gophers...and the Illini got their third straight L to entrench themselves in the middle of the Conference standings.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Kudos to the Gophers for some beautiful passing for impressive assists and for finally starting to make their free throws during crunch time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For the Illini, Paul and Leonard both had great overall games, but they also had plenty of painful, unforced turnovers, which seem to be the team&#39;s Achilles heel. They also seem to be just a bit off on their communication and timing on the boards and offensive tip-ins. Those little things can easily make a big difference in these tight Big Ten games.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, after a solid week of practice and another road loss, will Bruce and his boys be able to pull themselves together? We will find out soon...</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/7258533415943677058/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=7258533415943677058' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/7258533415943677058'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/7258533415943677058'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/01/barnyard-basketball.html' title='Barnyard Basketball'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-91932370285184024</id><published>2012-01-26T19:56:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2012-01-26T20:20:16.634-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini women&#39;s basketball"/><title type='text'>It&#39;s a Win!</title><content type='html'>Congratulations to Jolette Law and the Illini women&#39;s basketball team on their first Big Ten win! These girls have had a tough go so far, losing several tight games at the end.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But today the girls gutted it out against Michigan State for an overtime win on the road. The Illini were shooting incredibly well in the first half, and took a 14-point lead into halftime. But that lead evaporated quickly at the beginning of the second half, and the Illini played from behind the rest of the way. They kept it very tight, and tied to up to send the game into overtime, where they took the game over. And won. Finally!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Despite foul trouble, Karisma Penn helped the Illini get a Conference win. And Adrienne GodBold was clutch.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So congratulations again, girls! Let&#39;s see if you can get another one...</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/91932370285184024/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=91932370285184024' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/91932370285184024'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/91932370285184024'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/01/its-win.html' title='It&#39;s a Win!'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-8032380094955766540</id><published>2012-01-26T19:44:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2012-01-26T19:55:56.904-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>Anybody Want a Ranking?</title><content type='html'>So far this season in the Big Ten, one of the best ways to secure a win is to play a ranked opponent.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Illinois was on the better end of that trend against #5 Ohio State a couple weeks ago, but once they made it into the top 25 (barely), they did everything they could to fall from the rankings. At Penn State, it was plenty of turnovers combined with not-their-best defense. Against Wisconsin, they just stalled before the clock ran out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Big Ten is a very competitive conference, and as Penn State, Minnesota and Nebraska have shown, anyone can win any game. But the Illini were poised to prove they are contenders for the top of the conference this year. And they weren&#39;t able to step up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, any road game is going to be tough, but the Penn State game (as usual) was winnable. Of course that contact technical was a turning point in that game, but it was still a great chance to steal a W on the road.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But you must protect home court. And unfortunately the Illini didn&#39;t do that against Wisconsin&#39;s blistering 3-point shooting. Tough loss at home, for sure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Next up, Minnesota. The boys will have had almost a week to dwell on those loses. Let&#39;s hope they are ready...</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/8032380094955766540/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=8032380094955766540' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/8032380094955766540'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/8032380094955766540'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/01/anybody-want-ranking.html' title='Anybody Want a Ranking?'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-2094919996644313865</id><published>2012-01-11T11:36:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2012-01-11T12:55:22.186-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Brandon Paul"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Bruce Weber"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="D.J. Richardson"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Joseph Bertrand"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Lou Henson"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Myers Leonard"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Tracy Abrams"/><title type='text'>Happy Birthday, Lou!</title><content type='html'>What more could any great coach ask for on his 80th birthday? Former Illini coach Lou Henson got to see many former players, his name and picture raised to the top of Assembly Hall, a birthday serenade from Illini nation, and the upset of a top 5 team on his birthday. Sounds like a great day!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The upset win came despite Ohio State having more rebounds and significantly fewer turnovers (11, compared to 18 for the generous Illini). The current Illini starters did their part in giving Coach Henson a gift/game to remember:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;Brandon Paul&lt;/span&gt;... there aren&#39;t words to adequately describe his career performance. 43 points. 8 of 10 from 3, including that ridiculous shot at the end of the shot clock with Aaron Craft&#39;s hand in his face. 4 blocks - highlight material. 2 steals. 8 rebounds. And 7 turnovers, just so he has some room for improvement. Paul was determined to win, and his demeanor on the floor showed it.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;Meyers Leonard&lt;/span&gt; didn&#39;t achieve another double-double, but his 14 points and constant fighting with player-of-the-year candidate Jared Sullinger were critical to the win. Although he didn&#39;t have any blocks, he played solid defense, altered shots, and proved that he can play against the best. Leonard should have gotten the ball a bit more often, but game tape will show the Illini how to improve here.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;Joe Bertrand&lt;/span&gt; drove, pulled up and shot his floater with continued accuracy. He did miss a couple shots, but his game adds a valuable element to the Illini offense that opponents haven&#39;t clamped down on yet. Plus, he added 7 rebounds. He has earned his starting spot, and we are finally seeing why he, Paul and D.J. Richardson made up such a strong recruiting class.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;D.J. Richardson&lt;/span&gt; played all 40 minutes, even with his recently banged-up wrist. That&#39;s impressive in a game characterized by fast-paced runs alternating with long, grind-it-out half-court sets. Although his scoring was down, his defense, assists and tenacity were critical in the upset.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Back-up point guard &lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;Tracy Abrams&lt;/span&gt; has lots to learn, but he earned plenty of experience in this game. And that will pay off as he develops. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even with a big win, the Illinio  gave Coach Henson plenty of reason to be glad he is retired. And reason for Coach Weber to keep them working during their 8-day break. Unforced turnovers. Not getting the ball to an open, hungry Leonard. No free throws for Leonard. A scoreless bench, even though Tyler Griffey added a couple key steals, and Myke Henry had another. Giving up 15 offensive rebounds.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;Bruce Weber&#39;s Illini currently define the phrase &quot;playing to the competition.&quot; Against Nebraska, a team struggling as they get to know their new conference, the Illini allowed them to hang around the entire game. But against #5 Ohio State, they stepped up with tough defense and great shooting. In fact, with the exceptions of the losses to UNLV and Purdue and a couple cupcake wins, the Illini have played everyone close. This will be another thing for the Illini to work on during their break in the conference schedule.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But all said, there was plenty to be excited about in Champaign, especially after that less-than-impressive home performance against the Cornhuskers last weekend. Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/2094919996644313865/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=2094919996644313865' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/2094919996644313865'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/2094919996644313865'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/01/happy-birthday-lou.html' title='Happy Birthday, Lou!'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-5014740725787340736</id><published>2012-01-04T21:27:00.000-06:00</published><updated>2012-01-04T21:51:56.448-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>A Giving Spirit</title><content type='html'>Happy New Year! Christmas has passed, but the spirit of giving has remained strong within the Illini men&#39;s basketball team. Big Ten Conference play has begun, and there has been one consistent theme for these boys. They love to give it away...the ball, a lead, their composure, etc.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And while this spirit is completely appropriate in many facets of life, it isn&#39;t necessary on the court. Illini turnovers have been painful in recent games. The passing game that can take your breath away (remember that Tracy Abrams dunk in the Minnesota game?) has also led to many passes to opponents.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;In the Minnesota game, the Illini gave away a strong lead and plenty of momentum as Minnesota came back. The double-overtime win was exciting, but the nerve-wracking, nail-biting opening for all Big Ten play was not necessary. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Against Purdue, the Illini fought hard and kept the game close throughout the first half. But they gave away a few turnovers, transition points and all their mental focus in the second half. Ouch.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;At Northwestern, the Illini tried hard to give their late-game lead away. Fortunately, the generous effort was thwarted by a strong block by Meyers Leonard.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is plenty to like, as the Illini are 2-1 in the conference. Any road win is a bonus, given the way the conference looks right now, and winning at home is critical. Defense and rebounding have looked pretty good, as the Illini take advantage of their athleticism. Joe Bertrand has continued to come on strong, and earned a starting spot.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But they have plenty to improve on, as well. The offense needs to find a rhythm and flow - preferably with an even stronger focus on Leonard. And the turnovers really need to slow down. Significantly. On the court, that giving spirit should not extend beyond your teammates.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That said, stay on track, boys. Go Illini!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/5014740725787340736/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=5014740725787340736' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/5014740725787340736'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/5014740725787340736'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2012/01/giving-spirit.html' title='A Giving Spirit'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-222833000502403091</id><published>2011-12-23T00:01:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-23T09:00:44.787-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Brandon Paul"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Joseph Bertrand"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Meyers Leonard"/><title type='text'>Lost in Transition</title><content type='html'>The 2011 Braggin&#39; Rights game was frantic. The quick pace contributed to a bit of sloppy play for the Illini, with lots of turnovers. But a key reason they were down much of the game was the poor transition defense. They often got lost, leading to an abundance of easy shots for Mizzou.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First-year Missouri coach Frank Haith did something new for a man in his position in the Braggin&#39; Rights game. He won.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mizzou drove into a very open lane a few too many times, both in their fast-break and half-court offenses. The Illini defense struggled to stay with their men, while on the other end, the Illini had more than their share of forced and unforced turnovers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many of the Illini issues are fixable...hit open shots, go stronger after rebounds and loose shots, work harder for stickier man-to-man defense, communicate better in the passing game. For as many of the 40 (or more) minutes as possible. Oh, and those unforced turnovers when you are on a run - those aren&#39;t necessary.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Tigers are a very talented team, used to beating teams by well over 20 points per game. And credit Missouri - whenever the Illini took the lead, they came up with a big play and/or took advantage of an Illini mistake. This was a very tough test for the Illini.  Although they lost, there were bright spots.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Down 14 points on multiple occasions, the Illini didn&#39;t give up. They fought hard, and when Mizzou started turning the ball over and missing tough shots midway through the second half, the Illini capitalized.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And a big part of that comeback was Joseph Bertrand off the bench. The promise he showed when he signed out of Sterling Illinois a few years ago. A redshirt sophomore, he had a career night with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Brandon Paul added 19 points, and Meyers Leonard had another strong double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It&#39;s hard to watch a great comeback fall short, but if the Illini build on this game, they will be in good shape for Big Ten Conference play.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, Bruce and boys, enjoy a Merry Christmas despite the loss, and then get focused on the challenge that is the conference.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/222833000502403091/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=222833000502403091' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/222833000502403091'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/222833000502403091'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/lost-in-transition.html' title='Lost in Transition'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-7893412018544093115</id><published>2011-12-19T21:49:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-19T22:29:34.105-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>Another Tight One</title><content type='html'>Is this getting to be a habit? The Illini basketball team struggled against Cornell Monday night, trailing much of the game. They managed to pull out a 64-60 win, but it was tough.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini held the advantage inside with Meyers Leonard, who pulled down 16 rebounds. And they had the athletic advantage in the backcourt. But it was actually a pretty mid-range game that was the difference. Leonard early and Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson late all hit some nice mid-range jumpers that first helped the Illini fight back from a 10-point deficit in the first half, and then take the lead for good in the second half.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But this was brutal. Apparently zone defense is Greek to these boys. They just don&#39;t seem to know how to break it when the 3s aren&#39;t falling. And that outside shot has been off of late. The Illini racked up plenty of turnovers trying to get the ball in the middle, as well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the other end of the floor, the Big Red was hot, shooting 50 percent behind the arc. However, the Illini did tighten up their defense considerably as the game went on. Although Cornell continued to shoot well, sticky man-to-man D was key to allowing the Illini to stay in the game.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini have plenty to improve on when you look at their games since the Gonzaga win. And they will need to work fast to get ready for Mizzou in St. Louis:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;That aggressive streak in Leonard that was mentioned often last year needs to come out - he is capable of playing like a beast, but we don&#39;t see it consistently. And what happened to his free throw percentage? He&#39;s better than he&#39;s been playing there.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Paul needs to play to his athletic strength. He has proven his ability to take over a game (see St. Bonaventure), but again, he&#39;s streaky.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Richardson needs to continue looking for his shot. The team needs his points and his defense.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sam Maniscalco needs to rediscover his shooting touch. He continues to make good decisions, and his experience is invaluable on the floor. But he&#39;s even more effective when he backs his leadership with a few clutch baskets.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;And Tyler Griffey needs to keep on keeping on. It would be nice if he could avoid fouls, but he does lots of little things that are critical for Illini success. Key baskets down low. Solid D. Rebounds. Hustle.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;And the bench needs to back solid minutes of play with points. They are much more talented than the recent stat sheet shows. They came up with a grand total of zero points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists against the Big Red.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rebounding looked really good Monday night, though, and the tendency to pass the ball for an open shot is a very good one, even though it resulted in a few ugly turnovers against Cornell. There&#39;s lots to build on. But it just gets tougher from here. Braggin&#39; Rights will lead right into the Big Ten Conference season. Get ready, boys!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And go Illini!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/7893412018544093115/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=7893412018544093115' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/7893412018544093115'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/7893412018544093115'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/another-tight-one.html' title='Another Tight One'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-83636151519935218</id><published>2011-12-18T08:58:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-18T09:13:32.000-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini volleyball"/><title type='text'>Championship Dreams Blocked</title><content type='html'>It&#39;s probably more fun to win the last game of the season than it is to lose, and there&#39;s not much comfort in the fact that you played the last game of the season. But what a season, girls!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini volleyball team fell to the UCLA Bruins 3-1 in the NCAA National Championship Saturday night. The girls fought hard, but nerves must have been an issue, as they made some uncharacteristic mistakes - the most obvious being the 11 service errors.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One surprise of this match was how the taller Illini struggled against the UCLA block. That stat belonged to the Bruins. And they made fewer mistakes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Momentum was a another major factor. The first set was tight the whole way, with UCLA winning 25-23. The Illini trailed in the second set, but caught fire at the end to win 25-23. And they carried that momentum into the third set, leading most of the way. But then the Illini choked, and lost a couple set points, allowing UCLA to come back to win 26-24. After that, it was all Bruins, who cruised to the championship 25-16 in the fourth set.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini were led, as usual, by outside hitters - and seniors - Michelle Bartsch and Colleen Ward. These girls will be missed next year, but they&#39;ve left a legacy of winning. The experienced gained by younger players in this tournament run should serve the program well in the coming years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The loss hurts, but thank you, girls, for solidifying the Illini as a national presence in collegiate volleyball. Although this was the first time we played in the last game of the year, I&#39;m confident it won&#39;t be the last.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/83636151519935218/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=83636151519935218' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/83636151519935218'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/83636151519935218'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/championship-dreams-blocked.html' title='Championship Dreams Blocked'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-3472145696101536958</id><published>2011-12-17T18:14:00.003-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-17T19:01:33.556-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>Out-Run by the Rebels</title><content type='html'>Fresh off of finals week, Bruce Weber&#39;s Illini looked...sluggish, slow, sloppy. The annual United Center game has gotten to be a not-so-fun visit to Chicago for the Illini. I don&#39;t think the UC can be considered the home-away-from-home anymore. Although many of the boys were close to home, they didn&#39;t have much to show off to family and friends in the 64-48 loss.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The UNLV Running Rebels have had a great season so far, knocking off then-#1 North Carolina a few weeks ago. And although they lost to Wisconsin last week, they bring a tough, fast-paced game. Saturday afternoon, they got unexpected contributions from Mike Moser and Quintrell Thomas down low, and almost nothing from leading scorer Chace Stanback. They ran, pounded the ball in the paint, overplayed passing lane and forced plenty of Illini turnovers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini, on the other hand, struggled. Lots. In unexpected areas. They shot just 50 percent from the free throw line, which is very uncharacteristic for this season. Three-point shooting was also tough. And even in the paint the Illini didn&#39;t shoot well. Despite efforts by Sam Maniscalco, Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson both driving and behind the 3-point line, the Illini couldn&#39;t find a spark. And after making a run to get within 8 points in the final minutes, the Rebels went on a run and the Illini appeared to give up. That&#39;s not cool.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Highlights were few, but Tyler Griffey fought hard and got some tough points. Richardson led the team with 19 points. And rebounding looked ok.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Overall, though the Illini need to make dramatic improvements in their game to be able to fight with Mizzou in the annual Braggin&#39; Rights game next week. So pick yourselves up, boys. Shake it off. Refocus. And get ready for one last push before Christmas -- and conference play. After cheering on the volleyball team tonight, of course.</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/3472145696101536958/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=3472145696101536958' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/3472145696101536958'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/3472145696101536958'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/out-run-by-rebels.html' title='Out-Run by the Rebels'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-1170594320717040764</id><published>2011-12-15T23:06:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-15T23:20:49.748-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini volleyball"/><title type='text'>On the Doorstep</title><content type='html'>The Illini volleyball program has been on trajectory to land in a national championship game for the past few years. And with a win over USC in five sets Thursday night to make it to Saturday&#39;s national title game, Coach Kevin Hambly has his team on the doorstep of their first NCAA title.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The semifinal match was tough. USC held on to win the first set 27-25, but with strong blocking and powerful hitting, the Illini took the next two sets. In the forth set, the Trojans took control near the end to force a fifth set. The Illini fought hard to pull even, and finally pull ahead 10-9 with fantastic hitting from freshman Liz McMahon. The Illini ended up winning the final set - and the entire match - on an incredibly long, hard-fought set-point volley.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The whole match was intense, and very well played. Senior outside hitters Colleen Ward and Michelle Bartsch did their thing, combining for 49 kills. But this was a team win, with key contributions all around the court.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As tired as I am after watching that match, I can only imagine that the girls are exhausted, but they have 2 days to get ready to play UCLA for the NCAA title. The Lady Bruins swept Florida State in the first match of the evening.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So Saturday, after enjoying the annual United Center basketball game, be sure to catch the national championship game.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/1170594320717040764/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=1170594320717040764' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1170594320717040764'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1170594320717040764'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/on-doorstep.html' title='On the Doorstep'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-1703641072415906959</id><published>2011-12-14T11:27:00.000-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-15T23:06:21.591-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini football"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Tim Beckman"/><title type='text'>Welcome, Tim Beckman</title><content type='html'>Dear Coach Beckman,&lt;br /&gt;Welcome to the University of Illinois! We look forward to what you will bring to Illini football. I&#39;m sure you&#39;ve done your research, and you have a pretty good idea of what you are getting into, but here are a few notes to keep in mind as you move to Champaign-Urbana and get to know your new university and conference.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You are moving to a college town in the middle of the prairie. It&#39;s flat, often windy, hot and muggy in the summer, and cold and icy in the winter. But we deal with it, and you will, too. Remember, variety is the spice of life. ;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Memorial Stadium is a source of pride, and we think it is beautiful. It was renovated a few years ago, so that you have a boisterous student section in the north end zone, provided your team is competitive. Otherwise they will take off after the Marching Illini halftime show. (That&#39;s what we did the season I was a student watching an 0-11 season.) The stadium is across the street from another Illini treasure - Assembly Hall. But just on the other side of that, you will find the South Farms. Ag is an important industry in Illinois, and that is reflected at our premier land grand university (see: The Morrow Plots and the underground undergrad library). So when the wind blows from the south, and you catch the scent of the South Farms as you practice, make sure your players realize that&#39;s part of what makes their school unique.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It will take your family a couple hours to get to a major urban area for high-end shopping, culture and professional sports, but when you go, you have your choice of Chicago, St. Louis and Indy. We like to have players from the first two areas, as we consider them local, and we would love to play an extra game in the third area at the end of the regular season.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Speaking of Chicago, a healthy portion of your student body is from that general area. Ties to Chicago are strong, and the Bears borrowed their team colors from the Illini. Please respect that. You also need to pay just enough attention to baseball to know that the Cubs/Cards rivalry is a big deal in downstate Illinois, even though one team just won another World Series and the other team hasn&#39;t for a few years (100+, if you want to be technical).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We are the Fighting Illini. We have a wonderful tradition at football games - the Three-in-One. We used to have the Chief dance officially there, but since the NCAA and people with too much free time on their hands had a fit, the Chief dance now happens unofficially. But those of the alumni who care passionately about our athletics love the Chief. Be sure to research that tradition and be able to talk to us about that intelligently. That will make you a more popular guest speaker at fundraisers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Your alumni base is strong. We love our team, but we also love to have something to be excited about, and that&#39;s been inconsistent from the football program lately. We like to wear that obnoxious orange color that really stands out. It should now be your favorite color. And your family should learn to love it, too. We will go to bowl games and spend our money. We are partial to Pasadena, though we don&#39;t get to go very often. Get us into contention for New Year&#39;s Day in SoCal or Florida on a regular basis, and we will be very supportive.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About our team...they looked really good at the beginning of the year. But in the past few years, they&#39;ve been caught by the pull of a season&#39;s momentum. A big win propels them forward, but a tough loss gets into their heads and triggers a downward spiral that seemingly can&#39;t be stopped (see: seasons following the Rose Bowl appearance, 2011 Ohio State game). As head coach, you are responsible for breaking this trend.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And for recruiting. We&#39;ve enjoyed getting some impressive talent from other parts of the country. You have your work cut out for you, convincing 17- and 18-year-old boys that they want to grow into men at the University of Illinois (see: above - it is in the middle of nowhere). But it can be done, as there are a handful of Illini in the NFL. This will be critical to your success.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You have a defensive background. Have you seen what Vic has done with our defense in recent years? We&#39;re pretty good on that side of the ball. Please don&#39;t let the boys slip backward there. Now on the offensive side, that&#39;s another story. We&#39;ve been inconsistent. We have lots of firepower, but sometimes we&#39;ve been anemic. Since that&#39;s not your strength, please be sure to bring in someone who can build an offense that can score. In the Big Ten.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, welcome to the Big Ten, as well. We do know how to count. We are well aware that we have 12 teams, but we Midwesterners are the traditional type that aren&#39;t crazy about major change, so we will keep the name Big Ten. It&#39;s been an adjustment to accept our divisions and we find the names &quot;Leaders&quot; and &quot;Legends&quot; a bit cheesy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You&#39;ve spent time in the SEC, the Big XII and the Big Ten in the past, so you are aware of the different styles of play. We have oodles of proud tradition in the Big Ten, and from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to Happy Valley in State College, there are lots of tough places to play. But it&#39;s been a tumultuous few years in Big Ten football. Lots of losses at Michigan, although Brady Hoke has them back on track. Scandal of epic proportions. Ohio State was a big deal until Penn State made that look almost silly. Please be aware that we really don&#39;t want any of those kinds of stories coming out of our football program. Ever. Please follow the rules (even though many of them are cumbersome and ridiculous).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Of course you will be reviewing plenty of tape to get to know your conference opponents. You now will be coaching against one of your former bosses, as Urban Meyer takes over at Ohio State. As Nebraska gets to know the rest of us, they will probably be even tougher to play. Wisconsin breeds O-linemen like nobody&#39;s business. Michigan State may be rebuilding a bit as this class graduates, but they&#39;ve built a strong program, as has Iowa. Northwestern is always a wildcard, and Pat Fitzgerald is doing impressive things with his team. And even the teams that have been weaker in recent years, like Purdue, Indiana and Minnesota, are showing great improvement. You did impressive things at Toledo, and we would like to see you do similar things at Illinois, but the level of competition is a bit different than the MAC -- and the Illini have struggled against MAC teams the past couple years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And one final note. Your boss is new to us, too. Under our previous AD, we had a reputation for giving coaches time to get their programs in place. We&#39;ve been patient. We don&#39;t know yet if your boss has the same philosophy, and you will be a big part of helping us learn that about him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Obviously you know you&#39;ve taken on a big job. And it can be a great job.  It&#39;s a delight to be part of Illini Nation. We really want to see you succeed. We want cheers of I-L-L I-N-I to resonate from Memorial Stadium. We want to wear our orange with pride. We want to cheer for our team both on and off the field. We want to take vacations over New Year&#39;s. We want to embrace you and your family wholeheartedly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And we will. Just keep in mind that winning, especially a few years down the road, will help.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Again, welcome to the University of Illinois. I hope this helps you get to know us a bit better.&lt;br /&gt;Sincerely,&lt;br /&gt;Alma Mater&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;P.S. Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/1703641072415906959/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=1703641072415906959' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1703641072415906959'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1703641072415906959'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/welcome-tim-beckman.html' title='Welcome, Tim Beckman'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-1601725455347469670</id><published>2011-12-12T08:54:00.005-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-12T15:29:51.585-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>Progress Report</title><content type='html'>With finals in full swing on campus, the Illini looked a bit shaky against Coppin State Sunday evening. The final score didn&#39;t reflect how the Eagles fought back from a 17-point deficit to pull within 2 points of the Illini about halfway through the second half.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Although the Illini won comfortably, their &quot;review&quot; games before finals weren&#39;t that impressive. Both the St. Bonaventure and Coppin State games highlight that while the Illini are a strong team, they have lots of room to improve. And they need to focus on those improvements while taking exams, because the rest of the non-conference season will be as tough as those classroom tests. Next up: UNLV and Mizzou, both teams playing very well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With all the youth on the team, here&#39;s a progress report to help them track where they are and where they need to go if they want end up near the top of the Big Ten.&lt;br /&gt;Achieves expectations:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Rebounding - The Illini don&#39;t always win rebound battles like they should given their size, but individual players look good when they jump for the ball, pull it down with authority, and then protect it. This is a skill that will be critical for conference play.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Passing - With Sam Maniscalco leading at point, the Illini are playing classic Weber motion offense, where the extra pass leads to wide-open looks. They have quite a few assists, and the whole team does a great job finding open guys most of the time. Watching Meyers Leonard pass when double-teamed...that&#39;s a beautiful thing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Free throw shooting - What a relief to know that the Illini can make free throws. Consistently. There are plenty of clutch shooters who can spark comebacks or ice a game from the free throw line. Keep up the good work!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Chemistry - The 2011-2012 edition of the Fighting Illini seem to be having fun playing together, and that will help them go farther than they can on individual talent alone. These boys appear to get along, and it&#39;s fun to watch whoever is on the bench cheering for their teammates on the floor.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;Needs improvement:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Getting to the paint - Whether passing to Leonard or the other big guys, or driving into the lane, this is something the Illini have the ability to do very well. But often they don&#39;t. Against Coppin State, getting the ball to Leonard triggered much of the Illini success. But The Eagles came back when the Illini stuck to the perimeter. Guys, please note that future opponents will watch that tape and exploit that tendency. Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson should drive a bit more, and either go strong to the basket or kick the ball out. See: Maniscalco. His driving shots are a bit unconventional, but he can get in there and make things happen.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Strong starts - Much like the Illini football team, the basketball team tends to start games a bit on the sluggish side. With their talent and chemistry, there is no reason to still be in single digits eight minutes into a game. Starting strong will set a great tone for the rest of the game, build confidence, and help intimidate opponents. The schedule really just gets tougher from here on out, guys.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Getting to the free throw line - This team can make free throws. But they need to get there more often. Go strong to the basket. Be aggressive. Make other teams stop you. And then take the free points.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Avoiding cheap fouls - The Illini defense has been very good, but it&#39;s still a bit sloppy. Cleaning up the D and minimizing off-ball or non-shooting fouls will help key players stay on the floor longer.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;All that aside, the Illini deserve props for being 10-0 as they head to the United Center and then to St. Louis.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, boys, study hard, take your tests, and rest up a bit this week. Because after these two tough games, the conference grind will begin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Go Illini!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/1601725455347469670/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=1601725455347469670' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1601725455347469670'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1601725455347469670'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/progress-report.html' title='Progress Report'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-3172508231357566371</id><published>2011-12-11T14:07:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-11T14:24:14.344-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini volleyball"/><title type='text'>Final Four</title><content type='html'>Coach Kevin Hambly and his Fighting Illini volleyball team are headed to San Antonio next weekend for the national volleyball championship semi-finals. After beating both Ohio State and Florida in hard-fought matches in Gainsville this weekend, the Illini have reached the the Final Four!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Led by seniors Colleen Ward and Michelle Bartsch, and with strong support from rising freshman standouts Liz McMahon and Anna Dorn, the Illini continue to extend their season. The Florida match was tough, but the Illini won 3-1 with an almost unstoppable performance by Ward (a Florida transfer). The whole team contributed to the win, with great leadership from setter Annie Luhrsen, solid defense from libero Jennifer Beltran, key hits and blocks from Erin Johnson and support in the backcourt and on the service line from Rachel Feldman. These girls are fun -- and exhausting -- to watch.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Florida match was broadcast on ESPNU, and despite the encouragement from the commentators and the highlight reel team, the Gators weren&#39;t able to overcome the Illini. Not sure why the analysis was so pro-Florida, but it was a bit annoying.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini are the highest remaining seed in the tournament, ranked 3rd overall going into it. They spent 4 weeks at #1 during the season, longer than any other team. And although they finished tied for second in the Big Ten (arguably the toughest volleyball conference in the nation) they are the only conference team still in the national title hunt. They will take on USC Thursday night.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Congratulations, girls! And Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/3172508231357566371/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=3172508231357566371' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/3172508231357566371'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/3172508231357566371'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/final-four.html' title='Final Four'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-927484484553120298</id><published>2011-12-10T11:04:00.007-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-12T15:36:49.926-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini football"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini sports"/><title type='text'>Marking the Beginning of the Thomas Era</title><content type='html'>Friday afternoon, new Illinois AD Mike Thomas introduced his first major hire, and gave Illini Nation a glimpse of the direction he plans to take our athletics. In my opinion, the selection of Tim Beckman is the first test for Thomas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coach Tim Beckman has to have 46 years of coaching experience, as his dad was a football coach. He has a strong list of mentors, including the new Ohio State football coach, and most importantly, he engineered a dramatic program turnaround for the Toledo Rockets in just three years. Beckman describes himself as intense and competitive, but also says he values a family atmosphere and trust. Those priorities sound like a continuation of the current Illini program claims, as many players cite the family atmosphere as the reason they chose to play in Champaign.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Beckman appears to be a good choice to lead the Illini. Much like Michigan&#39;s Brady Hoke, he is an up-and-coming coach who has proven successful in a lesser FBS conference. The Rockets, like the Illini, are headed to their second bowl in as many years. The question for Beckman to answer is can he reproduce that success against traditional powerhouse opponents like Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Nebraska? But to be honest, a program like Illinois, where expectations are more manageable than, say Penn State, is a good spot for Beckman to prove himself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, at this point, it looks like Mike Thomas is off to a solid start. Of course, it will take a few years and a few other hires to see what Thomas will build. In the lesser sports, he&#39;s got really strong programs. Illini volleyball, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, golf and wrestling have all been very strong programs in recent years. If those coaches stay put and those programs continue to do well, and hires like Beckman prove successful, life as Illini fans will be fun.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Oh, and be sure to cheer on the Illini volleyball team tonight as they take on Florida for the chance to be in the Final Four. Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/927484484553120298/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=927484484553120298' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/927484484553120298'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/927484484553120298'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/marking-beginning-of-thomas-era.html' title='Marking the Beginning of the Thomas Era'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-4964051194902183530</id><published>2011-12-09T09:48:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-09T10:07:34.546-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini football"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl"/><title type='text'>Fight Hunger!</title><content type='html'>Hunger is a very real problem across the country and around the world. As with any widespread problem, anyone can fight against it. Including a .500 college football team on a 6-game losing streak and a vacancy at head coach.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini will have a couple weeks of (much needed) practice and recovery with defensive coordinator and acting head coach Vic Koenning (and incoming head coach Tim Beckman?) before taking on a 6-7 UCLA team that is also waiting for a head coach. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco on Dec. 31 certainly can claim credit for both raising awareness of a critical issue and giving two struggling teams an opportunity to build toward next season&#39;s fresh start. At least the game should be competitive!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Illini got caught in a downward spiral that just got uglier as the season went on and was capped by a painful loss to Minnesota. But they are bowl eligible, and they were chosen to take the place of Army in this bowl. I&#39;m sure the local organizers expect dedicated Illini fans to show up ready to spend money in San Fran. And I am sure their expectations will be met.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Though the season has been disappointing, the Illini still have managed to get bowl invites in back-to-back seasons, and Whitney Mercilus was recognized nationally as one of the top defensive linemen on the Walter Camp All-America Team. So there are bright spots.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And the game will be fun to watch with extended family before ringing in the New Year. Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/4964051194902183530/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=4964051194902183530' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/4964051194902183530'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/4964051194902183530'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/fight-hunger.html' title='Fight Hunger!'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-7619594239073785578</id><published>2011-12-08T08:17:00.004-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-08T08:43:45.320-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Brandon Paul"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini basketball"/><title type='text'>Running on BP</title><content type='html'>Last week, Bruce Weber&#39;s basketball team looked like a Big Ten surprise. They came back in a tough road game at Maryland to help the Big Ten win the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. And then they played really, really tough against #19 Gonzaga in Champaign, as if to let the country know they could play.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This week, now ranked #22, Weber warned of the potential for a trap game against St. Bonaventure. Coach knows what he is talking about.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was ugly. After a quick start, the Illini struggled, with 13 turnovers to 9 assists and a paltry 24 points each half. The Illini trailed most of the game, and would have fallen, but for the late energy provided by Brandon Paul.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Bonnies called a timeout at 4:30 in the second half, and Weber&#39;s message was clear - drive the ball. Paul went on an 8-2 run in the next 2 minutes, creating a tie game. Solid free throw shooting, a few key tap-out rebounds by Meyers Leonard and a couple friendly officiating calls allowed the Illini to pull out the win. But Paul was the key.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Despite the sloppiness, the Illini remain undefeated. Next up: Coppin State and finals. Good luck with both, boys. &#39;Cause after that, it&#39;s going to get tough...</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/7619594239073785578/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=7619594239073785578' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/7619594239073785578'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/7619594239073785578'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/running-on-bp.html' title='Running on BP'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-1673198001008050132</id><published>2011-12-03T21:54:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2011-12-03T22:19:14.862-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Catching Up</title><content type='html'>There&#39;s been no end to recent activity in Illini sports. And we&#39;ve been paying attention, even if we&#39;ve neglected to write. Here are a few highlights and lowlights...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The men&#39;s basketball team started their non-conference season looking a bit raw and uncertain. But now, at 8-0, they&#39;ve gained confidence. The win on the road against Maryland in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge proved they could come back in a tough environment. The win against a ranked Gonzaga team at home proved they can compete hard and build on the energy of Assembly Hall. Their are some really tough games coming up before what should be a brutal Big Ten season, but the Illini should be competitive.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The football team started a downward spiral in October that continued through November. The missed field goal in Happy Valley. Missed opportunities in efforts to come back against Michigan. A poor showing against Minnesota. And the understandable end of the Ron Zook era. A bowl bid is still likely, but these boys have lots of work to do, as does new AD Mike Thomas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the other side of post-season play, the Illini volleyball team claimed the #3 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, and swept both Central Michigan and Marquette at Huff Hall to head to the Sweet Sixteen, where they will meet Ohio State. This team has the potential to go deep in the tournament, and they are so much fun to watch.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After winning the Big Ten tournament, the Illini soccer team advanced past Notre Dame to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing. But Coach Janet Rayfield garnered regional coach of the year honors for the second year in a row, and  midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo was a player of the year finalist.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So despite a depressing finish to the football season, Illini Nation has plenty to be optimistic about... Go Illini!&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/1673198001008050132/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=1673198001008050132' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1673198001008050132'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/1673198001008050132'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/catching-up.html' title='Catching Up'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-5436649982562276527</id><published>2011-10-26T21:17:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2011-10-26T21:40:37.523-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini football"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini volleyball"/><title type='text'>Love, Loss and What I Wore</title><content type='html'>It&#39;s a book I haven&#39;t read and a delightful play I just saw.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It also summarizes my thoughts on Illini sports during the month of October.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Love: I love my team. I often claim to bleed orange and blue. I watch. I cheer. I agonize. I rejoice. I support. I am committed to the Illini.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Loss: It started with the first play of the Indiana game - a kickoff returned for a Hoosier TD. The Illini special teams just seemed to have lost the ball carrier. Fortunately, the Illini got that turned around by the end of the first half, and went on to win in Bloomington.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then came Stripe the Stadium (which looked really, really cool). The Buckeyes were desperate, and they have a very strong defense. It was a battle, and Illini lost turnovers were the difference in a depressing game. The Illini were poised to take off, with a very manageable remaining schedule, minus Wisconsin at home. And they couldn&#39;t go anywhere. They struggled to move (and hold on to) the ball. And the Illini picked up their first loss of the season.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Last Saturday the Illini were on the road for the second time this season. And in West Lafayette they picked up right where they left off, allowing big runs on D and struggling to move the ball on offense. Again miscues led to a very disappointing loss. I honestly don&#39;t want to dwell on it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Later in the day, the #1 Illini volleyball team faced their toughest test of the season so far, on the road at #4 Nebraska, who were also undefeated in Big Ten play. This was a great volleyball match. The Huskers jumped out in every set, but in the first one, the Illini fought back and ground out a win. The second set was back and forth, but the Huskers finally pulled it out in the end. And somewhere along the way, the Illini lost their spark. They went on to lose their first match of the season 3-1 in Lincoln.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;During the month of October these Illini teams felt the sting of loss.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What I wore: I&#39;m not a fashionista by any stretch. Nor am I superstitious. But the last two Saturdays, I wore my bright orange sweater. It isn&#39;t exactly Illini attire, but I intentionally wear it to support my team when I can&#39;t wear my team gear. Or I did until last Saturday. I will find something else to wear this Saturday. That will be my effort help the Illini make a better showing in Happy Valley this weekend.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But losses and all, I still say, Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/5436649982562276527/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=5436649982562276527' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/5436649982562276527'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/5436649982562276527'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/10/love-loss-and-what-i-wore.html' title='Love, Loss and What I Wore'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880353.post-191297574568361693</id><published>2011-10-01T22:40:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2011-10-01T23:20:09.269-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini football"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Illini volleyball"/><title type='text'>Unbeaten</title><content type='html'>That sounds really, really good. Especially to the #1 Illini volleyball team. They&#39;ve played a couple top-15 Big Ten teams in the last couple weeks on their way to that #1 ranking and 15-0 record. Michelle Bartsch and Colleen Ward are leading the Illini in kills, while Anna Dorn and Erin Johnson are leading the team in blocks. Overall, this team is on a roll. Keep your eyes on these girls!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Note to the BTN: I would like to see an Illini volleyball game on your network broadcast schedule. Thanks much!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Unbeaten also sounds good to the (barely) 5-0 Illini football team. The last two gave have been...adventures. But the Illini have managed to pull out wins, despite nerve-wracking finishes. After coming from behind and way behind, I believe this team is building character and confidence that will serve them well through the rest of the season.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Big Ten opener against Northwestern reinforced some of the weaknesses Western Michigan exposed the week before. The Illini seem to forget how to play defense for long stretches. Special teams aren&#39;t all that special. And, the running game is fading painfully.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But when these boys get hot, on either side of the ball, they are on fire. The Illini looked much, much better in the 4th quarter against Northwestern (minus the fumble). They seem to respond well to pressure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nate Scheelhaase is growing up as we watch. His passing has improved, but there are still times he should pull the ball down and run. And that option pitch fumble...ugh. But he did throw to a few more guys this week, although A.J. Jenkins is his obvious favorite. Congrats, Nathan, on setting your career passing record! Way to answer Dan Persa&#39;s impressive return.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Speaking of Jenkins, he&#39;s playing really, really well. And he&#39;s fun to watch. Congrats, A.J., on the Illini receiving record.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The penalties and turnovers against the Wildcats were ugly. But Northwestern deserves plenty of credit. Dan Persa proved that his team missed him, with 4 TD passes and plenty of jaw-dropping escapes from a very tough Illini D. His wide receivers came through, too. These boys were the first to get points off an Illini turnover all season.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the other side of the ball, the Wildcats stopped the run effectively, holding the Illini to less than 100 yards as a team. Their defense did a great job forcing turnovers, including Jason Ford&#39;s fumble.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And the final NW play of the game was brilliant. The cross-field pass to Kain Colter and keeping the ball alive for a long time...they probably deserved to come away from this game with the upset.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But the Illini stiffened up on D and got the ball moving. The comeback was impressive. And Ron Zook&#39;s team is still unbeaten.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go Illini!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/feeds/191297574568361693/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7880353&amp;postID=191297574568361693' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/191297574568361693'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7880353/posts/default/191297574568361693'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://illinitalk.blogspot.com/2011/10/unbeaten.html' title='Unbeaten'/><author><name>Alma Mater</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13659649369870634973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>

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