Illinois gets clobbered at home by North Florida

[Da Coach]

Illinois opened with what looked like an easy win- Noth Florida (Omari Grier's old school).
But UNF shot 52% for the game, and 17-33 (52%) from three, they never trailed, and lead by double digits virtually the entire game, as much as 18 points, and knocked off Illinois 93-81.
Illinois started 4 guards, and got almost nothing from their bench. The really were never in this game. Will John Groce survive this year?

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400820705

[Tommy]

Groce is gone for sure after this year. He most likely wasn't going to make it with a healthy Illini team, and with all the injuries they've had, he's toast for sure. He's a good coach, but in the Big 10, you've got to be much better than good.

[lefty]

Groce is gone for sure after this year. He most likely wasn't going to make it with a healthy Illini team, and with all the injuries they've had, he's toast for sure. He's a good coach, but in the Big 10, you've got to be much better than good.

Yup??¦not to mention a new AD

[Tommy]

Yup??¦not to mention a new AD

Good point. That's probably the no. 1 reason.

[tornado]

gonna be a long season as another Illini starter injured- Jaylon Tate compound fracture of finger on right hand - had to have surgery..
..could well be done for the season

[tornado]

For those who thought Jim Les' UC-Davis team should have beaten N. Dakota State...
go check what North Dakota State is doing to Illinois right now..

they are schooling them right now.....
42-28 just entering the 2nd half...
Maybe Illinois can mount a comeback but NDSU is not an easy team to beat

[Da Coach]

Illinois scored 52 points in the 2nd half to cpome back and beat North dakota State 80-74. Again for the 2nd game in a row, 5th year grad transfer Mike Thorne carried the Illini. He is averaging 23 ppg and 11 rpg in their 2 games.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400820706

[tornado]

how far will the mid-major transfers carry them?

[valleyclimber]

For all the hype the Illini get as the state's most visable team, it's funny how they've lost to freaking N. Florida and now squeak by North Dakota State in front of just north of 5300 people.

Looked at their pre-Big 10 schedule, and they should go 7-5 because the Illini have scheduled a lot of fluff teams. Once the conference season starts, think U of I will take a big tumble.

It's time for the other state schools to step up and take back some of the spotlight from a perpetually underperforming Illini hoops program. Nice to see WIU jump up and take a bite out of Wisconsin.

Think Loyola could be pretty decent this season along with ISU and WIU. Early on it looks like SIU and BU may be getting their programs back on the upswing.

Year after year we all have to hear about how great U of I is going to be in hoops and with regularity the Illini continue to spiral down. Wake up call for all the other Illinois hoops programs to jump up and grab some of the spotlight!

[Da Coach]

Illinois loses tonight to Providence 60-59 to fall to 1-2-

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400809395

Providence is pretty good, but Illinois lead 57-54 on a 3-pointer by Jalen Coleman-Lands at 6:06 left. Then over the final 6:06, they managed just 2 points on a basket at 1:18. Illinois missed a bunch of easy shots in that span, including a missed dunk attempt as time ran out.
High scorer for the Illini the first 2 games, Mike Thorne, was scoreless tonight.
Their only starter who scored more than 1 basket was Malcolm Hill with 15 points, but it took 16 shots to get that.

[tornado]

Thorne couldn't take a breath without picking up a foul tonight - really a tough game and he shoulda watched the BU-Arizona game for some tips -
...and the Illini don't exactly have a stable of big men to go to

Illini's starting two low post guys Leron Black & Thorne, went 0-6, zero pts, 2 rebs
Providence starting two low post guys, Bullock, Bentil, went 13-29, 31 pts, 18 rebs

[tornado]

The tourney Illini are playing in is named ion honor of Dave Gavitt

http://www.fightingillini.com/news/2015/4/22/Illinois_at_Providence_Nov_18_in_Gavitt_Tipoff_Games.aspx

http://www.bigeast.com/news/2015/11/16/MBB_1116152928.aspx

anyone other than Chico & wizard old enough or have a good enuf knowledge of BU history to remember how Dave Gavitt fits into Bradley's history??

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19820422&id=FlIaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1SkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7124,1120469&hl=en

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=19196&highlight=dave+gavitt

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1982/03/11/gavitt-not-american-no-1-issue-for-versace/0d80e2b8-025c-45ff-9f3a-e9fb5c95eb21/

http://newsok.com/article/1977666

[tornado]

For those who thought Jim Les' UC-Davis team should have beaten N. Dakota State...
go check what North Dakota State is doing to Illinois right now......

Jim Les' UC-Davis squad rebounded and beat their next two opponents and are 2-1, but they also have a setback in that their top returning player - JT Adenrele - who was granted an extra redshirt year - re-injured his knee over the summer and is uncertain for the near future.
He would need a 6th year waiver to try to play again next year
He averaged 12.6 ppg, 6 rpg as a soph.

[BUSongwriter]

<anyone other than Chico & wizard old enough or have a good enuf knowledge of BU history to remember how Dave Gavitt fits into Bradley's history??>

I fit into both groups, I suppose. I've got pictures from the celebration on the Bradley quad after the NIT win (including a very young Dave Snell), and of a placard that says "Gavitt can have it -- We won the NIT!"

[Chico]

Myself and the late, great Don Mathews went to Robertson Fieldhouse to watch the NCAA pairings broadcast along with many others. Can't describe how surprised everyone was that afternoon. Still have memories of Dave Snell singing New York, New York at the games leading up to the trio to New York. Remember Moose Goldin arranging a plane trip, which turned into 2 planes, after a bunch of us watched the semi final game at a West Peoria pub. Don't believe an NCAA trip could have been more fun. Remember Charlie wearing his Versace wig after the game at mid court of MSG, as I stod next to and had a conversation with LaVerne Tart of Bradley fame. Hate to be so much of a name dropper but a season and trip I'll never forget.