Here’s a heavy dose of reality for long-time C-U residents:
The end of what I’m still calling the Assembly Hall as it has been is a weird thought. Of course, the end of seeing embarassingly empty A-section seats is a hopeful thought, so I’m conflicted.
I’m not conflicted about Illinois’s opponent this evening, however. Nebraska is a garbage fire of a team right now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they beat Illinois in early January, but since then they’ve been a wreck, winning just three games and losing 9 (including 6 straight) in the interim. To put it bluntly: If Illinois loses on Wednesday it would be the end of the season.
Nebraska coach Tim Miles seems to have no answers as to why his team, which is largely the same team that made the Tourney last year, has fallen off a cliff since beating Illinois. He was recently quoted as saying “If I could lasso them up and bring them back, I would,” referring to the team that beat Illinois.
The more recent incarnation of the Huskers has been bad on defense and bad on offense, and has thoroughly lost its confidence. Star Terran Petteway is still producing for Nebraska, notching games with as many as 28 points and 9 assists in the losing streak, but the support has not been there, as the Huskers have averaged just 53 points per game in that span.
Miles contributed some of his team’s failures to other teams being desperate to win, which really reflects very poorly on his team and his own coaching skills and tells you what you need to know about tonight’s game. Illinois is definitely a “desperate” team, evidenced by its drubbing of Northwestern last Saturday. Illinois is desperate to reach 20 wins (which would virtually lock them into the NCAA Tourney) and win its way out of the 8-9 game in the Big Ten Tourney (the winner of that game gets Wisconsin in the second round, which, no thanks).
With all that motivation, if Illinois doesn’t come out desparate for a win, well, they deserve whatever fate awaits them. I don’t see that happening, though. I think, as we say goodbye to what the Assembly Hall has been for 50+ years, the Illini will provide something for the sellout crowd to cheer for (and keep everyone awake after the 9 pm start).
My prediction: Illinois 70 – Nebraska 55