« NCAA Picks | Main | Busted »
So Angry
By Mike | March 16, 2007
This was shaping up to be a great tournament. Duke and Notre Dame lost in the first round. The Big 10 was 4-0, and Purdue and Illinois both had comfortable leads late in the second half of their games. And the suck happened and the Illini choked.
I was watching the game at a bar with some friends, most of whom were U of I alums so my numbers/stats may not be 100% accurate, but more or less, this is what happened.
The Illini had been dominating all game. They had a 10-12 point lead with about 10 minutes remaining. Still plenty of time for VA Tech to come back, but Illinois should have been able to coast to a victory. Then VA Tech decided they would start pressing, and Illinois panicked. I can’t think of any other way to describe it than meltdown. It must have been 47-35 at some point in the second half and as the momentum started to change I remember thinking to myself that if they could just get to 60 points they’d win.
They went on to score only 5 more points in those remaining 10 minutes and lost. I wouldn’t have minded if the game had been close all along and VA Tech just pulled it out at the end, or if the Illini just got run over the whole game. They were a 12 seed, and supposed to lose this game. What pisses me off is that they were in control. They should have coasted to an easy victory, and they threw it away. I think they had more turnovers than points, or even shots in the second half. It was ridiculous.
When the Hokies were pressing, they would have three guys on the guy with the ball and another guy guarding the Illinois player helping him out. That leaves only one guy to guard the remaining three Illini down the court, yet Illinois repeated found a way to get the ball to that lone defender. Have they not been pressed the entire year? I have to think I could have done a better job breaking a press than they did.
All they had to do was not turn the ball over and eat up clock, or score a point ever fifth trip down the court, or stop the Hokies once or twice and they’d have made it to round two. But no. They did what they’ve done all year. Get a big lead and throw it away.
At least my brackets haven’t been completely destroyed already. Normally I’m mathematically eliminated from any pool I’ve entered by now. So at least I have that going for me.
Topics: Fighting Illini, NCAA Basketball |
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.