WSU VS. ILLINOIS STATE PREDICTIONS AND PREGAME DISCUSSIONS

[GoShockers89]

Maybe the toughest game left on the schedule with the way ISUb and CU are playing.

Kevin Gwaltney 73,
Tarise Bryson 71

[Phantom]

I am definitely sorry and embarrassed to hear about the two fans being obnoxious. I can safely say this is NOT the norm when it comes to our fans, and especially when it's our fans interacting with your fans. All fanbases have their bad apples, it's just unfortunate you were near a couple of ours.

[shoxlax]

I am definitely sorry and embarrassed to hear about the two fans being obnoxious. I can safely say this is NOT the norm when it comes to our fans, and especially when it's our fans interacting with your fans. All fanbases have their bad apples, it's just unfortunate you were near a couple of ours.

This.....we have more than our share of mental midgets. You are a class act.

[Shocktoberfest]

I too have enjoyed the isu red fans I've met in stl. But there are always aholes from every school. Nothing to do about that.

Tough call Sunday.

Birds have to be favored.

We gut out 3 point win.

77-74

[Shockeriffic]

I am definitely sorry and embarrassed to hear about the two fans being obnoxious. I can safely say this is NOT the norm when it comes to our fans, and especially when it's our fans interacting with your fans. All fanbases have their bad apples, it's just unfortunate you were near a couple of ours.

I've had good luck with Illinois St. fans in St. Louis. Sat right behind them a few years ago and had no problems even though they were playing WSU. The only fans I've had a problem with are Creighton fans.

[60Shock]

This ought to be a nip-and-tuck bruising game right down to the wire.

WSU - 63
ISU - 59

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

School I Love-- 83
Fans I Like-- 65

[molly jabali]

downtown, I laughed out loud...good one!

[forevershockerfan]

This Valley Race will heat up now to the max. We have 4 very tough games left and the toughest schedule remaining of all the contenders 'left standing,' as I see it. We have to D-up and make shots period. The crowds in the 3 away games should be full of their exuberant fans to the brim, in each and every solitary case. Winning this first game will not only be tough, but a great "jump start" to our tasks at hand. This is an analogy that may or may not make sense as to our situation.

Many moons ago, an Ark Valley team was in a State Championship 5A game as I remember it. The very best free throw shooter on their team got fouled shooting with 1 second left, trailing by 1. He steps to the line with a chance to tie and or win with 2 throws. The atmosphere now is sort of like 'a pressure cooker at supper time' for him I'm sure. The first throw was close, but no "swisher sweet" and rimmed off. Ooops, now the heat magnifies and a make now will send it to overtime and a miss sends them home in 2nd place. Clank!!! Game over. Their Coach, fans,and fellow players wanted this very good free-throw shooter to be that guy at the line because there was none better on his team. His percentage was very high for the Season. However, by missing the first one, the pressure and stakes only got higher and the bad ending ensued.

Likewise, this has been a Season where being the top team in a Conference or in the Country has been a tough gig. Our Shocks can beat these sizzling-hot redbirds and it would be a huge step towards winning the next road game and building confidence and momentum. The hostile environments will be full of fans that "will us and want us to lose" and it will be manifest. Even so, we play them one at a time. At least 3 out of these 4 wins would be very helpful for our cause and doable. We have the team to do it, and we are still the Champions from last Season. Each and every game will be very close games and tough to win. A win to start this 4 game Shocker trek would be welcomed with open arms and a shot in our arm moving forward. Stay tuned.

[vancedave56]

our big guys need to stop chasing the ball so far up high and stay in the paint. the last couple
games our opponents missed many opportunities when their C broke from up high to the
basket and we were late to defend. watch and see if better teams dont notice and back door
our post defenders chasing the ball out too high. other than that i am concerned about our team
chemistry which i think has been lacking the past five games or so, although, perimeter ball
movement HAS noticeably improved. just dont think we are hitting on all cylinders yet so i am
going with 69-66 ill st......also think CU will be up for us and win the valley. however, i
predict our chemistry comes together in st louis and we win the auto berth.

Our big guys have been helping on high ball screens all season - that's what we do. For the most part, they do a very good job of recovering.

[forevershockerfan]

In our recent wins, we got back to some basics that have helped us to be successful this Season. First of all, we again rebounded like rock stars and that was missing in our 3 game skid. Next, we regained some flurries as we were feeding off our tenacious and active defense. We also got our fair share of throws while not seeming to be in as much foul trouble as those 3 losses. Next, we managed to get in the seams of the zones better or inside vs. man to man coverage for higher percentage shots and made shots from both inside and out again. We need to draw fouls more and make a better % of them starting Sunday and all the way through the Lew TREK.

In our 3 game skid, slow ball versus us was rampant and our inablity to get the ball fed inside caused us to shoot lower percentage shots while our foes were milking the clock, like "ole daisy" in the dairy-cow-pen, until our D. broke down, giving them easy shots or we fouled which resulted in our own foul trouble and their unguarded free-throws. In our last 2 wins, we got our fair share of lose balls and played more our type game and tempo rather than having that dictated to us by our opponents.

In this game we have to sustain Carmichael inside and Brown outside. Wilkens entered their lineup recently and they started winning. They had other players that were hitting 3's in the red fowl versus blue fowl shootout. Thus, we will be busy and Mr. Cotton will have some double duty on D as usual. How will the game be called inside and who will get in foul trouble amongst the bigs? This may have a significant bearing on who wins this heavy weight slugfest? Dunno but maybe I am right for a change?

Was it not Mr. Wilkens whom was mugging Mr. Stutz with no foul calls at the Lew? Why not mug him if they don't call it all game. Finally, it got so brutal that Mr. Stutz dared to say "What" so the refs finally showed up to give them both a T. No problem for Wilkens, coming off the bench anywho, but that put Stutz on the pine for much too long with foul trouble and it all came back to haunt us. Thus, we only beat them 2 out of 3 last Season and I reckon there is some unfinished reckoning to repay for that lucky bit strategy that paid the rebirds quite a ROI=return on investment with some unfortunate foul calls and non-fowl-calls from our perspective. At least that was what I witnessed through my black and yellow rose colored glasses which at times can be suspect and or foggy prolly? Muhahahaha

[The Mad Hatter]

Our big guys have been helping on high ball screens all season - that's what we do. For the most part, they do a very good job of recovering.

+1

Hedging screens is what our defense is designed to do and we have been successful with it. Given how far we push guards away from the basket, it isn't that easy for them to take advantage of the big being away from the paint.

[garylee]

i understand, but one or two steps can make the difference and i have noticed many
opportunities recent opponents have missed. i think it will show up on game tapes and
better teams will expoit the vulnerability......we'll see. i'd just like to see a minor
adjustment here. i'd rather get beat by an 18 foot jumper as opposed to a layup.

[SubGod22]

We haven't given up many layups on those.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

Be vewy vewy quiet, we're hunting wedbirds...

Shox -- 66

Wedbirds -- 60