Things are clicking for the Illini. A big win in Champaign on Wednesday night gives the Illinois basketball program their first victory against a top-five ranked opponent since Tyler Griffey sealed the deal against the #1 Hoosiers in 2013.
The times have changed considerably for the Illini since that game: A program that seemed destined to rise with John Groce at the helm, now under new leadership actually trending toward that glorious goal.
Groce wasn’t the man for the job. It happens. Wasting the talents of athletes like Malcolm Hill finally sealed Groce’s fate at Illinois.
With Brad Underwood in charge, while the results haven’t been there through years one and two, year three’s expectations are a bit different. The orange and blue could find themselves tournament bound at their current pace.
That’s a start…
7-3 (1-1) isn’t the flashiest of records when it comes to the first month of the season, but it’s how the Illini achieved that record that stands out.
Three victories right off the bat gave the Illini a nice confidence booster. The win streak came to a screeching halt when they left Tucson with a 21 point defeat at the hands of #21 Arizona. The Illini played a competitive first half and entered the break trailing just one. But a 15-0 run by the Wildcats early in the second half proved too much for the Illini to overcome.
The Illini rattled off another four straight wins, including two massive blowouts against Lindenwood and Hampton. Hampton & Lindenwood, injury attorneys since 1988.
Favored nine points at home in the B1G/ACC Challenge, Underwood and his boys flopped to the Miami Hurricanes. A sloppy first half and thrilling second half performance that saw Illinois make an ultimate #FakeRally fell just short.
Some B1G Play(s)
Then things got interesting against #3 Maryland. Once holding a fifteen-point lead, the Illini fell victim to a destructive collapse, losing in the final seconds on free throws by one point. When you blow that type of lead, there’s no excuse. When you lose by one, it’s gut-wrenching. But when officiating plays a major role in preventing an upset and allows a comeback to occur with the aid of some awful calls, it’s a real knock-out combo.
That brings us to Wednesday night when the #5 Michigan Wolverines came to town as… *checks notes*… ONE-POINT UNDERDOGS in the State Farm Center. The Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn combo established a second half lead right out of the gate and the Illini never looked back. Andres Feliz played some extremely valuable minutes of the bench down the stretch, and while the team shot 1-11 from the arc, defense and timely offensive drives and buckets proved enough to fend off the #5 crew.
The Frazier-Dosunmu-Cockburn lineup is quite possibly the deadliest trio in college right now. They rank #1 in +/- among any three-player combo at +134 in 168 minutes together. Performances against Hampton and Lindenwood surely boost those statistics, but it’s still fun to think about.
Where does the Illinois basketball program go from here?
Up.
The Illini likely possess one of the greatest assets the program has ever seen: a strong, very large (7’0) center capable of bullying others in the paint. Kofi Cockburn is a real threat to secure B1G Freshman of the Year honors this season.
They take on Old Dominion at the State Farm Center next week before heading to St. Louis for the 2019 Braggin’ Rights showdown with Missouri. After Christmas, it’s one non-conference opponent remaining with North Carolina A&T visiting Champaign on December 29th.
Happy New Year
After the clock strikes midnight and the new decade begins, it’s back to B1G play for the remainder of the schedule. Kicking things off in East Lansing is no easy task, but it’s a solid test for the Illini right from the jump. A trip to Ann Arbor in the back half of January and a rematch against Maryland at the State Farm Center provides multiple opportunities for the Illini to showcase why they’re a top team in the B1G once again.
Just because you’re playing decent basketball now doesn’t allow Illinois basketball to take any nights off. A successful conference season and run to the tournament requires a pedal to the metal mentality. No slip-ups to Purdue, Iowa, Wisconsin, Rutgers and Northwestern anymore. The talent and coaching are finally on the same level. Time to follow through with positive results in the record book.
Then it’s off to Columbus, Ohio in the penultimate game before the B1G tournament. Possibly the biggest test for the Illini is one of the last. A raucous environment, a solid team, and a lot on the line.
There’s a good chance Illinois basketball finds themselves tournament bound in 2020. It’s a long road ahead, but one we’re looking forward to. Let’s hope when February rolls around, we’re thinking about seeding and not bubble-teams. Maybe secure and auto-bid in Indianapolis in March and let everybody else figure it out.
I-L-L