The Fighting Illini have won the most B1G tournament games of any team, boasting a 23–12 all-time record.
An optimist would see today’s game as an opportunity to pad our statistical dominance. They would also note that Bruce Weber has a nice, healthy glow about him.
Bronzer, or burst capillaries?
Either way, he is sharply dressed for the occasion, ready for success. Reality shares a differing perspective. This looked and felt like a high school game. Sadly, approximately 300 orange clad fans made the two hour trip to Indianapolis.
Some of them parked behind the team bench with the goal of heckling Bruce Weber mercilessly; the rapscallions even spelled Weber with 2 B’s on their unfit to publish shirts.
Appropriate?
What every fan already knew was affirmed today: we struggled.
Periodic defense, a stultified offense, and a sloppy transition game continued to perform a jobber on the collective frontal lobe of Illini Nation.
Iowa forgot about our 7 foot NBA prospect at the onset, adding to the chances of an impossibly happy outcome. Bruce enjoyed screaming, “Power! Power! Brandon you’re it!” which reduced our team’s offensive morale.
He continued likewise, “BALL SCREEN!!! MOVE IT!!!!!,” to no avail.
At times, we played passionate, feisty ball. Sam hit a 3. Joseph had a nasty dunk in the lane. On the other hand, our mental lapses were fatiguing, soul-sucking.
We tend to think about the ball in our hands and where it will go only after leaving the ground. This leads to turnovers.
If only Iowa made their easy layups, things would have gone according to the regular B1G season script we are all too familiar with. Alas, there was hope.
DJ seemed to have found his lost stroke by hitting two early threes and yet another to close out the first half.
No, I am wrong. This was not hope; it was the false hope of a mediocre opponent.
Iowa chucked shots, Illinois chucked shots, some went in, some bounced out. The unforgivable sin of this season has been and will always remain our lack of defensive composure.
Forget about the Leonard Dunk and Alley Oop to start the 2nd half — we expected that. What we never expected was that midway through the second half, the men in white jerseys with the word “Hawkeyes” emblazoned across their asses decided to head towards the cylinder and make uncontested layup after uncontested layup, grabbing an eight point lead after they were down by seven.
A 15 point swing in 2 minutes.
On the other side, Illinois chose to dither around the horn. It’s 2012 — it’s what we do.
When we really needed a rebound, any rebound, none could be found. At the five minute mark Meyers was passionately gassed, hands on his hips, face overwrought with displeasure. I almost felt sorry for him. We shot no free throws today.
Suspension of disbelief continues apace.
As Brandon Paul committed the final turnover of the season, he turned to Meyers and said, “You were open.”
Meyers responded: “Up high.”
Maybe he forgot?
On the very next play, Meyers neglected to box out on a 1 and 1 free throw, enabling Iowa to get the rebound at a critical juncture in the game.
Maybe he forgot?
We are a forgetful team that doesn’t shoot often, or well. We turn the ball over. We lose our composure on defense.
We don’t deserve success of any sort.
In the locker room after the game, Coach Weber was crying as he came to terms with reality.
I almost felt sorry for him.
Goodbye, Bruce.