1. I am not buying into this Illinois team being bad
After the loss on Tuesday to Iowa State, there is a contingency of Illinois fans who think this team is going to be bad and the basketball program is completely lost. I am here to say, calm down and have a drink.
Was the result of the game on Tuesday a massive disappointment? Sure, Illinois was up five points at halftime and looking to move to 2-2 on the season. But, Iowa State punched in the second half and the Illini couldn’t get off the ropes. They were absolutely demolished by a Cyclones program that looked like they came for business and Illinois was on vacation.
I am not buying into what some fans are saying, though. This Illinois team isn’t bad. They actually have some solid pieces that can do some great things this year. I get a different vibe from this team. They competed and about knocked off No. 3 Gonzaga. They were up five points against Iowa State and had a bad half of basketball to end up getting blown out.
To judge a team off a half of basketball is a bad idea. This Illinois team takes on Xavier on Wednesday. A win here would help them get back on track. This season isn’t over, the team isn’t done and I am not giving up.