No defense, no victory, no hope

Posted In: Herald & Review Mark Tupper Illini
Date: Saturday, January 23, 2010

I’m not going to gripe about all the things one could gripe about after watching the Illinois-Northwestern game Saturday night here in Evanston.
I could go into the way the offense stagnated in the second half. I could go into bad turnovers, bad fast breaks, bad decisions.
But I won’t. Instead, I’m just dumbfounded by one fact: Northwestern scored on 14 consecutive possessions to end its 73-68 victory, a game in which the Wildcats rallied from eight down in the second half to hand Illinois its third straight loss.
Fourteen straight possessions.
Let me say that again: 14 straight possessions.
Northwestern. Not North Carolina. Not North Carolina State. Northwestern.
This is a much improved Northwestern team, I understand that. And I’m not disparaging the Wildcats. They’re getting it done. But an Illini team that should wear defense as a badge of honor has just been awful in a lot of key games this season, especially in the second half, especially at crunch time, especially when defense should matter.
Weber would not let his players talk to the media Saturday, which he said was some kind of punishment because they don’t talk to each other. Hmmmm. Punishment would be making them talk to us. Make them explain it. That’s punishment.
Blow it up and start over. That’s what I’d be tempted to do. Mike Davis had no points and 2 rebounds Saturday. “Some sickness and some foul trouble,” Weber said, without explanation.
I’ve got no answers. Suck it up, work hard and try to get ready to go to Penn State. But I’m writing that off as a loss right now.
Usually I can muster a little optimism. Tonight, I’ve got none.

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