Illinois basketball fans

[TheGame414]

The play from Crandall I was most impressed with was when he faked the handoff at the top of the key, pitched it to the guy on the wing, set the screen and then rolled to the basket for the alley-oop.

That play was so motion offense-y, it was like Luther had drilled into him or something. Beautiful.

[wang4three]

He just looks like he has the build already to be an effective college player. DJ and Bertrand still look like rails, but Crandall seems to be bulky and to have great body control.

As far as the video goes, Jereme looked athletic, but obviously still needs work on the other parts of his game. I'm excited for him. Brandon looks like a tenacious player, DJ seems polished offensively, and Joseph seems to have a package of everything. I'm excited for our future. I wonder if that Legion were to step in, how would that effect things?

Also, I wish Jamar Smith was playing this year.

[ThaKing]

He just looks like he has the build already to be an effective college player. DJ and Bertrand still look like rails, but Crandall seems to be bulky and to have great body control.

As far as the video goes, Jereme looked athletic, but obviously still needs work on the other parts of his game. I'm excited for him. Brandon looks like a tenacious player, DJ seems polished offensively, and Joseph seems to have a package of everything. I'm excited for our future. I wonder if that Legion were to step in, how would that effect things?

Also, I wish Jamar Smith was playing this year.

Just be happy he's not in jail. The fact that he is still on your team is a complete joke.

[TheGame414]

Just be happy he's not in jail. The fact that he is still on your team is a complete joke.

What an original, groundbreaking thought.

Hey, plenty of Illinois fans agree with you, but they're wrong too.

Jamar Smith's 15-day jail sentence was actually a surprisingly harsh penalty as it was. He's paying a heavier price from the courts than most legal experts expected. He was suspended for the last eight games of last season, and is sitting out all of this season. Brian Carlwell, the guy who he injured, is still his best friend and wants him back on the team.

Jamar is serving a justifiably harsh penalty but deserves to play basketball again if he stays out of trouble. He'd never been in trouble before. He's a good kid who made a bad mistake that had a very unintended consequence.

Don't tell me you know Kansas wouldn't have let him back on the team because you have no clue if they would have or not. It was a fairly unique situation.

[wang4three]

Just be happy he's not in jail. The fact that he is still on your team is a complete joke.

I think you may have him confused with Brandon Rush.

EDIT: Normally I don't do this, but I only communicate this way to children.

[TheGame414]

ThaKing's statement was stupid enough without having to compare Jamar's situation to Rush's situation. Apples and oranges.

[ThaKing]

Whats your problem with Brandon Rush? He didn't show up for court because of a 2 traffic violations? There is no comparison what so ever.

[Remix]

Hmm...I guess I'm meeting some friends for lunch so I may not make it to see Bertrand and Richardson. Hopefully I'll catch part of that game. I'll see Jereme Richmond, Brandon Paul, Verdell Jones and that loaded Whitney Young squad, though.

By Bertrand do you mean Joseph Bertrand?

He's a junior at Sterling high school, about 30 minutes away from where I live. One of my friends goes to that school and says hes amazing. He's about 6'5? if I believe, but only weighs 170.

[TheGame414]

Whats your problem with Brandon Rush? He didn't show up for court because of a 2 traffic violations? There is no comparison what so ever.

That's why I said it was a stupid comparison. It didn't make your original statement less stupid, however.

By Bertrand do you mean Joseph Bertrand?

He's a junior at Sterling high school, about 30 minutes away from where I live. One of my friends goes to that school and says hes amazing. He's about 6'5? if I believe, but only weighs 170.

Correct on all accounts. I did mean Bertrand, and he is about 6'5", 170. Needs to put weight on, but most 6'5" high school juniors usually do. He looks pretty fantastic. The skills have all been there for awhile, but Saturday was one of the first times he put it all together, asked his coach for the ball and really dominated. If he keeps that aggressiveness up and has a strong summer, he could make a run at being a McDonald's All-American. I think he's the best player in the state in the 2009 class and when does the state of Illinois NOT produce at least one McD's AA?

[wang4three]

Whats your problem with Brandon Rush? He didn't show up for court because of a 2 traffic violations? There is no comparison what so ever.

I have no problem with Brandon Rush. I do have a problem when you bring up unrelated topics and unrelated references to the discussion. You can interject saying, "I don't like Jamar and feel his punishment wasn't sturdy enough" or what have you on your imaginary high pedestal. Like I said, if you're gonna be an idiot, I can easily be one as well.

[Remix]

That's why I said it was a stupid comparison. It didn't make your original statement less stupid, however.

Correct on all accounts. I did mean Bertrand, and he is about 6'5", 170. Needs to put weight on, but most 6'5" high school juniors usually do. He looks pretty fantastic. The skills have all been there for awhile, but Saturday was one of the first times he put it all together, asked his coach for the ball and really dominated. If he keeps that aggressiveness up and has a strong summer, he could make a run at being a McDonald's All-American. I think he's the best player in the state in the 2009 class and when does the state of Illinois NOT produce at least one McD's AA?

Some of the junior's I go to school with said they used to always play his team in summer 3on3 tournaments and such. They said Sterling would always win, and Bertrand would pull off a ton of streetball moves.. (dribbling between the other teams legs.. etc)

=]

[TheGame414]

Yeah, Bertrand definitely has some Frank Williams in his game.

[IlliniFan]

There are reports that Alex Legion has commited to Illinois. If true, welcome Alex, to the Fighting Illini. Your scoring will be much needed.

[wang4three]

Honestly, that was a lucky win for us. Horrible execution for two straight possessions by Mizzou. I'm not going to say we didn't deserve to win that game, but we got to start playing for keeps in the 2nd half...

Also Chester Frazier is our version of Jason Collins. Love the heart, but the production doesn't add up.

Right now I'd say we're fools gold level. We look like we're playing scrappy and tenaciously, but realistically we play without confidence nor order. We let emotions take the better of our judgment and it ruins our games. I'm also tired of Shaun planting himself in the paint and just putting his hand up. It'll work in the NBA where's there's spacing and perhaps even a good shooting team, but for us, he has to be more active than just standing there with his hand up. He has to step towards the pass, roll better on his picks, and just have more movement over all.

Also, our ability to run any shape or form of the pick and roll is disgusting.

All in all, I say we were lucky to win this game when we easily could've lost it like Zona and we did against Mi(OH)... Yikes.

[Remix]

Erm.. whoever it was on that one loose ball with like 30 seconds left when illinois got the ball... he got raped and no foul was called.