Video-Shaun Pruitt Makes Shaq Look Like Mark Price - YouTube | NCAABB | Illinois Fighting Illini

more posts by author

Your recap of college hoops when anything interesting happens ...

Too busy hating Eric Gordon Too little time spent working on free throws. Illinois had every chance to stick it to the player they've invested far too much angst. Instead of a few extra bumps and taunts, the Illini could have given him a big middle finger by sending him with a loss. Unfortunately they couldn't execute down the stretch the safe their life. Center Shaun Pruitt was given two free throw attempts with a couple seconds to go in the 1st overtime with the score tied at 69. Clank. Clank. He could've been an even bigger goat if officials would have called an obvious shooting foul on Pruitt as D.J. White heaved a 70-footer. You'd have to possess big time cajones to make that call, but it was a blatant foul under the rules of basketball.

In 2nd OT, Illinois was given another break as Eric Gordon lost track of time bringing the ball up the court and charged with a 10-second violation. Down 76-79, on the following possession Demetri McCamey (31 points, surprisingly) dribbled the ball of his knee. Hoosiers win.

How'd Gordon play? Led Indiana with 19 points after scoring just a point during the 1st half. Let's hope Illinois can now move on from Gordon gate and work on free throws.

Pittsburgh - West Virginia involved in another thriller I'll just let video of the final minutes do the talking.

Pac-10 Love UCLA is running away with the Pac-10 title after a relatively easy win over Washington State. Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose may be perceived as the better pro prospects, but Kevin Love is indeed the best college freshman this season. The Cougars game plan was built around trying to stop Love and just deal with the rest. He still finished with 16 and 9, but more important left a lot of openings for Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook to do their work. Love should be a top finalist for player of the year.

What game are you looking forward to this weekend?

COMMENT

ADD FEED

16 comments

Vote!

Comment!

Your votes determine top comment

2/8/08

ahusted

Sorry Critical, can't agree with you on this one. The free throw shooting has plagued this team all year, so I don't think it had anything to do with Eric Gordon. I think, although you could've called (and probably should've called) Pruitt for a foul, if they would've called the numerous push-offs on Gordon all night, he'd be on the bench for most of OT and definitely double OT. Ted Hillary and his crew decided early that they weren't going to call a lot of fouls (except on Brian Randle).

The Illini are plagued by poor leadership (see Shaun Pruitt being benched a few games ago) and lack of a go-to scorer at guard. McCamey played ridiculous and that is what 90% of this post should've been about. Indiana is the better team and won the game that they should've won anyways.

Eric Gordon, regardless of how many points he scored, could've lost that game for Indiana by not realizing there is a 10 second call in the backcourt (however I am pretty sure that is a universal rule from the time you are 5 playing basketball). He ultimately has played two bad games against Illinois and I think that is going to show come tournament time that he cannot get it done in a hostel environment.

2/8/08

ahusted wrote:

For the record I wasn't actually relating Eric Gordon to Illinois' free throw shooting.

You don't think FT shooting costed them the game?

2/8/08

CHansen

UI's free throw shooting has been pretty awful all year. They are now ranked 330th (59.9%) in ft shooting in the nation. Because of that poor free throw shooting, they've missed out on several wins. Pomeroy has UI at -4.2 wins because of bad luck, which by my understanding just has to do with being in close games. That's pretty crazy, though.

And McCamey is definitely a baller. As a freshman, he's obviously going to have high highs and low lows, but he should be logging lots of PT for the rest of the year, in preparation for next year. Same with the other young guys.

2/8/08

0	Anyone else think right away when Jeffrey Jordan hit his first big FG, about how eerily similar it was to Michael Jordan's last big FG in college?

2/8/08

0	Instead of a few extra bumps and taunts, the Illini could have given him a big middle finger by sending him with a loss. You forgot to add....As it turned out, it was Indiana and Eric Sr who got the last word, as evident by the elder Gordon flipping off the Orange Krush after the game. Yep, that sure was classy on his part. btw... I am working on trying to get a picture of this classy display

2/8/08

CriticalFanatic wrote:

Anyone else think right away when Jeffrey Jordan hit his first big FG, about how eerily similar it was to Michael Jordan's last big FG in college?

At this point, I would like to see the young guys get a chance to play. Jordan seems to have improved leaps and bounds since the beginning of the season. This year is a lost cause, might as well play for next year and see what you got.

2/8/08

CHansen wrote:

As the game wore on I just knew that this game would come down to free throws because like the game at Indiana, Ohio State, Maryland and Arizona, Illinois just couldnt produce a way to put the team away. Those missed front ends late in the game were just as painful to watch as Pruitt clanking free throw after free throw in the OT's. With better free throw shooting and better execution late in games, this team could very easily be 16-9 or 17-8. This team reminds me alot of the team in 1998-1999 that came close in alot of games but ended up 14-18. Of course, that team made an improbable run to the Big Ten tourney final before running out of gas against the Spartans. I dont see that happening this time around....LOL

2/8/08

0	Scott wrote: At this point, I would like to see the young guys get a chance to play. Jordan seems to have improved leaps and bounds since the beginning of the season. This year is a lost cause, might as well play for next year and see what you got. Considering the pressure of the situation, I thought Jeffrey Jordan looked great and composed at the end. The guy needs to play more.

2/8/08

Scott wrote:

Instead of a few extra bumps and taunts, the Illini could have given him a big middle finger by sending him with a loss.

You forgot to add....As it turned out, it was Indiana and Eric Sr who got the last word, as evident by the elder Gordon flipping off the Orange Krush after the game. Yep, that sure was classy on his part.

btw... I am working on trying to get a picture of this classy display

I don't think anyone has ever called Gordon or his father classy.

2/8/08

Scott wrote:

Instead of a few extra bumps and taunts, the Illini could have given him a big middle finger by sending him with a loss.

btw... I am working on trying to get a picture of this classy display

Reports from those at the game say that Gordon, Sr. was dropping F-bombs from the get go and probably needs to ice down his middle finger today. That guy is a real piece of work.

2/8/08

0	IlliniBob72 wrote: Reports from those at the game say that Gordon, Sr. was dropping F-bombs from the get go and probably needs to ice down his middle finger today. That guy is a real piece of work. My guess is you could say the same for Illinois students and their fans. Both were unacceptable. A lot of ice going around today.

2/8/08

0	CriticalFanatic wrote: My guess is you could say the same for Illinois students and their fans. Both were unacceptable. A lot of ice going around today. Oh, for certain. However, you won't read about Gordon's dad's behavior in the media. Also, I tend to hold adults to a higher standard than 20 year olds.

2/8/08

IlliniBob72 wrote:

Oh, for certain. However, you won't read about Gordon's dad's behavior in the media. Also, I tend to hold adults to a higher standard than 20 year olds.

That is one thing that is bothering me today. ESPN played last night off like just any old 17 year old kid decommitting, when in reality there is alot that most of the nation doesnt know. I would bet that if this happened between Duke and UNC, this wouldnt be "No Big Deal"

2/8/08

Scott wrote:

Their commentary was infuriating. Pat Forde pointed out that McCamey received a scholarship offer from Indiana before Illinois and Bilas sarcastically chimes in asking if Indiana is angry about that. There isn't even a comparison between the two situations.

I am tired of banging my head against that wall. People who only know about the situation from ESPN or the like don't know anything about the true situation. Their not understanding everything behind it makes Illini fans seem childish. Illini fans aren't angry he chose Indiana. They are angry about the manner in which it was done.

2/8/08