00:00Let me bring Illinois into the fold, Coach, though, because that's where, you know, that's the way this lines up,
00:05right?
00:06Winner of Houston A&M is going to play the winner of Illinois VCU.
00:09So two got a 10 and a three got an 11 here.
00:13VCU needed a massive comeback just to get to this point against Hubert Davis and North Carolina.
00:19What do you think about Illinois, Coach, as a double-digit favorite against the Rams?
00:26Well, I think the thing that you look at here is I think the Rams could be in this game
00:32for a little bit.
00:35A team like Illinois is really good.
00:39Honestly, folks, and you look at their offensive metrics being the number two in offensive efficiency in the country.
00:45Folks, they are 323rd in pace offensively.
00:49So that means they really get it in the half court.
00:51They need to create runouts.
00:53But then you look at a team like Illinois, they are, I think, I think they're dead last, if I'm
00:59not mistaken, and turnover percentage forced.
01:02So to me, that speaks to if Martelli's group was experienced, they play together well, if they could just hold
01:09on to the ball and make sure the biggest thing you look at here, folks, is the rebounding game.
01:15When you get to me, mid-majors versus power teams, Kevin, it's about the rebounding angle.
01:21Can you win the boards?
01:23And I think that is what Bill Martelli's team has to do.
01:28Illinois, number three, they get folks, ready for this, 39.2% of their shots back.
01:36Four out of 10 to get back.
01:37They got to keep them off the boards.
01:40VCU 150th, so to them, they have to secure the boards.
01:44If they can do that, they're in the game.
01:45I think they find a way to cover it, but Illinois wins.
01:48I'm on the other side in that I don't think they keep it close.
01:52I think this is an Illinois team who, it was almost a little mean and unnecessary,
02:01but it was mission-esque, that second half against Penn, right?
02:07I mean, they had starters out there with two minutes left, it felt like, in a game that they were
02:11up by 30.
02:13I think VCU is fortunate to be here, but when a team, you get down almost 20 to North Carolina,
02:22I think they get themselves down 20 to Illinois, and it's not going to be this miracle comeback.
02:28I like the Illini today, minus the 10.5.
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