If Illinois doesn't start shooting the ball better from deep, it will be another early exit from the NCAA Tournament. They hang their hat on defense, but everyone defends in the tournament. Illinois is No. 304 in the nation in 3 point %. It's pretty amazing that they've been winning in spite of that, especially considering the high volume of 3's that they take.

RJ Melendez has shot just 29% over the last 10 games, including 3-18 field goals and 0-11 3-point field goals over the last three games. 30 of his 51 field goal attempts in the last 10 games have been threes. He's a slasher who rarely slashes. I don't get it.

The book on Illinois is to deny the wing entry pass. It's the reason things bog down, and why they turn it over. They're making Illinois feed the post from the top rather than the wing, and its frustrating Dainja. The way to combat that is to dribble to the wing, obviously. But how often (if ever) do we see Shannon or any other wing run the baseline and get a down screen?

One major improvement? This team has flipped the script on back side help since the early part of the season and the December slump when they were terrible at it. They are great at it now, and are 12th in the nation in block % as a result. 6th in the nation and 1st in the Big Ten in total blocks.

Luke Goode has to play if they can get him ready. This team isn't going anywhere without more shooting and more production from the bench.

I bet we see a few minutes from Brandon Lieb against Minnesota. The Gopher are terrible in the paint.

Your thoughts? Any glaring errors?

Let me know if you see any glaring errors.

Through at least 2028. And takes him to $6M. Maybe it isn’t just a game

You really hate to see officiating dominate a college basketball game.

HAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Peter Weiden has been named the Illinois football program's Director of Operations, head coach Bret Bielema announced. Weiden (WY-den) joins the Illini with more than a dozen years of FBS operations experience, including spending last season as the Chief of Staff at Wisconsin.

Weiden will be reunited with head coach Bret Bielema after spending seven years together at Wisconsin (2010-12) and Arkansas (2013-16). Weiden's experience includes 11 bowl games, four trips to the Rose Bowl, and three Big Ten championships.

"I am excited to have Pete Weiden join us here at Illinois," said Bielema. "I have been with Pete at two previous programs and he has helped us win many games and championships. His extensive experience in college football will help our program and student-athletes in a number of ways. I can't wait to have Pete join us in Champaign."

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to rejoin Coach Bielema and be a part of the program he is building here at the University of Illinois," said Weiden. "I've had the opportunity to work for Coach B for seven seasons at the two previous institutions. During that time, I admired the culture he brought to the programs and the character of the individuals he surrounds himself with both players and staff. I could not be more excited to get started."

Weiden spent the last four seasons at Wisconsin, first as Director of Operations for three years, then as the Chief of Staff in 2022. Weiden oversaw the day-to-day operations of the football program, as well as coordinating alumni programs and engagement and development efforts for current student-athletes.

Weiden returned to Wisconsin after spending the 2018 season as assistant director of football operations at Mississippi State. He served as director of football operations at Minnesota in 2017.

From 2013-17, Weiden spent four seasons as assistant director of football operations at Arkansas, where he also served as director of the Razorbacks' summer football camps.

Weiden originally was part of the Badgers' staff from 2010-12, including two seasons as Wisconsin's assistant director of football operations. His responsibilities included advance team travel, coordinating community service opportunities and running summer football.

Prior to his first stint at Wisconsin, Weiden was a graduate assistant football coach at Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2009. That followed a year as an assistant football and basketball coach at Madison West High School, which he had attended while growing up in Madison.

Weiden spent the 2007 season with the Baltimore Ravens, working internships in scouting, the ticket office and operations. He also worked as an intern in compliance, academics and marketing at Georgia Tech.

Weiden graduated from St. Cloud State in 2007 with a degree in sports management and earned his master's degree in sports administration from Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2010.

No one is dialed in on this one, national people nor local.

Wisconsin may be out front. My Wisconsin contact: "Wisconsin, but that seems shaky at best".

I'd like to tell you we know where he's going, but I'm not sure anyone does including Jamel himself.

Big Ten games today..Need Michigan St to knock off Rutgers then we take care of our own business. Purdue at Indiana later.

Outside of Zach Edey (let's see if he's still 100% by March), college basketball stinks this year.

2nd place in the Big Ten could be 13-7.
2nd place in the Big 12 could be 11-7.

Does any team really scare you in March?

Ohio State is 11-11 and they are #32 in KenPom.
Connecticut (17-6), Marquette (18-5), and Creighton (14-8) are 6th, 8th, and 11th in KenPom. Anyone can and has beaten these teams.

Duke is garbage, North Carolina is garbage, Kentucky is garbage, Michigan State is garbage, and Villanova is garbage. Louisville is 3-19.

As I type this, #3 Houston is trailing 11-10 Wichita State in the 2nd half (they will probably win, but still.) #2 Tennessee lost by double digits yesterday. Alabama lost by 24 on Saturday to a team that is 12-10 and they are still #4.

Kansas is still pretty good. That's about the only sanity left in this season.

This is how Illinois can still look like garbage for 20 minutes a night and win 7 of 8. Everyone else is awful too. If this team ever really gets rolling, the entire bracket is wide open (unless you believe a 7'4" 290 lb human being can play 30 mpg and hold up for an entire season...maybe it's true but I'll believe it when I see it. Greg Oden looked unstoppable until we remembered why most people aren't 7 feet tall.)

In college basketball now you don't have to be good for an entire season, you just have to be good for 6 games at the end.

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Per Brad Underwood today, Luke Goode was cleared and is practicing. He will suite up for Saturday's game vs. Iowa.

I wouldn't expect Goode to play much. He isn't in basketball shape yet and can't go for long stretches without getting winded.

He's shooting the ball well, per Underwood, but obviously the shot won't be there in games if he can't keep his legs fresh.

We'll see. If he can play enough over the next several games, he can help them in the post season. They badly need 3-point shooting. If not, they have to think about redshirting him.

I hope I’m wrong on Undie. But, his teams anguish me as a viewer. Always hyped to how talented they are, yet kind of flameout types. Illinois won tonight, but that was ugly.

I don’t see Lou Henson, Lon Kruger or Bill Self with Brad Underwood. Maybe Bruce Weber meets Ron Zook????

Final: Illinois 72- Nebraska 56.

Defense in the second half was great.

Huskers ran out of gas.

Ty Rodgers and Sencire Harris changed the game.