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There are two ways to ask The Champaign Room your questions. You can tweet them at us on Twitter using the hashtag #AskTCR -- it makes it easier to keep track -- or you can email them to us at repplin1@gmail.com. And if you've got a personal question and you're worried about your privacy, just tell us. We'll change your name to Cuonzo Martin when we publish it on the site. And remember, you can ask us ANYTHING. It doesn't have to be about Illinois or even sports.
@Champaign_Room where do we go from here?
— Patrick Pfingsten (@pfingsten1) March 23, 2017
Onward and upward my friend. Onward and upward.
@Champaign_Room When will we know for sure if Jamall Walker is staying or going? #AskTCR
— Dean Parr (@3AboveParr) March 22, 2017
@Champaign_Room how long until Jamal walker is all signed up and announced he's staying?
— Gary Hrvol (@GHrvol) March 23, 2017
LOTS of love and concern for Jamall Walker, and the recruits that are associated with him. Word on the street is Walker is going to be given a hefty offer to stay at Illinois, which one would hope is enough to keep him in Champaign. When will conversations and negotiations happen? ASAP now that Illinois is out of the NIT.
@Champaign_Room how many tournament games would have been impacted by new foul rules.
— Ben Kramer (@BMKramer) March 20, 2017
For reference, the NIT is testing a rule change that would re-allocate fouls based on segments (or quarters) of a half. After 10 minutes of play, a team’s foul count would reset for the next segment/quarter. Free throws would be awarded as soon as a team commits five fouls (personal + technical) during a segment/quarter. These rules eliminate the “1-and-1” bonus we currently play with in college basketball.
Free throws generally determine the outcome of games that have a 5-point differential or less (not clinically proven), so you have to look at all games in the NCAA Tournament where teams finished within 5 points of each other. In total, there are 14 games. Notables include:
- (5) Virginia 76 - (12) UNC Wilmington 71
- (11) USC 66 - (6) SMU 65
- (8) Northwestern 68 - (9) Vanderbilt 66
- (5) Notre Dame 60 - (12) Princeton 58
- (3) Baylor 82 - (11) USC 78
- (8) Wisconsin 65 - (1) Villanova 62
- (7) Michigan 92 - (10) Oklahoma State 91
- (3) Oregon 75 - (11) Rhode Island 72
- (2) Kentucky 65 - (10) Wichita State 62
(How busted would your brackets be NOW!?)
@Champaign_Room What are the real expectations for next season, considering conference coaching changes? Can Illinois capitalize? #AskTCR
— Duane Louis Phillips (@RunDLP) March 20, 2017
@Champaign_Room what is the over under for wins in Brad Underwoods first season? #AskTCR
— Nick Hafner (@NDHafner) March 20, 2017
@Champaign_Room I'm predicting S16 next year...thoughts? #AskTCR
— Brett Wallace (@bmwallace11) March 23, 2017
Realistically, Brad Underwood should AT LEAST win as many games as this season (18). I would like to think that his style of coaching wins the games Illinois lost by 6 points or less, which gives us 4 more wins (22). I’m going to give them one more win in the non-conference at a neutral site tournament (Maul Invitational-esque event), which puts Illinois at 23-9 (11-8) for the season. That record earns Illinois anywhere from a 4 to a 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and a 5 to a 7 seed in the NCAA tournament.
The optimist in me says Sweet 16, the realist says the second round of the tournament. Let’s set the O/U of wins for next season at 21.5
@Champaign_Room how do you attract more G (mark Smith, grad transfer, 2018 class) with so many in roster+2017 class?
— Maceda (@pmaceda) March 23, 2017
Shooting guards have become a MAJOR necessity in college basketball. Illinois would LOVE to have four guards on the roster if you consider two of the four will be starting the game. After Smith, Illinois will/should look to add talent in the paint (7’6” guys aren’t required).
@Champaign_Room Two players who will benefit most from Underwood's style of play? #asktcr
— Jeremey (@illini_16) March 20, 2017
@Champaign_Room Is the heralded incoming recruiting class a good fit with coach Underwood's style of play, or would any of them be better off elsewhere?
— Ditkanate (@Ditkanate) March 22, 2017
@Champaign_Room Out of guys returning/recruits, who benefits the most from Underwood's high-octane, spread-the-floor system?
— Briar Napier (@BriarNapier) March 23, 2017
Aside from EVERYONE, Jalen Coleman-Lands will benefit most. He can shoot, and having a coach that wants him to shoot is only going to benefit JCL. He should go OFF next season and could easily finish Top 3 in scoring in the Big Ten.
@Champaign_Room Name the starting lineup next year + top two off the bench
— Timothy Bracken (@tmbracken2) March 23, 2017
If we land Mark Smith, and a certain transfer graces our presence from OKST...here’s what you can expect to start the year (starters on the left, bench guys on the right):
1. Lucas/Frazier
2. Coleman/SMITH
3. Carroll/Nichols
4. Finke/Black
5. Tilmon
@Champaign_Room Can some team please sign Malcolm Hill. I really don't want this to be the last time I see him play on my TV.
— Patrick Norton (@pdnorton3) March 23, 2017
Malcolm is a 6’6” shooting guard. If anyone knows 6’6” shooting guards, it’s the NBA. Some notable 6’6” shooting guards are Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, and Michael Jordan. While I’m not comparing Malcolm to those guys, Hill’s talent and scoring ability will be on a roster next season. I guarantee it.
@Champaign_Room why don't we ever land 7'6" big men from Senegal?
— Tim Cermak (@toweringCU) March 23, 2017
Cause they can’t seem to out hustle 6’3” guys wearing Orange...
@Champaign_Room what musical would you like to see at the State Farm Center next March?
— Steve (@BigTwen) March 23, 2017
Springtime for Hitler. Book it right now. The whole month. Look who’s playing Hitler!
@Champaign_Room What do I till September now?
— Randy Wells (@aaaawells) March 23, 2017
Get ready to root on the Illinois Men’s Golf team to an NCAA Championship in Sugar Grove, IL and join our fantasy baseball league!
@Champaign_Room Something something something bowl game? #AskTCR
— Mike Zagorski (@mzagorskijr) March 22, 2017
Something something something, bowl game. Never change, Mike.