Illinitalk

Illinois was outrebounded 36-21. They went 5 for 15 on three's. They turned it over an uncharacteristic 9 times in the first half. They put Iowa into the bonus and then double bonus at only about half way through the second half. Iowa made 21 of 26 free throws and shot 46.5%. End result: A 75-65 Illinois victory.

The Illini pulled out the victory thanks to 21 Iowa turnovers that lead to 23 Illinois points. Illinois also continued to show the grit and determination that have served them so well this year. The Illini also got great games from Brown, Williams, and Augustine. It was nice to see Williams hit some shots and Augustine continues to impress. He had some great moves, scored 13 points, and had 8 boards. He may be underrated and underappreciated by the national media right now, but if he keeps this up, that will change.

We should also give credit where credit is due. This blog called out Nick Smith for his comments in a Sun-Times article on Friday. We were concerned about the impact that would have on him and the team. However, he played very well against Iowa. He played solid defense, made some nice passes, and scored 7 points, including 2 important free throws and a 3 pointer that broke the Hawkeyes. We have to ask though--How many of you were yelling "NOOOOOOOO...." at your TV when he shot that? It went in--that's what matters. He didn't talk to the media after the game but let's hope that he has his head back where it belongs and that he can continue to contribute like he did in this game.

I would like to talk about Jay Mariotti's article in the Sun-Times today but I am having some computer difficulties so we will save that for later. Chief and Skinny Sweetcheeks--hope you are safely in Australia and enjoying their hospitality. Three more Big 10 victories to go to finish with an undefeated regular season. Hope you all are continuing to enjoy the ride.