Announcer looks like Carrot Top! Go Illini!!

GO ILLINI

clemson takes lead 0-2

Tisdale TO

oopsie ! 1 sec late

It looks like when Illinois pushes it against the press, they are going to get some easy buckets. But I don't see them trying to beat the press down the court, more slowly attacking it and having them back away. It looks like they prefer to have Davis and McCamey back to beat it instead of McCamey and Frazier or Meacham.

Hall looks great !!! I WANNA BE THERE

8-7 good guys

No problem, good start by the Illini, but all the orange is hard to follow.

they look a little slow out there getting back .....giving up easy scores.

DMac looks on tonight.

why are we leaving so many gaps ? so many hi lo plays and we cant defend

OK, I think I would make an adjustment here against the press to beat it. We are trying to get the ball into the corner and then pass to the middle against the trap, which is a typical straight strategery, and it works well, but I think we can try something else.

I would like to see us go away from the four man inbounding and have a guard do it. That gives the PG two guard outlets, one behind the trap and one ahead of it. If he cannot get it easily ahead, go to the back man and just slowly beat the press.

I think since it worked quickly twice, we have relied too much on the up man in the middle.

Also, Keller is playing too frantic right now, and it shows when he is throwing the basketball in, and it lead directly to at least two turnovers against the press.

Anytime McCamey is on the bench, the lack of talent shows.

Great outlet pass there by Davis and then Frazier in the two-on-one. I like that Davis' first move after a rebound is to look out to start the break, that didn't happen last year.

And I like that this team will dunk the effing basketball.

SLAMMMA JAMMA

MIKE DAVIS

MIKE DAVIS!

gosh that dunk was so good ...........almost therapeutic after Pruitt last year

WOW, a heck of a slam by Mike Davis!!

LOL. Davis to Semrau: "DUNK THE BALL"

If we could just stop turning the ball over in the full court pressure!

Is the full court pressure a surprise? We are not handling it well at all.

Nope, Illinois should have known they were getting it. Clemson is known for it.

I don't think I have seen Mike Tisdale since the first two - three minutes of the game, is that right? It looked like he was not ready to play big men at this speed, and that Weber quickly went to Semrau instead and has now been using a three person big man rotation of Semrau, Davis, and Keller.

Need to break the press and then make them pay. Also hit the boards!

Tis back in, foul #2.

Difference between last year to this year in a nutshel........MID RANGE J!!!!!

Man, we are looking good!! Nice half!

I think he may have been at one other time, and there at the end, but this game is just moving way to quickly for him. As evident by his bad foul at the end of the half. Great minutes by both Keller and Semrau in his place.

Some halftime numbers:

Pace: about 31 possessions per team.

Despite what I thought was going to be a more frantic pace from watching the game, Illinois has controlled the tempo on Clemson. Sure, there are some maddening turnovers against the press, but all in all, Illinois is handling it pretty well.

Offensive Efficiency: 125.0

Very damn good. This is because Illinois is shooting 56% from the floor, and their eFG% (shooting percentage that takes into account threes) is 58.8%. Illinois has not relied on the outside jumper, and is taking the ball to the hole more with the dribble drive.

Defensive Efficiency: 104.03

Not good at all, and off the season average of 87.4. Clemson's Offensive Efficiency is normally at about 114, so we are keeping them below their standard output, but it is still too much. Clemson seems to be getting too many easy buckets inside. They are also shooting 51.9% from the floor when teams have shot 37.4% against Illinois this season season, though Clemson on the season is shooting about 55% from the floor.

All in all, I expect Illinois' defense to tighten up, and the offense to cool down. So hopefully Illinois closes this game out, and keeps the distance at about 8 - 10 points as the improved defense offsets what I think will be a decline in offensive output.

The first five minutes of the half are key here, and Illinois can either end the game, or ensure fans some heartburn.

Not to bash Chester, but shouldn't someone else be throwing the ball in on
out of bounds plays?

Did the ESPN studio even talk about our game at half??

Might need a TO.

Looks like it's going to be heartburn ;)

MIKE DAVIS

Mike Davis is going CRAZY!!

DEMETRI MCCAMEY (in a bad way)

I don't know if we have had more turnovers than usual, but the ones we have usually lead directly to Clemson baskets.

ARGH -- TURNOVERS!

Too many turnovers! 14 now.

You know if I wanted to watch the Iowa / BC game, I would have turned on ESPNU.

At least split screen it for us.

We don't want the Iowa game as "bonus coverage"!!

Need to cover the point guy #2 better. Stop him!

Meacham really needs to figure out how get his shot.

Chester just does what we need.

On a side note, Clemson looks pretty good. They have made some really good interior passes.

We are playing awful defense and turning the ball over too much. Recipe for a 2-3 point loss.

Have to start playing some defense they have had 4 lay-ups in a row...

We should be going to Davis everytime we go down the court... Hasn't had any touches lately at all...

Terrible shot by DMac!

Meachum lights up the little schools, goes cold as ice against top competition.

He literally shot us out of some games last year. If he's off balance or isn't in rhythm, he's not a very good shooter.

Nevermind the fact that Clemson is pressing the heck out of us FORCING turnovers