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Post by oldmanvb on Sept 7, 2023 22:17:15 GMT -5
Maybe Tamas assumes a player able to make a D1 roster should have sufficient skills to make basic plays, so he doesn't spend time teaching and practicing those basic skills. It is incredibly disappointing to watch a B1G team with such poor fundamentals. Most upper level D3 teams have better fundamentals than we possess. Hell, good high school teams pass better than we do. Receiving a serve is a basic skill. Barnes and Pan appear to have decent passing skills, but our opponents have little trouble working around them. Barry is lost on defense. She may have energy, but she has no idea where she should be when the other team has the ball. We have been making very average left pin hitters look like all-Americans because our libero is in the wrong place on defense. They don't move their feet, they don't get down, and they end up waiving an arm at a ball as it goes by, touching the ball without any chance to return it. We need a coaching staff willing to put in the effort to demand our players are ready each time the ball crosses the net. Collins has been doing it, why not others? This is not snark - if we had another competent middle Collins would be a better libero than what we have been putting on the court.
I've been a big Tamas supporter, but something has to change. This is embarrassing.
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Post by inpaign on Sept 7, 2023 22:45:51 GMT -5
Maybe Tamas assumes a player able to make a D1 roster should have sufficient skills to make basic plays, so he doesn't spend time teaching and practicing those basic skills. It is incredibly disappointing to watch a B1G team with such poor fundamentals. Most upper level D3 teams have better fundamentals than we possess. Hell, good high school teams pass better than we do. Receiving a serve is a basic skill. Barnes and Pan appear to have decent passing skills, but our opponents have little trouble working around them. Barry is lost on defense. She may have energy, but she has no idea where she should be when the other team has the ball. We have been making very average left pin hitters look like all-Americans because our libero is in the wrong place on defense. They don't move their feet, they don't get down, and they end up waiving an arm at a ball as it goes by, touching the ball without any chance to return it. We need a coaching staff willing to put in the effort to demand our players are ready each time the ball crosses the net. Collins has been doing it, why not others? This is not snark - if we had another competent middle Collins would be a better libero than what we have been putting on the court. I've been a big Tamas supporter, but something has to change. This is embarrassing. Was just about to say - Kennedy is better at defense than most of our team LOL. Just a total mess. Bingham is an absolute mess on the pin and once again Burbage couldn't put a ball down. They tried a set with Burbage on the right and (eventually) Nunge on the left, but they reverted back to set 1 rotation for set 3. Felt a little unfair to blame Nunge when the team got behind 7 points before she even saw the floor. Sometimes I wonder what game Tamas is watching. Mosher's sets were very off and inconsistent today. & our serve receive was awful. We don't have a passer that I trust consistently. You all are right...the fundamentals with this team are so questionable. Even our blocking tonight was bad...tooled so many times by a very bad Notre Dame team. ND was unimpressive yet found a way to sweep us. This game hurts us a lot. Barring a big turnaround, us winning out our nonconference games and some impressive wins along the way, this will get ugly real fast. I hope tomorrow against Oklahoma they come out with a fire under them...Oklahoma is considerably better than ND so it will be interesting. Let me know if you all have other thoughts!
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Post by exit237a on Sept 7, 2023 22:48:17 GMT -5
Several issues going on and it’s time to sift through where the problem is. Is it leadership? Is it the dynamic of the squad on the floor? I recall a more relaxed feel by the squad the in the spring matches and more enthusiasm from where we are now. Too many things to comment on after today and a great deal to work on. Def was just bad, we need Barnes back. I feel like there is confusion in the back court and we need to settle down with more focus less scattered movements. Any news on TDB returning this year? Or is it a RS year for her? Terry looked frustrated because they were on her the entire time but that is what happens for top ranked players, and they/she has to find a way through it. Hopefully brighter days ahead of us. We’ve heard on Illinois radio broadcasts that Taylor is out for the season. Hoping for a full recovery. In the meantime it’s great to see her out there supporting her teammates.
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Post by ilalum92 on Sept 8, 2023 0:06:23 GMT -5
Maybe Tamas assumes a player able to make a D1 roster should have sufficient skills to make basic plays, so he doesn't spend time teaching and practicing those basic skills. It is incredibly disappointing to watch a B1G team with such poor fundamentals. Most upper level D3 teams have better fundamentals than we possess. Hell, good high school teams pass better than we do. Receiving a serve is a basic skill. Barnes and Pan appear to have decent passing skills, but our opponents have little trouble working around them. Barry is lost on defense. She may have energy, but she has no idea where she should be when the other team has the ball. We have been making very average left pin hitters look like all-Americans because our libero is in the wrong place on defense. They don't move their feet, they don't get down, and they end up waiving an arm at a ball as it goes by, touching the ball without any chance to return it. We need a coaching staff willing to put in the effort to demand our players are ready each time the ball crosses the net. Collins has been doing it, why not others? This is not snark - if we had another competent middle Collins would be a better libero than what we have been putting on the court. I've been a big Tamas supporter, but something has to change. This is embarrassing. As someone who played college vball - defense was always very simple. Everyone had the assigned spots. As a setter playing right back, blockers blocked angle and I dug line. Middle back took the seam or far cross. Left back took hard inside cross. The left back and I were instructed that if you can’t see the ball when it’s hit, you are in the wrong place. Seeing the ball made it easier to read the opposing players swing and covering tips were no issue. Kennedy does this in the back row. She reads the play and is in position ready to dig. If a MB can do it and our L/DS can’t. We are in trouble. Seeing our defense constantly out of position has me wondering what they are being taught. Our lack of firepower and competent hitters, can’t say much about except maybe they aren’t Big 10 level of players.
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Post by mosser on Sept 8, 2023 8:41:42 GMT -5
I don't believe Whitman will fire him after this season even though he should. Get a proven recruiter as head coach. I honestly don't care if they can coach lol get me someone who can get top 75 recruits. I'd take a bad coach like Shane Davis. Dude has gotten so many better recruits at Northwestern compared to the ones Tamas has got but buddy can't get results.
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Post by vball778 on Sept 8, 2023 8:43:55 GMT -5
Giving the benefit of the doubt, let's see how Oklahoma goes. Illinois has been known to blow a match that should have been a gimme and then turn around and surprise with a more challenging match (see: Illinois State - L/Marquette - W 2019). We can potentially chalk it up to an off night, but it sounds like many of the pain points were emphasized during this match.
I do think we need to rip the band aid off and start pushing the Nunge-OH/Burbage-OPP line-up and potentially give Barnes the Lib jersey back, however. Bingham has done an admirable job mostly, but her lack of comfort on the OPP pin is just so apparent.
Tamas' seat has never been hotter... I'm truly not convinced that the recruiting concerns (facilities, Huff, etc) that have been brought up are true barriers. This program is a sleeping giant in a state with some of the best youth volleyball in the country. Every coach before has worked around it and netted a mostly positive recruiting effort.
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Post by bops68 on Sept 8, 2023 9:10:38 GMT -5
Maybe Tamas assumes a player able to make a D1 roster should have sufficient skills to make basic plays, so he doesn't spend time teaching and practicing those basic skills. It is incredibly disappointing to watch a B1G team with such poor fundamentals. Most upper level D3 teams have better fundamentals than we possess. Hell, good high school teams pass better than we do. Receiving a serve is a basic skill. Barnes and Pan appear to have decent passing skills, but our opponents have little trouble working around them. Barry is lost on defense. She may have energy, but she has no idea where she should be when the other team has the ball. We have been making very average left pin hitters look like all-Americans because our libero is in the wrong place on defense. They don't move their feet, they don't get down, and they end up waiving an arm at a ball as it goes by, touching the ball without any chance to return it. We need a coaching staff willing to put in the effort to demand our players are ready each time the ball crosses the net. Collins has been doing it, why not others? This is not snark - if we had another competent middle Collins would be a better libero than what we have been putting on the court. I've been a big Tamas supporter, but something has to change. This is embarrassing. Agree with all your points. It is just maddening. It is a simple concept to line up outside the block for defense but we never do?? I see lack of talent and athleticism. These lower level teams have girls that can jump and move and we look stuck in the mud. Maybe it is coaching maybe it is talent. Would another coachs get more out of the same girls? I don't know but I see some of our starters as questionable players and our bench is even worse. Tamas made a comment awhile ago that seemed like he doesn't want to upset the players/recruits he has on the roster with regards to the portal or such. Well this is the product of that. Look at Nebraska. Cook isn't afraid to over recruit over players that aren't panning out. They are starting like 4 true freshman. Their freshman setter is playing over the former #1 setter Orr that is a junior. Freshman outside has Bantenhorst benched. Brought in Beason to replace Kubik for immediate help while her little sister rides the pine. But if someone does go down he has all those players on the bench that can come in and play. It has been 7 years and look at the trajectory the program has gone in..........something has to change.
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Post by gurnee50 on Sept 8, 2023 9:13:55 GMT -5
Giving the benefit of the doubt, let's see how Oklahoma goes. Illinois has been known to blow a match that should have been a gimme and then turn around and surprise with a more challenging match (see: Illinois State - L/Marquette - W 2019). We can potentially chalk it up to an off night, but it sounds like many of the pain points were emphasized during this match. I do think we need to rip the band aid off and start pushing the Nunge-OH/Burbage-OPP line-up and potentially give Barnes the Lib jersey back, however. Bingham has done an admirable job mostly, but her lack of comfort on the OPP pin is just so apparent. Tamas' seat has never been hotter... I'm truly not convinced that the recruiting concerns (facilities, Huff, etc) that have been brought up are true barriers. This program is a sleeping giant in a state with some of the best youth volleyball in the country. Every coach before has worked around it and netted a mostly positive recruiting effort. If facilities matter, how do you explain Duke basketball?
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Post by bops68 on Sept 8, 2023 9:25:32 GMT -5
Our passing has been bad for awhile now and my friend pointed out a few years ago I think Tamas was asked about serving when they were leading or close to leading the conference in aces.......and probably missed serves...... and he said "we don't practice serving".
If you don't practice serving how do you practice serve receive??? Something for thought.
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Post by vball778 on Sept 8, 2023 9:28:43 GMT -5
Also WHY don't you practice serving?! It was also my thought too that if we have the best servers in the conference, how is our serve receive so abysmal??
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Post by liberovb10 on Sept 8, 2023 9:54:11 GMT -5
i’ve said it before - Eli has proven to not be an effective defense/passing coach.
I don’t see Tamas making drastic changes to his staff or roster because he has the “culture first/kumbaya” mentality. Which would be effective if the players he was bringing in made sense. The downgrade in our assistance is noticeable - Alfie and Rashinda to Eli and Krista. I’m not calling Krista a bad coach/recruiter - but when Terry is our only effective pin and our passing/defense looks as it does, makes it hard to care about this program. it’s a sad state of affairs because i’ve been a die hard Illini VB fan - but Tamas and Co. don’t give us much to root for/care about.
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Post by Friday on Sept 8, 2023 11:20:34 GMT -5
Giving the benefit of the doubt, let's see how Oklahoma goes. Illinois has been known to blow a match that should have been a gimme and then turn around and surprise with a more challenging match (see: Illinois State - L/Marquette - W 2019). We can potentially chalk it up to an off night, but it sounds like many of the pain points were emphasized during this match. I do think we need to rip the band aid off and start pushing the Nunge-OH/Burbage-OPP line-up and potentially give Barnes the Lib jersey back, however. Bingham has done an admirable job mostly, but her lack of comfort on the OPP pin is just so apparent. Tamas' seat has never been hotter... I'm truly not convinced that the recruiting concerns (facilities, Huff, etc) that have been brought up are true barriers. This program is a sleeping giant in a state with some of the best youth volleyball in the country. Every coach before has worked around it and netted a mostly positive recruiting effort. Every coach before....difference is Illinois is working with exactly what Hambly and predecessors worked with years ago compared to other schools who have made improvements to their facilities, weight rooms, etc. Huff has charm but that only gets you so far. I don't understand why moving to the basketball arena isn't considered. Would eliminate several of issues - A/C, better seating, sight lines, parking, more bathrooms
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Post by gurnee50 on Sept 8, 2023 11:20:34 GMT -5
The transfer portal is the key to winning in college athletics, IMO. Look what Illini coach Shauna Green did last year in women's basketball. Three of the five starters were transfers. Our men's basketball team undergoes even bigger changes every year. The Illini track team has been totally remade this year due to the transfer portal. Doesn't matter what the sports is, you have to recruit college players as well as high school players.
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Post by Friday on Sept 8, 2023 11:21:52 GMT -5
The transfer portal is the key to winning in college athletics, IMO. Look what Illini coach Shauna Green did last year in women's basketball. Three of the five starters were transfers. Our men's basketball team undergoes even bigger changes every year. The Illini track team has been totally remade this year due to the transfer portal. Doesn't matter what the sports is, you have to recruit college players as well as high school players. Do we know they haven't tried to find players in the portal?
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Post by vball778 on Sept 8, 2023 11:32:58 GMT -5
Also is it just me or is the FightingIllini.com website messed up? Any time I click on schedule or roster I get nothing to load... Anyone else having the same issues?
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