Illinois-Indiana Predictions, and Prediction Standings
FAILL...
How many times will this team shoot itself in the foot? Once again a big letdown after a big win. It's almost like this team doesn't like the attention. They seem to play their best ball when no one gives them a chance. This leads to games like Ohio State and Michigan State. Now the nation takes notice to what's going on in Champaign, only to see a disastrous loss the next time they hit the floor.
Why does this happen? Lack of concentration? Poor coaching? Player cockiness after the big win? Who really knows? A lot of people on HQ have made there opinions loud and clear and say that Coach Weber has to go. I don't know if I'm completely on that bandwagon yet, but if this team turns this winnable loss into a losing streak with these tough games coming up, it might not matter what I think. Mike Thomas has already shown he is not afraid to pull the trigger.
I know some of us are getting tired of seeing all of those comments from “negative nation”, but after games like yesterday, they're allowed to speak their mind and there is nothing we can say to counter it.
I don't care who the coach is and I don't care how they get it done, I just want them to get it done. Right now, the inconsistency is frustrating, and I'm just hoping there's an answer to this puzzling problem.
Looking ahead to the beginning of rough stretch of games to close out the regular season...
MY PREDICTION
#20 INDIANA 80 ILLINOIS 70
Minnesota was able to knock off Indiana in Bloomington, but they still allowed 74 points. Illinois has had good defense for the most part this season, but allowing 74 to Northwestern was just sickening. With an effort like that, Indiana could treat us like Iowa and score triple digits. That probably won't happen, but Indiana can definitely score, while Illinois can......who knows what Illinois can do? I think a Magic 8-Ball has a better idea about this team than I do. The only thing I know is that this team somehow finds a way at times to win those games that seem improbable. Will this be one of them? Don't think so. It's on the road.
What do you guys think? Do the Illini give us another head scratching performance and knock off the Hoosiers, or does Indiana take care of business at home? Let me know with your thoughts and predictions below. Here is a look at how things stack up after predicting 16 games.
| NAME | PREDICTION | WINS | LOSSES | RSDT* |
| buckhunter2 | Illinois 59-51 | 11 | 5 | 126 |
| Bwp 5P | Illinois 68-60 | 11 | 5 | 131 |
| river | Illinois 69-61 | 10 | 6 | 115 |
| walker | Illinois 69-58 | 10 | 6 | 135 |
| penniless | Illinois 77-63 | 10 | 5 | 127 |
| Paul Klee | Illinois 62-52 | 9 | 7 | 116 |
| bubba2hype | Illinois 65-61 | 9 | 7 | 120 |
| JoeK82 | Illinois 65-59 | 9 | 7 | 124 |
| geriatricillini | Illinois 68-61 | 9 | 7 | 125 |
| Reillini | Illinois 62-54 | 9 | 7 | 125 |
| Wincer_85 | Illinois 63-55 | 9 | 7 | 141 |
| Tom Young | Illinois 61-57 | 9 | 7 | 146 |
| dealmaker21 | Illinois 62-55 | 9 | 7 | 178 |
| mbelcher | Illinois 68-62 | 9 | 6 | 103 |
| aaeismacgychel | Illinois 72-64 | 9 | 5 | 106 |
| smills89 | Illinois 73-60 | 9 | 5 | 143 |
| illiniearl | Northwestern 66-58 | 8 | 8 | 229 |
| uofiisu | Illinois 63-58 | 8 | 7 | 111 |
| CARPET | Illinois 54-50 | 8 | 7 | 127 |
| dave1956 | DNP | 8 | 3 | 92 |
| Eric 22 | Illinois 72-63 | 7 | 9 | 160 |
| rtrott | Illinois 67-57 | 7 | 8 | 159 |
| illinifan1280 | DNP | 7 | 6 | 136 |
| drcc4 | DNP | 7 | 5 | 107 |
| gordonbacon15 | Illinois 73-58 | 7 | 5 | 137 |
| illinilove | Illinois 65-59 | 7 | 3 | 107 |
| mvillini | Illinois 60-55 | 6 | 8 | 137 |
| illiniphil85 | Illinois 63-60 | 6 | 5 | 73 |
| Foo_G | head hurts adding it | 6 | 5 | 234 |
| oskeewowwow | DNP | 6 | 3 | 78 |
| jruss62 | DNP | 6 | 3 | 90 |
| illinizeeman | DNP | 6 | 1 | 59 |
| UIUIllini | DNP | 5 | 2 | 50 |
| adamnolen | Illinois 70-63 | 4 | 7 | 81 |
| WLSILLINI | Illinois 60-54 | 4 | 6 | 98 |
| indymic1956 | DNP | 4 | 3 | 92 |
| kelkaidru | Illinois 69-65 | 4 | 2 | 41 |
| tstephens | DNP | 4 | 2 | 65 |
| JamesB | DNP | 4 | 1 | 33 |
| retby50 | DNP | 4 | 1 | 38 |
| sunnyd503 | DNP | 4 | 1 | 53 |
| illini7074 | DNP | 3 | 4 | 62 |
| wilson577 | DNP | 3 | 4 | 73 |
| ILLINI04 | DNP | 3 | 2 | 37 |
| smccaw | DNP | 3 | 2 | 47 |
| illiniart | DNP | 3 | 2 | 48 |
| happygilmore | DNP | 2 | 3 | 36 |
| Lanphier | DNP | 2 | 3 | 90 |
| illinois52 | DNP | 2 | 1 | 20 |
| ICB36 | DNP | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| illini82 | DNP | 2 | 1 | 30 |
| bumpin99 | DNP | 2 | 1 | 40 |
| pblillini | DNP | 2 | 1 | 55 |
| oandb | DNP | 2 | 1 | 133 |
| ax474 | DNP | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| bernies | DNP | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| cjcohen | DNP | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| Illinifan11_42 | DNP | 2 | 0 | 22 |
| afan | DNP | 2 | 0 | 35 |
| demitrimaniscalaco | Illinois 68-61 | 1 | 2 | 33 |
| butkus50 | DNP | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Illini_Fan_78 | DNP | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| PhiloJoe | DNP | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| foreverillini | DNP | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| bookworm24 | DNP | 1 | 1 | 36 |
| uswtmb47 | DNP | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| B-ILLINI | DNP | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Ed Bond | DNP | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| JeremyH | DNP | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| jimbo2009 | DNP | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| DaisyJ | DNP | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| GW | DNP | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| ILL Hoosier | DNP | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| rumbob35 | DNP | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| 1 illinifan | DNP | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| Smitto | DNP | 1 | 0 | 22 |
| jrhymer | DNP | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| judahtom | DNP | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| illiniwood12 | Illinois 58-51 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| yates | DNP | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| nikeguy1618 | DNP | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| cevans | DNP | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| IlliniExile | DNP | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| toddalan1975 | DNP | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| WhoSays | DNP | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* - Real Score Difference Total
I-L-L...
Ditto pretty much all your thoughts Tom...........my heart tells me we'll lose by 25-30 (and believe me....Living in Indiana....between PU and IU, and being a Life Long Illini Fan...........this is not easy!)
Whoosiers 78
ILL-ini 68
OH how I would have fun with an Illini win.......Really...really would. I have a HOST of people I could "diss"!
"They seem to play their best ball when no one gives them a chance."
I think that's because, in some way, the pressure is off. There is no strong expectation that the team "has to win" the game (or in a worse mindset "has to not lose" the game).
Big questions: Will the team that played Missouri or the team that played Purdue show up? Will Coach Weber use more than 13 minutes from the bench? Under probably the most hostile environment that this team will face this year, will the Illini pull together or wilt?
My prediction is that this will be a pivotal game for the rest of the Illini's season.
Go Illini!
Illinois: 70
Indiana: 68
Why? Because why not? This Illinois team is very baffling. Even though we lost to northwestern at home (still cant believe that is true), Illinois put some points up on the board. Indiana can score....but they also don't play a lick of defense. They put up 104 on Iowa....but gave up 89. Meyers won't have quite as easy time down low as he did saturday with a 5'11 guy playing the baseline defense for N'western, but i expect illinois to get open shots and knock them down (11 threes made against N'western.) The defense, or lack thereof, on saturday was an exception rather than the rule for illinois, No one on Indiana's team really "Wow's" me offensively. Tracy has to stay close to Hulls, Meyers needs to be quick on his feet against Zeller, and i assume Paul will be on Watford. Watford will probably get his points but can't allow him to get in a groove. Indiana basketball is my least favorite team in any sport ever. Really hope we can knock them off. BTW: How is IU still ranked??? They've won 3 of 5...but also have lost like 8 of 12. Rankings dont really matter but still am baffled how they are still ranked. Illinois can take care of that Thursday. GO ILLINI!
The question will be whether Illinois can make what will be a bunch of open shots and whether they can play physical defense. Illinois' atypical "ole" defense against Northwestern might actually help in this case, because I have a feeling they come out a bit angry and I don't see them having major defensive lapses two games in a row. Any team that has played Indiana physically has walked away with the win. Anyone who has let them run lost.
I expect an ugly slowdown game in this one. And the more everybody is counting out Illinois in this one, the better chance I think they have of winning it. I am still of the belief that Indiana will win this one, but my guess would be that the winning margin would again be under 5 points.
Indiana: 64
Illinois: 61
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