The Deuce: I’ve been beating this drum for weeks now, but the one thing we were elite at on defense

the last several years is running teams off the line and preventing three point attempts. Year in and year out we were among the best at this nationally. Prevent threes, force tough twos, rebound. Now the drop coverage had issues as we know, and we let guards live in the lane and get to the rim, but we simply did not give up threes. To wit, our rank nationally:

2022: 6
2023: 16
2024: 7
2025: 3

Even before that, we were 39 and 38 in 2020 and 2021.

So far this year? 181st nationally.

I really want someone to ask Brad why the philosophical change and what we’re trying to do instead.

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Game is also gonna be on that NBC Sports channel on YouTube.

Nebraska is undefeated and currently #14 in the Net. Their best win (currently) is against #56 New Mexico. This was part of a 3 win neutral site tournament where they also beat Kansas State (#76) and Oklahoma (#70).

All their other wins have been at home, including a drubbing of Wisconsin this week by 30 points. The return of Rienk Mast from injury last year has been good for them. They have one of the Sandfort brothers from Iowa last year. They score a lot, and do the same things defensively where they allow you to shoot threes all day but gum up the paint.

Saturday is their first Q1 game. Saturday is their first road game (granted, the students will probably be gone).

Please kill them, Illini. Rebound and make threes.