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Illinois vs. Wisconsin: Big Ten tournament predictions and NBA prospects | ChicagoLIVE
Chris K from Fox Chicago Sports joins the show live from the United Center to break down all the action at the Big Ten tournament! We discuss why Michigan looks like an unstoppable force, preview the highly anticipated Illinois vs. Wisconsin matchup and explore which "Cinderella" teams the selection committee might be sleeping on.
What was it that Yogi Berra once said?
"Baseball is 90 percent mental," the famous quote reads. "The other half is physical."
Question his math skills all you'd like, but he has a point. It was the theme for Illinois basketball after Friday's Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal loss to Wisconsin.
For the fourth time this year, Illinois played in overtime. For the fourth time, the Illini lost. For the second time this year, Illinois allowed Wisconsin's two-guard tandem of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell to explode.
But, suggesting a theme leads to the idea that a pattern exists with these outcomes. From a pattern, people draw narratives. That's what sours on the Illini quickly.
"I don't like narratives," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "I like figuring out how to solve the problems, and that's what we've got to do. It's just one possession here or there. That's what this group has to understand."
Big picture view:
Illinois is adamant these struggles aren't a physical thing. There's a good argument for that.
The Illini scored 88 on Saturday. They've scored 80 points or more in 21 games this season. They rank 22nd out of 365 Division I college basketball teams with an average of 84.3 points per game.
There's nothing wrong with the offense.
But there's still no killer mentality for this Illinois team. The Illini led by 15 points twice on two separate occasions against Wisconsin. The Badgers clawed back.
Illinois boasts two 7-foot center bothers and plays four regular rotation players at 6-foot-9 or taller. Wisconsin outrebounded Illinois.
That's where the mental side needs to kick in.
Every player I asked in the locker room after the game said losses like Friday have been a mental thing. The last hump this Illinois team needs to clear if they really truly want to be considered contenders is the mental hurdle.
"When we get like really in the flow, when we start hitting the shots, when we play great, it's just we like stop guarding and they get going," Illini guard Kylan Boswell said. "That's just the thing of mental focus that we gotta fix."
The focus is something that wanes. That can't happen.
"If we're up 15, it's because we stuck to the process and we committed to what we do," Illinois forward Jake Davis said. "No relaxation. No plays off."
It's all about matching the otherside of the court.
When Illinois swung first to open the game and delivered a haymaker in the early goings of the second half, it was clear the Illini wanted it more. When they got what they wanted, the opposition started to want it even more.
"They knew also when they were down 15 that if they lose, it's last game for them in this tournament," Illinois center Tommy Ivisic said. "Of course they were not going to relax. We know how good they are, how talented they are, and we just have to be even more focused than them, more locked in and not just not give them anything."
From the coach's point of view, the relaxation leads to just exasperated moments.
"Kylan Boswell is a senior. We talked about not giving reject ball screens to John Blackwell, and first or second play of the second half, he gives up a reject ball screen. That's stuff we didn't do one time in the first half," Underwood said. 'Those are the mental lapses and mental mistakes that are just driving me nuts. That's the consistency with which we struggled with today."
What's next:
Illinois is getting into the NCAA Tournament. There's no debate there. Illinois forward Ben Humrichous, in a humble moment, talked about the Illini having not heard their name called yet on Selection Sunday.
It's a testament to his point of view. But, we can call it like it is.
On Sunday, Illinois will have its opponent in hand and with it comes one more chance to sharpen that mental side of their game.
No relaxation. No rest. No let ups.
This is not on the players completely. Even in this day and age of college sports, they're still just amateur players. There's an entire level before they're professional players.
Underwood noted he has to do a better job as a coach to sharpen that edge.
It's already been the difference in multiple games in the past month.
"You can't be lazy mentally and not block out. John Blackwell gets a rebound with no blockout at the end of the game. If we get it, we win," Underwood said. "If we get a rebound in the Michigan State game in East Lansing, we win. If we get a stop and a rebound against UCLA, we win. Before that, Keaton made the shot at UCLA. If we get the stop, then Keaton's the story."
The bottom line is rather simple. If Illinois doesn't figure out how to stop this mental lapse, then their stay in the Tournament will be rather short.
Then Underwood is really going to dislike the narrative that his Elite Eight run just two years ago isn't the standard, but the outlier.
Next week, the Illini will start in the NCAA Tournament. The players know it's just one opportunity that can lead to more.
"We should commit to winning," Humrichous said. "We only have one guaranteed from here on out."