Even if Illinois wasn’t expected to be at much risk against Little Rock on Monday at the State Farm Center in Champaign, the Illini made the matchup look like a Globetrotters-style exhibition or some sort of scheduling mixup in a 92-34 pounding.
By adhering to excellent ball movement on offense, controlling the glass on both ends and delivering a second straight elite defensive performance, the Illini (5-1) were in complete control from the opening tip until the final whistle.
Let’s dive a bit deeper into the numbers to analyze exactly how Illinois made it happen – and learn how they can maintain that success as they gear up for what should be a far more challenging neutral-site Thanksgiving Day matchup with No. 19 Arkansas.
After holding Maryland Eastern Shore to 40 points on Saturday and quelling any defensive worries lingering from the Alabama game, the Illini doubled down on Monday, bottling up Little Rock and allowing only 34 points, which tied the record for lowest point total in State Farm Center history. You name it – on-ball defense, backside help, rotations, maximum effort – and Illinois nailed it on defense. Everything, it seems, has simply been better on that side of the ball the past two games. The level of competition makes a difference, of course, so we’ll know shortly whether these new developments are here to stay (or are at least potentially sustainable on a smaller scale) when the Illini clash with the Razorbacks on Thursday.
The Illini assisted on 20 of their 30 made field goals (one short of their season high), led by junior guard Kylan Boswell (seven) and freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis (five). Multiple possessions showcased the unselfish play Illinois is exhibiting across the roster. The Illini routinely passed up decent shots for good ones and good shots for great ones. Although they continued to appear pedestrian at the 3-point line (32.3 percent on the game), they produced great looks that, over time, figure to start falling. Continuing to make that extra pass will be imperative moving forward, as the strength of schedule will essentially cinch up driving lines and tighten shooting windows.
Unselfish play leads to a Carey Booth three!
2H 10:02 | #Illini 72, Little Rock 25
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/EuV3xun9ut— Illinois Men’s Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 26, 2024
Illinois entered the Little Rock game with a rebounding margin that ranked seventh among all Division I programs (plus-14.8) and somehow managed to more than double that figure in Monday’s game, outrebounding the Trojans 56-26. Little Rock has less length and athleticism than many future Illini opponents, but it’s worth noting that the Trojans finished with only two fewer rebounds than the Razorbacks when they squared off last week. Does that mean Illinois should outrebound Arkansas by 28? Sorry, basketball math doesn’t work that way. But a strong performance on the glass would go a long way toward setting up the Illini for a potential upset and pointing them back toward the Top 25.
