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The Dagger - NCAAB

The Dagger

Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:00 pm EST

Big Ten stereotypes reinforced, Penn State beats Illinois 38-33

By Chris Chase

So often, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Fans of Big Ten basketball rave about the defensive artistry and aggressive play of the conference. Others scoff at the elbow-heavy, offensively-challenged contest. But tonight, everyone can agree: the Penn State-Illinois game was just plain ugly.

The Fighting Illini came into the affair ranked No. 18 in the country, while the Nittany Lions are a purported bubble team. Tonight they combined to score 71 points in Penn State's 38-33 upset in Champaign.

Among the statistical carnage: 

- The Nittany Lions and Fighting Illini shot a combined 28-99.

- Illinois shot zero free throws on the evening.

- The last time Illinois scored fewer points in a game was 1947 when they scored 31 against Minnesota.

- Assembly Hall has been open since 1962. The previous Illinois low score for a game was 44. The previous low for combined points in a game was 85. The teams combined for 71 tonight.

- Among the dubious record lows set tonight at Assembly Hall: fewest points (Illinois), fewest points in a victory (opponent), fewest points (combined), lowest field goal percentage (Illinois), fewest assists (Illinois), fewest assists (combined), fewest free throws (Illinois).

- In four games this season, Kentucky's Jodie Meeks has scored more than both teams did tonight.

The Big Ten Network is rerunning the game at midnight and noon on Thursday. If you want to see a horror movie but are too cheap to fork over $9.50 for the new Friday the 13th flick, set your DVRs accordingly. 

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20 Comments

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  1. Dave E
    1. Posted by Dave E Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:40 pm EDT

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    11 free throws to zero = officiating joke. Congratulations to Michigan State on their Big 10 title.
  2. johnny bananas
    2. Posted by johnny bananas Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

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    both teams are going to be wrecked if the go into the NCAA tournament anyways. The 12th best team in both the big east and ACC save Virginia would be both of these teams and Purde and Minnesota so it does not really matter. A big 10 team will not make it to the sweet 16 maybe not even out of the second round how inconsistenly Michigan State plays.
    NO ONE CARES ABOUT BIG 10 BASKETBALL
  3. BigNoise
    3. Posted by BigNoise Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    Chris -- Not sure whether or not you watched the broadcast on BTN, but it was filmed in black and white, and the nets were replaced with peach baskets.
  4. JimK
    4. Posted by JimK Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    No matter how bad the game was, it was still better than watching the Daytona 500
  5. jocowboy
    5. Posted by jocowboy Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:23 pm EDT

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    yuk!
  6. DDL
    6. Posted by DDL Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    the boilers will finish strong and make a run in NCAAs, everyone else will one and out. don't mistake good defense for bad offense
  7. Jen B
    7. Posted by Jen B Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:04 pm EDT

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    Penn State's problem is their inconsistency. They will beat a top 25 team and then turn around and lose badly to someone they shouldn't necessarily lose to. Even if Penn State is supposedly one and done in the NCAA tournament (if they make it), that's a big step for the program that hasn't been to the dance since the 2001 season. But if they can step up and the young players can play well and smart, who knows what the team is capable of.
    WE ARE...PENN STATE
  8. chism
    8. Posted by chism Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:02 pm EDT

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    ...wait this isn't football?
  9. TD
    9. Posted by TD Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:52 pm EDT

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    Dave...Illinois took all jump shots the entire game...never or rarely looked inside...there was no opportunity for PSU to foul in this game...
  10. Bill
    10. Posted by Bill Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:16 pm EDT

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    Johnny...FYI the Big Ten is 7-8 vs. the ACC this year...Currently the top 6 teams in the Big Ten hold a 5-4 record vs. the ACC, which includes Michigan State loses to Maryland and North Carolina while they were without their top 2 players...This also includes an Illinois 2 point loss to Clemson...With that said the only bad loss is Purdue to Duke...And anyone who has watched college bball this year knows how inconsistent Duke has been...the Big Ten is a lot stronger than people think...Here are their records versus other conferences...
    SEC (2-1), Big 12 (4-2), PAC 10 (1-1), Big East (3-6), ACC (7-8), and Gonzaga, Butler, and Davidson (2-1)...out of those 38 games Indiana played 4 and lost 4, while Iowa was 1-2...meaning the Big 10's top 9 legitimate teams are 18-13 vs. the other major conferences/solid mid majors...with multiple games vs. Conncecticut, Duke, and Boston College, Notre Dame, and Maryland...
  11. Bill
    11. Posted by Bill Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:16 pm EDT

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    johnny...fyi the big ten is 7-8 vs. the acc this year...currently the top 6 teams in the big ten hold a 5-4 record vs. the acc, which includes michigan state loses to maryland and north carolina while they were without their top 2 players...this also includes an illinois 2 point loss to clemson...with that said the only bad loss is purdue to duke...and anyone who has watched college bball this year knows how inconsistent duke has been...the big ten is a lot stronger than people think...here are their records versus other conferences...
    sec (2-1), big 12 (4-2), pac 10 (1-1), big east (3-6), acc (7-8), and gonzaga, butler, and davidson (2-1)...out of those 38 games indiana played 4 and lost 4, while iowa was 1-2...meaning the big 10's top 9 legitimate teams are 18-13 vs. the other major conferences/solid mid majors...with multiple games vs. conncecticut, duke, and boston college, notre dame, and maryland...
  12. mike
    12. Posted by mike Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:13 pm EDT

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    the illini are looking at a number 1 seed in the nit not .this is going to be one of the fastest freefalls in illini history ,other than last years team.look at the schedule and all i see them beating is minnesota and thats not a lock after watching the game tonite.i thought the game at minnesota was pathetic ,but to play that bad at least offensive wise at home was sick.as far as getting the ball inside mike tisdale missed all but one of those he took so it wouldnt have done much good anyway.the way i see it the illini will go 1 for 4 which will leave them at 22-9 and maybe a 7 or 8 seed if they get in to the ncaa tourney at all.
  13. Mark Y
    13. Posted by Mark Y Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:31 pm EDT

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    I saw the 2 extra points the illinois kicker missed.... if they had a better kicker they could have been in reach for a field goal as time expired.....but that is what happens when you try to play a game in fe. what....... it wasnt a football game .....college basketball... when did penn state get a mens basketball team..... oh nevermind ....
  14. christhepacerfan
    14. Posted by christhepacerfan Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:24 pm EDT

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    I think you just call this an off-night for both teams. We all know they both can and will play better than this. I am not sure you can surmise anything from it. Illinois just didn't take the ball to the hoop that is why there were no fouls. PSU can be very good or very bad. I am thinking if they get in to the tourney, they could pull a couple upsets, make it to the sweet 16 again and then get slaughtered like they did against Temple in 2001.
    YOU SAY NITNEY, I'LL SAY LIONS!
  15. vincent p
    15. Posted by vincent p Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:36 pm EDT

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    This game should be investigated by the NCAA for point shaving. Some one made a lot of money off this thrown game. I'm an Illini fan and I am very bitter about how my team. No effort, no fight , no show, at home. Shameful!!!!! I hope they lose the rest of the seasons games. I for one won't be watching.
  16. Mike L.
    16. Posted by Mike L. Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    I'm pretty sure somebody over-tightened the rims or something. Both teams had lots of good looks that caught just a tiny bit of iron and rattled out. If you'd just looked at the quality of shot and not seen the result, you would have sworn that the Illini would have been up something like 34-24 at half. Seriously, even Mike Tisdale' s uber-soft hook shots were bouncing off like a Big Shaqtus free throw.
    Frankly, this whole game was an unadulterated fluke. Once we find and shoot and/or hang the person who messed up the rims this sort of game will never happen again.
  17. philwfu
    17. Posted by philwfu Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:10 pm EDT

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    I think you meant to say, "In four games this season, Kentucky's Jodie Meeks has scored more than EACH team did tonight."
    To say that he scored more than BOTH indicates that, in 4 different games, he scored over 71 points. Which I don't think is true.
  18. mike
    18. Posted by mike Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:13 pm EDT

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    well i dont wish them to lose all the rest of their games,half the team has the flu and should not have been playing a all especially mccamey.This game wasnt neccessarily a fluke,as the illini laid the same egg up at minnesota.They need to get well and maybe they can do some damage ion the big ten tourney,cause i dont have much a lot of hope in wins with the remaider of their scehdule.
  19. Todd
    19. Posted by Todd Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:56 pm EDT

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    new illinois coach anyone?
  20. Hehe
    20. Posted by Hehe Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:02 pm EDT

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    Big Ten is better than average but not by much. I think the physicality of the Big Ten is taking it's toll on teams. Penn State, Illinois, Minnesota, Purdue all show signs of major lapses in hustle and intensity this season. Not sure what to think of any of them going into the tournament. Nobody plays consistently.

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