Pantagraph article explains why Illinois lost to Bradley

[Da Coach]

Article by Mark Tupper-

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_b4a7e95a-e16b-11de-98b3-001cc4c03286.html

As if he feels the need to explain why Illinois lost to a lowly team like Bradley, Tupper says-
In Las Vegas last weekend, Illinois played a terrific first half and led Utah by 16 points. Then the Illini fell asleep and let Utah win the game, 60-58.
The next night against Bradley, perhaps feeling the effects of the Utah loss, Illinois let another one slip away. The Illini held a late lead before Bradley finished on an 11-2 run for a 72-68 victory.

So apparently, Bradley wasn't the better team, the Illini just let the game "slip away" because they were "feeling the effects of the Utah loss".
This is just typical mindless drivel from people associated with the BCS-types. They feel they have to rationalize any loss to an unworthy opponent.
BTW, why wasn't Bradley "feeling the effects" of their loss to Oklahoma State? If Bradley had lost the game would writers like Tupper have said BU "let it slip away" to the Illini?

Come on- statements like the Illini "fell asleep and let Utah win the game" is downright insulting and comical! It suggests that Utah did nothing to deserve to win the game, and it was a gift from the more potent Illini because they simply "fell asleep"! The same is true with the dismissive comments about Bradley winning as- "Illinois let another one slip away".

I don't think it's just me having a thin skin.
If it's perfectly OK to dismiss a loss to a "lesser team" as easily as Tupper does, then I don't want to hear the minions of fans here complain (like I am sure they will endlessly) when and if Bradley loses a game to a team they should beat.

[tornado]

But Bruce knows why his team stunk it up in Vegas...and it's the exact same problem that's gonna trap ISU...
read what Bruce Weber gives as an alibi after the Illini loss to BU...
he notes that playing all those RPI 300 cupcakes at home is very poor preparation for going on the road or facing a good opponent.
"Saturday's loss to the Braves, who beat the Illini for the first time since 1974,
seemed even more difficult to stomach than Friday's last-second loss to Utah.
"We were probably disillusioned by the home games (against lightweight
teams)," coach Bruce Weber said. "Now we found out it's not as easy as you think."

http://www.illinihq.com/news/mens_basketball/2009/11/28/klee_illini_return_from_vegas_with_empty_pockets

[TheHeemyMonster]

Article by Mark Tupper-

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_b4a7e95a-e16b-11de-98b3-001cc4c03286.html

As if he feels the need to explain why Illinois lost to a lowly team like Bradley, Tupper says-
In Las Vegas last weekend, Illinois played a terrific first half and led Utah by 16 points. Then the Illini fell asleep and let Utah win the game, 60-58.
The next night against Bradley, perhaps feeling the effects of the Utah loss, Illinois let another one slip away. The Illini held a late lead before Bradley finished on an 11-2 run for a 72-68 victory.

So apparently, Bradley wasn't the better team, the Illini just let the game "slip away" because they were "feeling the effects of the Utah loss".
This is just typical mindless drivel from people associated with the BCS-types. They feel they have to rationalize any loss to an unworthy opponent.
BTW, why wasn't Bradley "feeling the effects" of their loss to Oklahoma State? If Bradley had lost the game would writers like Tupper have said BU "let it slip away" to the Illini?

I see nothing wrong with these comments at all. Illinois probably is a better team and if these two teams played 100 times, I could see the illini taking 70 of them. Don't get so defensive when people have an opinion and dont believe that Bradley isnt a top 25 team like some people on this board probably think...

[lefty]

I see nothing wrong with these comments at all. Illinois probably is a better team and if these two teams played 100 times, I could see the illini taking 70 of them. Don't get so defensive when people have an opinion and dont believe that Bradley isnt a top 25 team like some people on this board probably think...

I totally agree if you have a 5 point lead and the ball that late in the game and lose.....most every writer in America would say the same thing

[amckillip]

I see nothing wrong with these comments at all. Illinois probably is a better team and if these two teams played 100 times, I could see the illini taking 70 of them. Don't get so defensive when people have an opinion and dont believe that Bradley isnt a top 25 team like some people on this board probably think...

The problem is that assumption. U of I has won ONE NCAA game since their National runner-up season, while BU has two. U of I has made it three times, but that can at least somewhat attributed to the respect shown to big Conferences. I'm not saying we've always been the better team or anything like that. But T's beef is that the assumption is that U of I is ALWAYS better than BU, even after we beat them in a game where we lead a majority of the time, they've lost to us and Utah, while we've lost to BYU and OkSt. That assumption just can't be made off facts at this point - only prejudices.

And I don't see ANYONE who says we are a top 25 team. You guys talk about T putting words in people's mouth and many here are far are worse. I routinely disagree with Tornado, and somehow never seem to get into these petty squables with him. He is a great BU fan, and he always backs his arguement with facts, then detractors, rather than do the same, attack him - an easy route, but also easily seen through but those who can evaluate things themselves.

[shaunguth]

I totally agree if you have a 5 point lead and the ball that late in the game and lose.....most every writer in America would say the same thing

Exactly.......Bradley was obviously "feeling the effects" of their loss to Oklahoma State as well.

[shaunguth]

The problem is that assumption. U of I has won ONE NCAA game since their National runner-up season, while BU has two. U of I has made it three times, but that can at least somewhat attributed to the respect shown to big Conferences. I'm not saying we've always been the better team or anything like that. But T's beef is that the assumption is that U of I is ALWAYS better than BU, even after we beat them in a game where we lead a majority of the time, they've lost to us and Utah, while we've lost to BYU and OkSt. That assumption just can't be made off facts at this point - only prejudices.

And I don't see ANYONE who says we are a top 25 team. You guys talk about T putting words in people's mouth and many here are far are worse. I routinely disagree with Tornado, and somehow never seem to get into these petty squables with him. He is a great BU fan, and he always backs his arguement with facts, then detractors, rather than do the same, attack him - an easy route, but also easily seen through but those who can evaluate things themselves.

Great points!

[lefty]

So you don't think that writers for the Big schools don't have a bit of a bias and a dismissive attitude toward "midmajor"? I do, and IMO, it's apparent with those comments.

Come on- statements like the Illini "fell asleep and let Utah win the game" is downright insulting and comical! It suggests that Utah did nothing to deserve to win the game, and it was a gift from the more potent Illini because they simply "fell asleep"! The same is true with the dismissive comments about Bradley winning as- "Illinois let another one slip away".

I don't think it's just me having a thin skin.
If it's perfectly OK to dismiss a loss to a "lesser team" as easily as Tupper does, then I don't want to hear the minions of fans here complain (like I am sure they will endlessly) when and if Bradley loses a game to a team they should beat.

I think you can read into any article what you want....my word I don't see what the big deal is.

MM said there should be an investigation ifthe Illin don't win by 25.....if Illinois played like they did the second half of clemson they would have won both...they didn't....they fell asleep, played awful, etc....doesn't make any difference. They didn't play well enough to beat Utah or BU in Vegas

[shaunguth]

If it's perfectly OK to dismiss a loss to a "lesser team" as easily as Tupper does, then I don't want to hear the minions of fans here complain (like I am sure they will endlessly) when and if Bradley loses a game to a team they should beat.

Not only that, but doesn't it make more sense to say the team that beat you deserved to beat you and they are a very good team for having done so? It's kind of like chanting "over-rated" at a ranked team that your team just beat. That makes absolutely no sense as you are basically saying your team may not be good enough to actually beat a ranked opponent.

[lefty]

Exactly.......Bradley was obviously "feeling the effects" of their loss to Oklahoma State as well.

I'm talking the let it slip away comment....but you guys do whatever makes you feel better

[amckillip]

I'm talking the let it slip away comment....but you guys do whatever makes you feel better

Haha, thats exactly what we're dong... It DOES make me feel tons better using logic and not degrading my team after a big win.

[shaunguth]

I'm talking the let it slip away comment....but you guys do whatever makes you feel better

I know, but I just think it's extremely odd that each team dealt with "feeling the effects" of their losses in much different ways! That line alone loses credibility with me!

[lefty]

Haha, thats exactly what we're dong... It DOES make me feel tons better using logic and not degrading my team after a big win.

So you think it's degrading?...Now if they say Illinois lost to a team clearly inferior then I would see the point. BU writers would have said the same thing if we had lost a game like that to anyone in the Valley and nobody here would have said anything about it.

[shaunguth]

So you think it's degrading?...Now if they say Illinois lost to a team clearly inferior then I would see the point. BU writers would have said the same thing if we had lost a game like that to anyone in the Valley and nobody here would have said anything about it.

I think "they were the better team" would be more appropriate or maybe just out-coached since one team was able to deal with the effects of losing the previous game.

[lefty]

I think "they were the better team" would be more appropriate or maybe just out-coached since one team was able to deal with the effects of losing the previous game.

Oh for Pete's sake.....so every team that gets upset has to write that the other team was the better team?...There have been upsets before and I don't remember anyone here ever making a big deal out of how it's written up including games where BU gets upset