Illini grade vs. Tech: B
Jeff Huth's breakdown of Wednesday's 75-62 Illini win against Georgia Tech:
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Joseph Bertrand
Junior guard reeled off 10 straight points to lift Illinois into a 64-58 lead it would not relinquish. In 22 minutes off bench, Bertrand produced 15 points and three rebounds.
BACKCOURT
Illinois B+
Georgia Tech B
Brandon Paul might be as deserving of Player of Game as Bertrand; senior racked up 15 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
FRONTCOURT
Illinois C
Georgia Tech C-
Another strong shooting game from Griffey (14 points), personally outscoring Georgia Tech’s frontcourt starters.
BENCH
Illinois A-
Georgia Tech A
Bertrand did the heavy for Illini reserves; GT outscored Illini’s bench 30-20.
OVERALL
Illinois B
Georgia Tech C
Illini keep finding a way to win, but when will more fans notice? Or at least show up at Assembly Hall? Lots of seats available on a night when 12,224 bought tickets.
The "no shows" are embarrassing, especially when you are on national television. If you can't go, sell the tickets or give the damn things away. In the Big 10/ACC challenge we need a better showing. If the 'A' section ticket holders aren't going to show, put the students in those seats and move them elsewhere. That was pathetic!!!
Nice job by the team though!!! We need to get behind these guys and coach Groce.
....says the guy who admitted that he watched the game from his living room easy chair....
I understand the issue and the frustration, but how do you tell someone "This ticket is going to cost you $35, but if you aren't here within 10 minutes of tip-off, we're putting someone else there"? And then, if the ticketholder arrives late for some reason, do you move the person you put in that seat?
How many season tickets do you think you'd sell with a policy like that?
Just no easy solution to the issue....
Free throw shooting was lousy. I guess that happens from time to time. Turnovers in the first half were driving me insane. Bertrand stole the game out of Georgia Tech's clutches. That one drive when he got fouled was as impressive a finish as we'll see all year. The up tempo game can get sloppy sometimes, but I really like it because it forces players to make quick decisions. Eventually, you expect those decisions to become the right ones. Anyone else notice the extreme jumping around by our defender guarding the inbounder on out of bounds plays this year? At first I didn't like it, but I've really come to appreciate the aggression. The goal is to create some havoc. I like that.
Great game and great start to the season. A win is a win. We have a lot of shooters on the team and that is very evident. I'm just glad coach Groce lets them shoot the ball. I think the difference is this year so far they are playing defense. First half turnovers almost killed us, but glad they fixed that in the second half!!
On the open seats, YEAH, either show up to the games, sell the tickets, or give them away. Embarassing to see all of those empy seat. Also, allow other people to come down and sit lower if those people don't show by the first 5 mins in the first half. I have said for years that those seats should be for the kids and orange crush anyway!!! Any BIG TIME program, has kids as close to the floor as possible. This is for a reason!! The kids actually show up and they are the loudest!! Illinois will never reach the status of Kentucky, Duke, Michigan st, etc until they make this change. Also it would be great for recruiting!!!
GO ILLINI
"On the open seats, YEAH, either show up to the games, sell the tickets, or give them away. Embarassing to see all of those empy seat. Also, allow other people to come down and sit lower if those people don't show by the first 5 mins in the first half. I have said for years that those seats should be for the kids and orange crush anyway!!! Any BIG TIME program, has kids as close to the floor as possible. This is for a reason!! The kids actually show up and they are the loudest!! Illinois will never reach the status of Kentucky, Duke, Michigan st, etc until they make this change. Also it would be great for recruiting!!"
Oh they try to sell them.......just go to Stub Hub.....shoot.....you can grab some for The Buckeyes and Indiana for a mere $4-500! Nuts. That's just greed.....and it needs to be addressed. I assume many of those are big time donors, or corporations. But surely with all the brain power available at Illinois, they could come up with a plan to solve what has become a major snafu for years and years! Maybe all the "heavies" that control this issue are at the game and don't notice all the empty seats! Whenever I'm sitting at the top of "C" section, having "only" paid $40 or so for ONE ticket, and see all those seats........I sure as heck notice.......and wonder, and smolder!
Figure it out Assembly Hall / DIA!!!
Joe Bertrand crazy shot is #3 for ESPN top ten plays for 28 Nov. CRAZY! When was the last time an Illini made ESPN top 10 like dat. This team is reborn led by great coaching. Keep flying Illini, hope to see you play in Spokane! Just need a ticket or pass! Help me out coach!
Empty seats in sec A (even while on National TV) has been a disaster for years. I thought MANY empty seats in sec A last night was rediculous too. It shows arrogant, lazy, and peon-like management of our assets and brand. Too much red tape to handle? Not my job? That's the way we've always done it? Let's wait 2 years until the renovation is done? Find someone new now to shake the AH seating management up this year.
Jeff, there should be a prominent footnote that Ga Tech played tremendous defense, especially around the post. There was no Illini shot that was not contested by at least two Tech defenders in the paint. To me the encouraging point was that Illinois found some weapon to pull out wins, against Hawaii, Gardner-Webb, and now Ga Tech.
The difference from the past 4 years or so is becoming clearer: Joe and Tyler, would we have thought of them as crucial cogs in the previous coaching regime?
GO ILLINI!
NaplesIllini
About filling the seats, drove over from Springfield to see the West Chester exhibition game and was surprised to learn the parking lots near the Assembly Hall were reserved only for people with permits. So, the lots remained mostly empty and we ended up parking way out in the "South 40". I confess to being a bit miffed at this, having parked west of the Hall many times going all the way back to the Harv Schmidt years. If the desire is there to fill the seats, a good place to start would be to make the lots available again. Maybe they would need to be closed for sell-outs, but certainly not for most pre-season games.
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