UNF vs Illinois

[UNFurbanist]

SWOOP!

[Tacachale]

Awesome win! Thanks for covering, spuwho.

[spuwho]

Here is what the Illini press had to say about UNF.

Per the Champaign News-Gazette:

http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/illini-sports/mens-basketball/2015-11-13/illini-start-0-1-first-time-1998.html
   
Illini start 0-1 for first time since 1998
     
SPRINGFIELD — It was too good to be true. As the Illini, who dealt with a nightmarish offseason that saw significant injuries to Tracy Abrams, Jalen Coleman-Lands, Kendrick Nunn and Leron Black, seemingly couldn't catch a break.

In recent weeks, fortune started to change as Coleman-Lands returned and Black appeared primed to return to the court after surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

But less than 20 minutes into the season, the Illini were dealt another significant blow as starting point guard Jaylon Tate was helped off the court with an open dislocation of a finger, making Friday's 93-81 loss to North Florida at the Prairie Capital Convention Center even tougher to swallow.

Losing, that wasn't completely out of the question for the Illini against a team that returned all significant pieces from last season's NCAA tournament qualifiers. Falling behind by as many as 23 on a semi-home court, will be deemed unacceptable by followers of a team with designs on returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years.

"We did not beat ourselves (Friday night); they won the game," Illinois coach John Groce said. "They beat us."

The good news, for those searching for some after Friday's loss, is there's plenty of time to correct the many mistakes Illinois made on Friday, mainly on the defensive end of the floor.

"We've got a game Sunday; we've got to learn from this," Malcolm Hill (20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) said. "This was a great challenge for us, and I think it opened the eyes of a lot of people (in the locker room) because this was an NCAA tournament team. I think it was good to have this experience early."

North Florida shot 52.5 percent from the floor and 52.2 percent from three-point range, tying a record for an Illinois opponent, making 17 treys. Beau Beech (25 points) hit 7 of 8 three-pointers. Point guard Dallas Moore led all scorers with 26 points and 10 assists.

"If we're going to be a really good basketball team, we're going to have to defend a lot better than we did (Friday night)," Groce said. "I knew how good Beech was, and he certainly didn't disappoint. I knew how good Moore was, and he didn't disappoint."

With so many young guys and newcomers on this Illinois roster, including freshman Aaron Jordan (14 points, three assists), the key leading up to Sunday's game against North Dakota State will be making sure those guys understand how to handle such a setback and move forward rather than letting it snowball into something larger. For a team that's dealt with plenty of adversity to this point, that might not be a difficult task.

"I tell the young guys, 'Don't listen to people outside the basketball team' because it's new to them," Hill said. "In high school they probably had one or two people saying bad things. With this, there's thousands of people; social media can be a killer. We've got to teach them early about that."

For first-year Illini Mike Thorne Jr. (25 points, 14 rebounds), the message is already sinking in.

"I still feel that we're going to be special this year," he said.

[RattlerGator]

That's high praise. Hopefully UNF can have a great season and multiple other teams in the state as well. The Noles have recruited well and are hyped. College basketball in this state should be as competitive as college football. I'd love to see J.U. return to prominence, too. Though just a kid then, I well remember the days of Artis Gilmore, Pembroke Burrows, Vaughn Wedeking, etc.

Needless to say, my primary interest is with the Mighty Gators and our new basketball coach.

[spuwho]

Per ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400820705

North Florida never trails in 93-81 win over Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- North Florida hasn't lost any momentum after its first NCAA Tournament appearance last March.

Dallas Moore scored 26 points and Beau Beech added 25 as North Florida used a hot start from the 3-point line to beat Illinois 93-81 Friday.

North Florida was 9 of 17 on 3-pointers during the first half, when the Ospreys raced to an 18-point lead. North Florida extended the lead to 23 points in the second half and finished shooting 17 of 33 on 3-pointers.

Moore and Beech combined to hit 10 of 14 from the 3-point line.

"This is why we play the way we play," North Florida coach Matthew Driscoll said. "Some people think we're a little bit free flowing. When you're a team at our level and you have guys who can make this many threes, you have to make sure as a coach you continue to coach that rather than handcuff them and slow them down."

North Florida never trailed on its way to a win over a Big Ten team for the second consecutive season.

"We're always confident," Beech said. "We put in a lot of work in the summertime. Coach puts us in great positions to make plays. When we're out there, we're just having fun with each other."

Beech, named the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason player of the year, was 7 of 8 on 3-pointers. Moore hit 3 of 6 as the Ospreys were in control for nearly the entire game.

Foul trouble forced Beech to the bench 4 minutes into the second half, when he was whistled for his fourth foul. Nevertheless, three more 3-pointers pushed the lead to 68-45, the Osprey's largest of the game.

Center Mike Thorne Jr. scored 25 points for Illinois, which lost a season-opener for the first time since 1998.

"When we scheduled this game last spring, I knew we were playing an NCAA caliber team," Illinois coach John Groce said. "We didn't beat ourselves tonight. They won the game. They beat us. In terms of our role in it, our defensive execution wasn't where it needed to be."

An Illinois team already hampered by injury in the preseason lost starting point guard Jaylon Tate to a compound fracture of a finger midway through the first half.

Malcolm Hill scored 20 points, including 15 in the second half. He ignited a spurt that cut the deficit to 76-67.

Moments later, North Florida answered with a 4-point play from Mackey to push the lead to 80-67 to chill the rally.

"You just can't panic," Groce said. "It's a long season. I worried about the habits of some of the young guys. That only comes over time. There's no short cut to it."

TIP-INS

Illinois: With State Farm Center under renovation in Champaign, Illinois moved four games to Springfield. The Illini don't play on campus until facing Notre Dame in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 2. Illinois also plays North Dakota State, Chattanooga and Chicago State at the Prairie Capital Convention Center several blocks from the state capitol.

North Florida: The Ospreys defeated a Big Ten team for the second-straight season. A year ago, North Florida defeated Purdue 73-70 for its first victory against a power conference foe. North Florida is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Last season, the Ospreys set school records with 23 wins. They lost to Robert Morris in a First Four game in Dayton in the NCAA Tournament.

STAR POWER

North Florida's Dallas Moore did more than just score a game-high 26 points. He also added 10 assists with no turnovers in 38 minutes.

"That's probably the best stat line I've ever seen in my years at North Florida," teammate Beau Beech said, before chuckling. "He was off from three tonight; 50 percent won't cut it."

UP NEXT

Illinois hosts North Dakota State Sunday in Springfield.

North Florida hosts Texas-Rio Grande Valley Monday.

[CityLife]

If those injured players come back and Illinois puts together a decent season, this win can be a big RPI boost for UNF. Could be the difference between being a 14-15 seed and a 12-13 seed.

[Dapperdan]

Can't believe they lost 119-108 at LSU . What a game.