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Good, Bad and Ugly: Loyola (Md.)
Indiana 79
Illinois 64
Eric Gordon 33 pts (14 from the line)
DJ White 18 pts, 15 boards
Gordon's gotta stick it to them. He is gonna be charged up knowing he's in the spotlight of the Big Ten's game of the year (maybe the nation?) and will have the attention of the nation's college basketball fans.
I ask you, is this the game of the year in college basketball? I am a Big Ten guy, but I can't think of anything with more drama. Too bad Illinois sucks...they could really use a stud 2-guard, suckas....
ESPN is high on EJ (for good reason). They may help the game achieve a more than normal Big Ten regular season game status, but I don't think people down South, out East, and out West will have any idea the two teams are playing.
He'll probably go for 25-30 points and 4-5 boards. And I assume that even though Kelvin wants him to shoot more, I would fathom that he will still get his fair share of assists. He's just that type of teammate.
Personally I would love to see him go off for 50 (and I know he could if he really wanted to and shot it as much as OJ Mayo), but like I said I think about 25 will do the trick.
While I'd love to see Chief Illiniwek doing his best Keep America Beautiful PSA impression, I think this game will be close. Maybe it's what a previous blog entry stated: the fact that knowing IU will win is such an alien feeling. I hope it's that.
But, that team to the west will come in and bring loads of pressure. I think Chester the Molester will be healthier, and he'll surely be guarding (hounding) EJ. We've already seen His Airness get in foul trouble, especially when frustrated.
Plus, this is a vet, although bad, team in the orange and blue. Things happen when they shouldn't. We haven't seen this IU team really beat a team who pressures yet. SIU has proven to be not as good as advertised.
So, while I think we're superior, I wouldn't be surprised to see a rocky one. They had Wisconsin on the ropes last night, and while we're no Wisconsin, they just don't lose in the Department Store. To rip off Bill Simmons and Pulp Fiction, "Let's not start sucking each other's popsicles just yet."
IU 72
The Visitors 65
and in a stunning turn of events both DJ and Gordon go over the 100 point mark and DJ gets the first ever double triple with a hundred and forty two rebounds.
DAAAA Hoosiers
Illinois fans know exactly who Gordon is... and his 1 year in college will probably be better than the 3 or 4 Deron Williams played. And I think he better learn the name too, before Gordon comes to the NBA and throws one down on his head.
IU 86 ILL 68
The Orange Soda Pop will be jeering him with the JJ Reddick treatment and that's when I'd really like to see EJ go off for 40+ points.
As I think about it though, that only helps IU. The Illini have weapons, but no depth. The more cheap fouls they commit, the more time on the bench Frasier (and maybe Randle and Pruitt) spend on the bench. Also, the more they pressure EJ, the more open looks DJ, Stemler, and Thomas will get. It will be interesting how EJ responds to the heat...I think he'll be fine.
It should also be interesting to see KS' game plan for this one. Illinois may be able to take EJ out of the game if he doesn't work without the ball.
Y...on my way to chi-town today a buddy calls and says hey I got two tickets for the game on Sunday....you want them....DAH...
I expect to witness...EJ put up 25 plus and the play of the day that will eventually end up on the front page of many papers is...EJ putting up a 28footer 'right' in front of Bruce Weber!
ALso I expect a motivated Jamarcus Ellis and Deandre T..I am sure Brucey didn't bother recruiting them...why else would he need homestate talent....
IU 80 Illinois 49....these guys cannot score
Weber is so distraught over losing Gordon, my greatest fear is that it's spilled over to his players and someone is going to hurt EJ. He draws plenty of contact. If there's a cheap shot, watch out. It could get ugly fast in an arena full of rowdy college kids. Even worse when we're at Illinois. I doubt it happens, but it's crossed my mind.
Go Hoosiers!
MJ's son...Yeah the same one that Gordon lit up last year. Jeff's scored what, ONCE this season. I love that. That was one of the sweetest games I was able to go to last season. I was only a few rows away from MJ, but all I cared about was watching EJ. J. Jordan started out with a great dunk off an alley oop, but Gordon was just incredible the whole game. I think at the time he finally went out of the game, he had scored more points than Jordan's entire team combined. Although I do remember everyone anticipating a huge dunk off a turnover and Gordon fumbled the ball around and just hit a lay up. But we got that dunk later in the game. I guess he can be human once in a while!
i believe this game means no more than any other for the hoosiers and ej, but that the game in illinois will be given more hype from the media, fans, players, and coaches.
the game in illinois is a much bigger game for illinois and weber than indiana, but there will be much more pressure on gordon at this event...namely from the crowd...as well as on ks. illinois has to win at home against indiana, as does indiana in bloomington. i think this weekend's game is bigger for indiana because they have the home court (and winning streak) to protect.
i would like to see dj white end up with 20 and 20 with at least 5 blocked shots. the illini will have a difficult task in bloomington, not just holding gordon back, but keeping indiana and their fans (disgusted by the threats and comments made about gordon by illinois fans and former players) from embarrassing and harassing them early. in front of national television, i would like to see indiana bomb the illini by 30 or more. they need a huge win at home, especially against a weaker foe...not because it's illinois, but because it's a home game in the b-10 conference season.
regardless of what others think, even the game in champaigne is nowhere near as important as four others...iu vs. michigan state and iu vs. wisconsin. why is everyone giving the game against illinois such hype? i don't think illinois deserves this kind of hype. that said, iu better win or we'll never hear the end of it.
i think with gordon, they would be a top 25 team. that's their problem, they have no scorers and nobody that can shoot the basketball. i think legion was a nice get for them and weber is doing good things with his 2009 class. i think they have 3 top 100 kids already and are in the hunt for a few more, but im not sure if weber is going to be around by the time those kids are freshmen.
They won't try and hurt him, with the story behind this and the national attention, that tactic would permanently tarnish Bruthy's reputation as a respectable guy.
Go Hoosiers, beat the s--t out of the Illini.