The Illini have an exhibition game with Indiana University of Pennsylvania from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, my local Division II conference, tonight. IUP figures to be one of the top 2-3 teams in the PSAC (ranked No. 18 in Division II preseason polls), but I figure if they stay within 20 points of the Illini it would be a win. Don't know how they'll guard Cockburn.
Illini exhibition
- Thread starter pawildcat_rivals209725
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Illini won by 15. One of IUP's best players rolled his ankle and only played about 18 minutes. Pretty decent showing for a Division II club.
I was there. That was a good team. They are 66-6 in their last 72 games and have a number of D-1 transfers. Older guys who aren’t intimidated.
Illinois played without Frazier (injured in first few minutes), Damonte Williams (sore back) and Hutcherson (bruised tailbone). 3 of top 7 players. I love Curbelo but Curbelo was bad. Really bad. Lol. 14 points and 12 assists. Sounds good, but 10 turnovers. A triple double. Lol. It was nothing the other team did. He just tried to show off his passing too much.
On the plus side Coleman Hawkins and Alphonso Plummer were really good and Kofi was Kofi.
Illinois played without Frazier (injured in first few minutes), Damonte Williams (sore back) and Hutcherson (bruised tailbone). 3 of top 7 players. I love Curbelo but Curbelo was bad. Really bad. Lol. 14 points and 12 assists. Sounds good, but 10 turnovers. A triple double. Lol. It was nothing the other team did. He just tried to show off his passing too much.
On the plus side Coleman Hawkins and Alphonso Plummer were really good and Kofi was Kofi.
I'm well aware of IUP's record as Shippensburg, my alma mater, runs into them every year in the PSAC. In the Division II world, much as in Division I, there is a wide variance in resources. One team in our league has five international players and players from six different states. Our team at Ship, as our coach says, is basically a "bunch of guys from Pennsylvania."
Division II teams are smaller and generally less athletic than the big boys, but we have guys who can play. We had a team at Ship a couple of years ago that could shoot the lights out on any given night — shot 80 percent as a TEAM for free throws and had a shooting guard that hit 9 of 9 three-pointers in one game. Fun to watch.
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I’m craving college ball so much I watched the IL game this morning on BTN+. Though I was not very focused on it, some impressions:
1) IUP appeared to be a decent team, probably helped a lot by experience
2) Cockburn did not appear to have made any progress. But he was already very good, so that is probably not a problem for IL
3) Curbelo is a really talented guy. We knew that. But first impression was that he did not improve his poor shooting form. Should still be a force as his talent elsewhere is enormous
4) Plummer is for real. Will be a factor for sure
5) IL appeared a bit soft on defense
Hard to conclude much from one game, even more so an exhibition game. But, surprisingly (maybe not for those who know them, but for an exhibition game), IUP was tough. But, overall, it seemed to me IL is going to be well served on offense. Defense, I’d be be concerned. Overall it was hard to believe I was seeing the #11 ranked team in the country.
1) IUP appeared to be a decent team, probably helped a lot by experience
2) Cockburn did not appear to have made any progress. But he was already very good, so that is probably not a problem for IL
3) Curbelo is a really talented guy. We knew that. But first impression was that he did not improve his poor shooting form. Should still be a force as his talent elsewhere is enormous
4) Plummer is for real. Will be a factor for sure
5) IL appeared a bit soft on defense
Hard to conclude much from one game, even more so an exhibition game. But, surprisingly (maybe not for those who know them, but for an exhibition game), IUP was tough. But, overall, it seemed to me IL is going to be well served on offense. Defense, I’d be be concerned. Overall it was hard to believe I was seeing the #11 ranked team in the country.
for what its worth , Loyola beat UW in a scrimmage at UW-Whitewater...71-56....UW had a lot of guys transfer out.( 3 of em to Valpo Hedstron, King and ANderson)..brought in two transfesr from Wake Forest and Cincinati.....Nate Taphorns brother is on the Badger team,,,,5 freshman and two transfers
I watched the exhibition game of Wisconsn/Wisconsin Whitewater. Though I was not paying a whole lot of attention, as it was mostly bully ball against a much smaller and lighter team, I saw no reason we would not beat Wisconsin. Hard to conclude much from an exhibition against poor competition, but that was not an impressive Wisconsin team.