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Post by northwoods on Nov 3, 2023 13:31:15 GMT -5
I think a case could be made to make the tournament if Illinois wins 5 of their last 7. If they add a win vs NEB or Wisc, I think they are in.
The 1st 3 wins of this recent streak lifted the team out of the “fire Tamas” basement of the league, and the last 3 separated them from the middle of the pack…. They need to get the wins and champion the case for the B1G getting 5 teams in!
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Post by ilalum92 on Nov 3, 2023 22:47:55 GMT -5
Is there a thread for tomorrow?
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Post by exit237a on Nov 3, 2023 23:03:50 GMT -5
Is there a thread for tomorrow? Hey rainbowbadger, I figured you’d cover the Madison Illinois match thread but if you’d like I could put one together pretty quick. It would look a lot like my Champaign thread : )
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Post by rainbowbadger on Nov 4, 2023 7:33:39 GMT -5
Is there a thread for tomorrow? Hey rainbowbadger, I figured you’d cover the Madison Illinois match thread but if you’d like I could put one together pretty quick. It would look a lot like my Champaign thread : ) I got it. Just working on the fun fact.
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Post by inpaign on Nov 4, 2023 10:36:18 GMT -5
I wonder how much of win against WISC/NEB would do for our RPI/KPI and help get us a bid to the tourney I think it would do a lot. I'd like to say we could go 5-2 in the remaining games and still make it in, but I'm not sure. It looks like our RPI drops every passing day that we don't win a game. After yesterday's games, we dropped 2 or 3 more spots thanks to losses from UCF, Notre Dame, and a few of the other teams we played. Our nonconference schedule is killing us right now
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Post by exit237a on Nov 4, 2023 15:01:38 GMT -5
Hey rainbowbadger , I figured you’d cover the Madison Illinois match thread but if you’d like I could put one together pretty quick. It would look a lot like my Champaign thread : ) I got it. Just working on the fun fact. Rainbowbadger has us covered with a match thread for tonight's faceoff with the Badgers: Illinois @ #2 Wisconsin: Sat 11/4/23, 7 PM CT (BTN)
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Post by ilalum92 on Nov 4, 2023 16:26:22 GMT -5
I wonder how much of win against WISC/NEB would do for our RPI/KPI and help get us a bid to the tourney I think it would do a lot. I'd like to say we could go 5-2 in the remaining games and still make it in, but I'm not sure. It looks like our RPI drops every passing day that we don't win a game. After yesterday's games, we dropped 2 or 3 more spots thanks to losses from UCF, Notre Dame, and a few of the other teams we played. Our nonconference schedule is killing us right now Our non conference losses! Games we should have won for sure.
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Post by inpaign on Nov 4, 2023 20:49:06 GMT -5
Tough game tonight against one the most talented teams in the country. Nothing really good to take out of it (although I enjoyed trolling the Badger fans just a little too much hahaha). SUPER important we rebound and move on from this loss, have to keep our momentum going and continue winning the games we need to win. We got this!
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Post by ilalum92 on Nov 4, 2023 22:11:34 GMT -5
Wow, we got destroyed. This match is a glaring example of our lack of recruiting and use of the transfer portal. The talent level of WI is levels ahead of us at every position.
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Post by hammer on Nov 4, 2023 22:15:01 GMT -5
Wow, we got destroyed. This match is a glaring example of our lack of recruiting and use of the transfer portal. The talent level of WI is levels ahead of us at every position. What about Tamas -- is he on the hot seat or do future recruits look good?
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Post by ilalum92 on Nov 4, 2023 22:32:30 GMT -5
Wow, we got destroyed. This match is a glaring example of our lack of recruiting and use of the transfer portal. The talent level of WI is levels ahead of us at every position. What about Tamas -- is he on the hot seat or do future recruits look good? Tamas signed an extension and he has Whitman’s confidence. Had this season been a total dumpster fire, he would have been on the hot seat. Our record, if we win the rest except NEB will keep him on n his job. We benefitted from a soft conference schedule. The two incoming classes are middle of the road. Lots depends on if Raina comes back, TdB plays next year, so many unknowns.
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Post by hammer on Nov 4, 2023 23:09:58 GMT -5
What about Tamas -- is he on the hot seat or do future recruits look good? Tamas signed an extension and he has Whitman’s confidence. Had this season been a total dumpster fire, he would have been on the hot seat. Our record, if we win the rest except NEB will keep him on n his job. We benefitted from a soft conference schedule. The two incoming classes are middle of the road. Lots depends on if Raina comes back, TdB plays next year, so many unknowns. I would break the B1G down into tiers with Neb and Wisky in tier 1, Penn St and Purdue in tier 2, and a bunch of teams in tier 3 including the Illini, Michigan St, Indiana, Minnesota (who I expected to be in tier 2), and Ohio St. The fourth tier is Maryland and Northwestern, and tier 5 includes Michigan, Rutgers, and Iowa. Illinois is in the middle tier so if they can at least stay there and possibly move up in three or four years, from what you are saying, it sounds like Tamas is safe. Considering Illinois' legacy in volleyball do you think long time fans and program supporters will become disillusioned?
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Post by oldmanvb on Nov 4, 2023 23:54:36 GMT -5
Tamas is not on anyone’s hot seat other than anonymous internet posters. There isn’t anyone out there who is available and who could do a better job with the tools available to Tamas. He has been incredibly unlucky with injuries to the best players he has recruited. There are serious flaws in his roster construction, but that isn’t going to get him fired. He has recruited transfers - Nunge is making a huge contribution to our current improved play; without Fleming we don’t get to the final four in 2018. The best transfers will be going to Neb, Wisconsin, Texas, warm weather schools and so on, but not Illinois. I think Tamas needs to do some work on his staff, even though defense and passing is improved it is nowhere near where it should be and Sharping has had plenty of time to improve those aspects of the game. Don’t treat the Hambly era as being better than the Tamas era. The overall records are essentially the same - Hambly with marginally better players but with worse coaching.
I will confess I was pretty frustrated with our non-con play and the first 7 matches of the B1G season. The problems were real, and all solvable by coaching. Many or most of the things we complained about have been addressed by coaching. The next step will require better athletes, or at least athletes as good as our medically retired players. In order to do that the program needs better infrastructure.
Shauna Green has done a great job with he women, riding the players she brought with from Dayton. Anyone who thinks she would have agreed to work at Illinois or been able to recruit the players she has been recruiting without Ubben is kidding themselves.
I still cannot believe we were swept by Oklahoma and Notre Dame.
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Post by pointillinois on Nov 5, 2023 7:24:43 GMT -5
Tamas signed an extension and he has Whitman’s confidence. Had this season been a total dumpster fire, he would have been on the hot seat. Our record, if we win the rest except NEB will keep him on n his job. We benefitted from a soft conference schedule. The two incoming classes are middle of the road. Lots depends on if Raina comes back, TdB plays next year, so many unknowns. I would break the B1G down into tiers with Neb and Wisky in tier 1, Penn St and Purdue in tier 2, and a bunch of teams in tier 3 including the Illini, Michigan St, Indiana, Minnesota (who I expected to be in tier 2), and Ohio St. The fourth tier is Maryland and Northwestern, and tier 5 includes Michigan, Rutgers, and Iowa. Illinois is in the middle tier so if they can at least stay there and possibly move up in three or four years, from what you are saying, it sounds like Tamas is safe. Considering Illinois' legacy in volleyball do you think long time fans and program supporters will become disillusioned? Disillusioned or just disinterested. IMO, it's already happening. Huff does not sellout any more (except when Nebraska comes to town). The student section does their best, but I feel like their numbers are down as well. Thank God for the Pep Band to get the crowd going! HS and Club Volleyball is still pretty big in C-U, so they have a built-in audience to some extent. I'm realistic. We aren't competing for titles anymore. I view the Sweet 16 as the most achieveable goal, but I fear what Big Ten expanison will do for the program. It's about to get harder to make the NCAA Tournament. If we have significant run with no appearances, I don't want to think what the program becomes.
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Post by inpaign on Nov 5, 2023 12:33:56 GMT -5
Wow, we got destroyed. This match is a glaring example of our lack of recruiting and use of the transfer portal. The talent level of WI is levels ahead of us at every position. Couldn't agree more! However...it was to be expected. No school in the NCAA has the talent that Nebraska and Wisconsin has. There's a reason Wisconsin has only lost four sets in conference play to date (3 of which were Nebraska). They are a phenomenal team in a league of their own. Against almost every other team in the Big Ten, we've looked competitive which is impressive considering we lack use of the transfer portal. Hopefully this offseason we dip into it a little bit more
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