LIVE! from Illinois at Ohio State
HQ Live Report - Ohio State 83, Illinois 67 - Final
-Illinois has a six-game losing streak and continues to spiral the wrong direction.
-Illinois fell to 3-4 against ranked teams. Ohio State improved to an astounding 112-2 against unranked opponents in this building.
-Meyers Leonard had 21 points to lead all scorers.
-Deshaun Thomas had 19 points to lead Ohio State.
-The Illini trudged to the locker room with their heads hung low.
-The crowd mostly stayed in its seats as Ohio State attempts to make a late push for its fifth conference title in seven years.
-The Illini defense continues to break down. Ohio State shot 65.3 percent - the fifth opponent in six games to shoot better than 50 percent against Illinois.
“Today we were getting easy shots," William Buford said a minute ago. "And we were able to knock the down.”
-Gamer, notebook, grades, graphic coming later on HQ.
Klee
HQ Live Report - Ohio State 55, Illinois 36 - 13:16 left in regulation
-There's an Urban Meyer Fathead behind one basket. Haven't seen the football coach. Maybe the ESPN cameras found him.
-Athletics trainer Al Martindale appears to be working on Brandon Paul's left shoulder. It's on the other side of the court, though.
-This is the biggest arena (18,809) in the Big Ten. Attendance estimate tonight? About 17,000? The Kohl Center gets the pub. This place trumps it. As one former Illini said, upon walking into Value City Arena: "This place League."
-Meyers Leonard has 14 points to lead Illinois. He's 4-for-7 from the field.
-Deshaun Thomas has 17 to lead everyone. He's 6-for-8.
-Lenzelle Smith also has a motor that doesn't stop.
-Here's why the Matto chart isn't always a precursor to scoreboard success: Illinois won the Matto battle against Indiana (a loss) and Nebraska (a bigger loss).
-Think I'll drive back to C-U tonight.
-Ohio State's going to be the fifth opponent in six games to shoot at least 50 percent from the field. The Bucks are sitting at 68.8 percent.
-Ohio State big man Evan Ravenel is trying to solve a Rubik's cube on the videoboard.
-Talked to Illini recruit Jalen James earlier tonight. Asked him if there is a coaching change, how would it affect his commitment to Illinois. He isn't sure until it would happen. "I don't know. I don’t know what would happen," James said. "Me and my family haven’t talked about that yet.”
A 2013 recruit, James said he has a campus visit scheduled for the start of his spring break - the weekend of March 2.
-The question is when, not if. An NIT home game with (maybe) 7,000 disgruntled fans could present an awfully uncomfortable setting for both parties - Illinois and Bruce Weber - if the coach is still on the sideline.
-Need to work on our print coverage for tomorrow's News-Gazette. Back at the buzzer.
Klee
HQ Live Report - Ohio State 42, Illinois 26 - Halftime
-Where to start?
-Polar-opposite basketball cultures on display tonight. One has one; the other doesn't.
-Ohio State made 13 of its first 15 shots (86.7 percent). Illinois made 5 of its first 17 (29.4).
-The telling play: Brandon Paul drove it hard to the basket - and Lenzelle Smith Jr. answered with an equally hard foul.
-Good talk with Mike DeCourcy from The Sporting News and Big Ten Network before the game. Bounced observations off each other. Read his column tomorrow.
-Other Illini media in attendance: Mark Tupper (Herald Review), John Supinie (Gatehouse), Shannon Ryan (Tribune) and Tina Akouris (Sun-Times).
-Meyers Leonard appeared to take a knee to his right hip while setting a screen at the top of the key. He stayed in the game and played a team-high 20 minutes in the first half.
-Leading by 16 points, Thad Matta signaled for a timeut with 2.1 seconds left. He still reminds me of Pete Carroll - recruiting success, sideline demeanor, player relations - and is about to be 11-4 against Illinois.
-This is on pace to be the "worst" loss of the Bruce Weber era. Minnesota (in 2009) and Nebraska (Saturday) whipped the Illini by 23.
-As honest and accurate as it may have been, the Purdue postgame press conference fractured this roster. The Illini have been outscored by 39 points over three halves since then.
-The Illini hustled into the locker room with their heads up. The pride factor has to come into play at some point.
Back with two more updates later.
Klee
HQ Live Report - Ohio State 25, Illinois 8 - 11:28 left in the first half
-(Good) question from Jason, a dedicated HQ reader (and possible stalker): "When's the last time Illinois was a 16-point underdog?"
-Three of the final four teams on the Illinois schedule are ranked: No. 8 Ohio State, No. 11 Michigan and No. 16 Wisconsin. It's conceivable - likely? - the Illini will close the regular season with losses in 11 of 13 games.
-Lenzelle Smith Jr. and Jereme Richmond were close friends in high school. One has a near-4.0 GPA . The other has 1.5 years probation.
-Sam Thompson, another Chicago-area product, just went highlight-reel on the Illini. As for his recruitment, Thompson let the UI coaches know early that he wanted to go out-of-state. Classy move that allowed them to move on.
-One thing this staff has done a poor job with is handling NBA situations. Demetri McCamey was a borderline NBA guy, according to scouts during his UI career. Meyers Leonard is a sure-fire NBA guy, according to NBA scouts now. Neither situation has been handled well in public.
-NBA personnel believe Deshaun Thomas is undervalued as a pro prospect. Certainly has the build for it - he's carved up since his freshman season - and he's an awful matchup for Illinois. He scored six quick points. "His motor never stops," is how Jerrance Howard put it.
-This five-game losing streak is the Illini's longest since a five-game skid in 2007-08.
-You usually can see pods of orange scattered around Value City Arena. There are only a few orange spots from where we sit. Or maybe they went to Eddie George's bar already.
Back in a few.
Klee
HQ Live Report - Illinois (16-11, 5-9 Big Ten) at Ohio State (22-5, 10-4) - Tipoff (6 Central, ESPN)
-Brandon Paul got a kick out of the Ohio State students dressed as Star Wars characters.
-One of the jobs to watch is South Carolina. If Darrin Horn is fired, that could be Gregg Marshall's first choice. His ties to the state run deep. I'm told he even still has South Carolina football tickets. Regardless, several Valley coaches have told me that Marshall's Wichita State team is one that can make a Final Four run. It's a complete team without an obvious weakness.
-Starting lineup: Abrams, Richardson, Paul, Griffey and Leonard. Brandon Paul returns.
-Jared Sullinger was honored for something before the game. Lights are off. They're showing Evan Turner's basketball-miracle shot vs. Michigan at the Big Ten tournament.
-Broke down the Illini's problems on the First Bank Pregame Show (the impact of the Purdue press conference, player-coach relations, defensive collapse, recruiting): Click here.
Back in a few.
Klee
HQ Live Report - Illinois (16-11, 5-9 Big Ten) at Ohio State (22-5, 10-4) - 20 minutes until tipoff (6 Central, ESPN)
-Show of camaraderie in the Illinois locker room: Sam Maniscalco and Myke Henry walking out with arms around each other's shoulder.
-Ohio State is 118-2 against unranked opponents at home under Thad Matta
-The Buckeyes are 111-2 against unranked opponents in this building.
-The Buckeyes checked in at No. 8 in Monday’s AP Top 25. That’s their lowest ranking in two years, according to the excellent Ohio State beat writer Bob Baptist.
-Louisville fans didn’t appreciate Klee’s Top 25 ballot. Again. It’s simple, really. I’ve watched Louisville a half-dozen times and at no point did I say, ‘Hey, that’s a top-20 team.’ Our poll is based largely (but not entirely) on the eye test. Here was our ballot.
-Working on a story for Sunday’s News-Gazette. It’s a historical look at the Assembly Hall that we hope you will find informative. Longtime P.A. man Jim Sheppard says the loudest he heard the building was the EJ Gordon/Kelvin Sampson episode, for example.
-Ohio State’s resurgence under Thad Matta has been aided by a surge of high-level, in-state prospects. Their three best players this season are from Ohio – Sullinger, Craft and Buford – for example. I’ll write on that tomorrow – and how it relates to Illinois.
-Interested to see if Aaron Craft requested the defensive assignment on Brandon Paul after Paul went off on him in the second at the Assembly Hall. He's a proud guy; wouldn't surprise me.
-The Illinois players are on the court going through warmups. Back in a few.
Klee
HQ Live Report - Illinois (16-11, 5-9 Big Ten) at Ohio State (22-5, 10-4) - 2 hours until tipoff (6 Central, ESPN)
Evening everyone. Basketball writer Paul Klee joining you from courtside at Value City Arena in Columbus. Just me tonight, so we'll provide updates and notes at the 10:00 marks. A few things to get started...
-The Illini arrived in Columbus last night and ate at their usual restaurant. Rainy but mild in Columbus today. And they're expecting a large crowd in the Big Ten's biggest arena tonight.
-This, of course, is the Illini's first game since the loss at Nebraska. (The Big Dread? The Lincoln Licking? Your call.) Here was Bruce Weber's description on Monday of the 23-point loss:
“It was a snowball coming down the hill," he said. "All we could do was get out of the way because we couldn’t stop it.”
-And here was his message to the Illini on Sunday and Monday: Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
“For me, too. I can’t have my own pity party," Weber said. "They can’t have it. This is it. There’s no sympathy from anyone. You guys (media) know that. Its out there. If we feel sorry for yourself we’re going to let the season slip by. We’ve got to man up. Tough times stop; tough people don’t."
-Outside a Big Ten tournament run, the Illini's best postseason prospect is an NIT berth. Here's the NIT schedule:
March 13-14 - First Round
March 15-19 - Second Round
March 20-21 - Quarterfinals
March 27 - Semifinals (NYC)
March 29 - Championship (NYC)
-Ohio State and Indiana were Frank Williams' favorite opposing campuses to visit.
-Congrats to the News-Gazette sports department, which won another APSE award today. That's how we do.
-Klee was in Albuquerque over the weekend. The big story in town was UNM's 20-point rout of UNLV, and Steve Alford has it rolling with the Lobos. Useless fact that nevertheless seemed interesting: New Mexico - not UNLV or San Diego State - was picked to win the Mountain West this season. And New Mexico currently leads the Mountain West.
-The Vegas line tonight: Ohio State -16.5.
-The N-G line: Ohio State -17. Strange, because we always have to submit the prediction before Vegas sets the line.
-Bruce Weber's line: "Man up."
-The Ohio State student section was moved behind the visiting team's bench this season. The students aren't here quite yet. But Aaron Craft is. He's shooting jumpshots on the far end.
-Here's Value City Arena at the moment.
-Just talked to Illini recruit Jalen James about his commitment to Illinois - and how it would be affected if there is the expected coaching change. More on that later.
-Going on the First Bank Pregame Show at 4:30 p.m. Central. You can listen live here.
Thanks for reading.
Klee (pklee@news-gazette.com)
Just a question for you Wyoming and JimOATS, etc. that think the only thing this team needs is "positive energy" from the fans...
How bad would it have to get for you to want Weber fired? Seriously, how bad does it have to get? Getting blown out by 30 pts every game? (were probably at 2 straight after tonight) Not making the NCAA Tournament 10+ years in a row?
Oh wait, I forgot. As long as the coach is a "nice guy" and runs a "clean program", they have a job for life correct?
I don't want to pile on Weber right now because I think he is a good coach. But I really hate Illinois holding for the last shot of the half when they're down 16. I've never liked that play, but it's worse watching them do it down 16 then not even get a shot off. That's more on the players then the coach, but it's still annoying.
At 2-12 currently from 3 point range, the Illini are showing once again the undisputed truth about offensive philosophy during the Weber era... Any 22 foot shot at any time is better than working for a better one every time.
As I typed this at 11m to go in the 2nd half, Maniscalco fired and missed another one.
The people that do not see bw as the problem are going to always blame it on someone else. I think the fans are always eternal optimists. That is what makes us fans. Fanatics. But this program is going way down in expectations. so that is a good question....How bad does it have to get before someone that can do something, does something. I would hate to see SIU out recruit us.
Did you hear Dakich praise Weber, and throw some players under the bus,,,stating how Weber just told them the day before in practice not to do this or that,,or whatever...This came after Dakich had just said he liked Weber and thought Weber was getting the shaft from Thomas's earlier statements. He said that Thomas should support Weber no matter what, and at the end of the season was when Thomas should make those comments. Well Dakich,,stuff it,,you are not exactly the best judge of coaches,,having stood and watch your fellow team mate get choked by old Bobby, having seen old Bobby be a BULLY TO HENSON,,,you Mr. Dakich are a a hoosier and have selective understanding of proper conduct of a coach.
It is apparent this team does not understand Weber's defensive scheme or can't execute it. Weber's motion offense designed to get good jump shots; problem is, this team cannot jump shoot. This program is going downhill quickly and unless something happens soon, we may hit rock bottom at year end if we aren't already there. If Thomas has decided to fire Weber, he should do it now and begin looking for replacement. If Thomas is keeping Weber, he needs to step up and state that now. If Thomas is undecided, he may be the only person in Illiniois without a position. Silence from Thomas and delaying decision will hurt the program in the future.
I have been the biggest Bruce fan ever. Until the last 3 games I was confident we would get in and he would be back. We are just a little below last year and we lost 4 of our top 6 scorers. We were picked to be in the lower half of the big 10. I get a kick out of people saying our tradition at Illinois is winning and buce has stopped that. NO WE HAVE NO TRADITION OF WINNING BIG TIME AT ILLINOIS. PERIOD. Bruce has a higher average of finish in the big ten out of our last 6 coaches besides selfs little 2 year run. So outside of the last 10 games no bruce hasnt brought this program down. HE HAD A HIGHER AVERAGE WINNING THEN ANYBODY. DONT FOOL YOURSELF AND SAY WE HAVE A TRADITION OF WINNING AT ILLINOIS BECASUE WE DONT. Outside of the last 10 games Bruce has done incredible compared to the others. Now that said as much as I love him and hope hes back the last 4 games probably blew that chance. So the nastty insults and stupid comments about how he sucks and brought the program down is ridicoulous. Wheres the winning tradition everyone speaks of oh its bruces first two years because other than that we dont have a winning tradition. Yes hes probably gone but the insults are ridicoulous the guy did some good things. Yep last 10 game shave been dismal and he may be done but its plain stupidity to say someone sucks when he doesnt. We were picked 7th to 9th by everyone in the big ten this year thats were we are.
coach,
I think our record of winning and competitive teams at Illinois over my 30 years of memory as a kid and adult are actually pretty good.
I disagree with one on court issue more than any other point: Weber's teams are willing to shoot 22 foot shots anytime without recourse. They simply are not coached to work for a better one inside with any regularity.
Coach Weber's teams do not pass the eye test. The 2012 group is not particularly adept at passing, dribbling in traffic, or shooting. Tough to coach a group to success with these traits. The problem: These guys have been recruited and coached by Bruce Weber too.
As one of our commenters pointed out the successful Bruce Weber in his first years at Illinois, I might also point out the vast success of Bruce Weber's first few years at Illinios was Lon Kruger and Bill Self's recruiting. And, as those players exhausted their elgibility at Illinois, Bruce Weber had to depend on Bruce Weber's recruiting.
I watched in dismay at Tuesday Evenings second half game with Ohio State, as one Illini player dribbled the ball the entire length of the basketball floor zig-zagging around Ohio State defensive players, and as he reached closer to the Illinois basket, more and more Ohio State defensive players surrounded this Illinois player making it look as if he would have to pass the ball to one of his team mates. However this Illinois player "Hogged" the ball and managed to shoot the ball heavily defended, off balance, and missed the basket totally, permitting Ohio State to drive the ball back down to their end of the court and score. It's quite clear this Illini basketball player feels he is the leader of his team, and needs to display an example of how you play effective basketball. That player should have "Watched" the remainder of this basketball game from the Illini Bench.
I watched the second half of the Ohio State/Illinois game wandering how the hell do you expect to win a game when you Accumulate so many turnovers by not being able to Pass or Dribble the ball. These players need to focus on One Game at a time and quit worrying about the remainder of this season. Simple little mistakes is crushing any chances of winning a game in the remainder of this season.
As far as Recruiting goes, Coach Collins was Lou Henson's backbone of recruiting. Coach Collins found that talent lurking in the depths of the Chicago area, providing Lou Henson with a starting five every year, and depth in "The Bench" that made substitutions easy when needed.
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