Michigan 73 - Illini 55

[tornado]

but it wasn't even that close - after the mid 1st half, Michigan dominated and blew them out - leading by 23 to 25 points much of the 2nd half..

Here's what impresses me....

John Beilein takes a DEPLETED roster that's been devastated by injuries and player losses...
they had to start four kids who were not regular starters, and had to go heavy minutes with deep subs including Bielfeldt (10 pt, 4 reb)
and COACHES THEM UP and clobbers Illinois.

No excuses, no whining about injuries, no toting up of player-games lost, no crying about shots not falling...No blubbering about their loss of NBA caliber kids like Caris LeVert, Mitch McGary, Derrick Walton

[mvcfan]

Could set up a Wednesday night showdown at Redbird Arena. Would be a great way for the NIT to get a great showing.

[Chico]

Would be a good way for ISU to finally get a good crowd.

[BUSongwriter]

So Rayvonte Rice played in as many NCAA tournament games at Illinois as he did at Drake. He did have some good games and great moments, though, including the big shot against Mizzou this year.

And if Max B. could somehow find his way to BU . . . what a boost to the excitement level here, which I hope gets a few more boosts soon.

[tornado]

Rayvonte would have been a great player in the MVC - could have gotten the kind of press that a Kyle Korver or an Osiris Eldridge got...
or if he'd have carried his team to the NCAA, maybe what an Isaiah Canaan got with Murray State or Steph Curry got
...he had a nice career and maybe he was happy at UIUC but I think he'd have achieved more staying put....just my opinion

[tornado]

Chicago press unloading on Groce...

... Groce believed his Illini gave their best effort....They didn??™t do it well enough

This was an Illini team made to do more. Groce just finished his third season in Champaign, and his teams don??™t seem to be improving.
He led a team largely built by Bruce Weber to the NCAA Tournament in his first season
and followed that with an NIT appearance last season.

the Illini couldn??™t consistently play to their potential. Pin that on Groce.
What makes it more perplexing is this team was built by Groce.

This was the year when Groce??™s impact was supposed to reveal itself, when his vision for building Illinois a perennial Big Ten contender would be glimpsed. Instead, this group bowed out as the 8-seed to injury-mangled Michigan.

The Illini were such a favorite, a win wouldn??™t have even helped its resume. Instead, the Wolverines had their way.

Perhaps the effort was there, but that doesn??™t matter. Illinios failed to meet expectations this season.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/03/12/emma-illini-not-growing-under-john-groce/

[tornado]

Champaign press likewise...


Offense was awful, but Illini defense was worse than that. Just carved up by a Michigan team starting two freshmen and a walkon. (Bielfeldt)

For more years than I care to think about, it??™s been a mostly painful curse to be an Illini fan.

In the last four seasons Illinois has finished ninth, seventh, eighth and seventh in the Big Ten standings.

Then came Thursday. Then came the feeling that things were sliding in reverse.

It??™s hard to explain why Illinois looked so completely befuddled against Michigan...rarely has an Illini team looked more thoroughly lost that it did in a 73-55 loss to the Wolverines.
.. Getting flattened in the most important game of the year is inexcusable.

It casts a queasy feeling of doubt about the future ...I love Groce??™s enthusiasm, but the temperature on his seat just jumped about 25 degrees.

Illini fans don??™t ask for the moon and stars. But they have a right to expect their teams to give a solid effort.

http://herald-review.com/blogs/mark_tupper/illini-stumbling-in-wrong-direction/article_f60e5d2c-c8f9-11e4-b3c6-2b05e7f66982.html

[lefty]

I didn't see the game but Hill, Rice, and Nunn were like 11-37 or something??¦..that will lose you most games as well as bad defense