Coach Pikiell Postgame Press Conference - Illinois
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
First time I've ever listened to Pike. For someone born and raised in Connecticut he's a real Jersey/NY kind of a guy.
Can we lock this guy up for about 10 years?
Can we lock this guy up for about 10 years?
Last edited:
Why go from B1G to AAC? But I hope UConn does well enough with current coach so this doesn't become possible.
Lololol Uconn? We would be able to match any offer X2 if that ever happened. Remember, Hobbs already left Uconn to come here. Pike would not leave us for Uconn
It's his alma mater and I'm sure they'd pay him well if he was successful here to go back home. Anyway, it would be awesome if Pike was successful here and other programs wanted to hire him away from us. Would be quite a contrast to what has happened over the last few decades.
Last 5 minutes plus some post game celebrating and interview
I was impressed with this too. To get the win, the temptation would be to not go deep into the bench. Showed a lot of character on Pike's part and good coaching to make it work.
U Conn is not in a P5 conference. Coach so far loves it here. I hope he has success. I think he would have a very difficult time leaving RU if we become good. He knows how good it is to be in the BIG.
That's because OUR players didn't line up for one. Don't get it twisted.
I hope Pike achieves great success at RU and becomes desirable to many big-time programs. But, if that happens, and UConn is still in the AAC, I don't view them as a real threat. Despite the fact that it's his alma mater, it would be a big step down to go from a power five program to the AAC.
Maybe some smart person can loop that cheerleader video into an animated gif.. methinks it would be a good one.
There was some choice editing involved.. I left that good Rutgers stuff in.. including an angry fan shot late on the bogus Freeman out of bounds call.. I stripped out parts where the announcer was overtly negative about Rutgers.. and overdubbed fan noise in where he was saying "first time Rutgers has won 3 Big Ten games..".. what a douche! Yeah.. accurate.. but unnecessary just moments after winning a game at the buzzer.
By the way, if you watch the last play for RU, starting at the 7:20 mark of the video, you can see it was a very, very good execution of the play. And I do not just mean the made 3-pointer by Freeman.
1) RU was set up in a modified 1-4 set, with Williams and Thiam in opposite corners, and Freeman and Gettys on opposite low posts.
2) Sanders started to slowly dribble towards the basket ... slowly approaching the 3-point line.
3) As Sanders dribbled to the basket, Gettys and Freeman each started towards the high post. They almost started to criss-cross, or get in each other's way, as Gettys, in particular, started towards the 3-point line to set a potential screen for Sanders.
4) But Gettys veered off, away from Sanders, and drifted to midway between the high post and the low post, on the same side as Freeman was - while Freeman moved to the 3-point line. This created very good spacing for Sanders ... AND ... Gettys' defender kind of drifted into the middle of the lane, to set himself up to potentially help his team-mate defend against a drive by Sanders - this had another consequence which did not come into play, but I will mention below.
5) Freeman's defender did NOT aggressively follow Freeman - probably because Freeman is not thought of as a 3-point shooter, and also potentially to be in a position to help on a Sanders drive.
6) Sanders passed to an open Freeman, who shoots without hesitation (whereas so many other times at the 3-point line, he had hesitated, or pumped, before driving) ... and nails the 3-pointer.
7) Part of the great set-up for the play: When Gettys moved away from the 3-point line and drifted from the high post to the low post on the same side as Freeman was set up, and his defender did not aggressively follow him (as mentioned above), it allowed Gettys to get fantastic inside position on a rebounding box out on that defender (who tried to get to rebounding position after Sanders gave up the ball - but too late). Gettys was able to box out his defender fairly far out from the basket. This position gave him commanding position for an offensive rebound if Freeman missed. Gettys would have been able to get the rebound almost wherever the ball bounced to, if Freeman had missed - with the possible exception of a bounce directly towards the right corner, where Williams' defender had boxed Williams out - and would have had a very easy lay-in if Freeman had missed ... aperfect play set up that positioning.
Jelly, you can't actually believe that Pike drew up that play. Pike ran the same play as the previous trip. The D made an adjustment to prevent Sanders from going to his right. Corey was smart to see the D took away the play and not force it. someone finally makes a play for the win. Congrats to the team and players.
In the postgame, Pikiell said he drew up the play pretty much the way Jelly explained it but expected Corey to get to the hoop and either dump to CJ or find Mike open on the wing. Freeman was a safety outlet and made the shot.
Added to this (with which I agree):
Sure, it is a pretty basic "play." But like many plays, there are options built in, to allow the offensive players to react and make choices based on what the defense does. Sometimes players execute better than other times. This was excellent execution by the RU players.
Too often Sanders has driven into the teeth of a defense, 1 on 3, into taller players. Sometimes he makes those shots, but quite often he does not, when 1 on 3. In THIS situation, Sanders made excellent choices, and the other RU players also created thew spacing needed to force Illinois to make its own choices. So ... Gettys started toward the 3-point line to set a screen, but retreated AWAY from Sanders. Sanders saw that Gettys' defender was cheating in the middle to prevent an uncontested 1 on 1 drive by Sanders. Sanders also explained after the game that he knew that worst case RU was headed to OT - showing intelligence and awareness of the game situation. AND, though it ended up being unnecessary, Gettys was in fantastic position for what was likely to have been a nearly uncontested offensive rebound, and nearly uncontested put back ... because of how the PLAYERS, Gettys, included, executed the play, creating space and options.
To me, executing the play would be Sanders to the hole going to his right. I agree with this call because it puts the ball in your best player's hands. Credit ILL for taking it away and Sanders for recognizing it early. All the credit to Freeman for making the shot of course that made the coach look like a genius. I would be the first one to jump all over Pike had Freeman missed.
Everybody in the building knew Corey was going to have the ball in his hands and look to drive. That's why groce set up the D the way he did. What I think Pikiell expected was either CJ's defender or Mike Williams defender was come in and help and that's who Corey would pass to. Instead it was Freeman's who was on the weak side.
