Illinois-Iowa Full-Court Vision: Live Blogging, Commentary & Analysis

10:05 p.m. Update: Illinois wins 87-77.

The Illini really shot the ball well, hitting 13-of-19 threes (.684) and making 32-of-51 shots (.627) overall.

On the other hand, Illinois had 17 turnovers, was lax on defense and got outhustled by a scrappy Iowa squad in the second half.

All in all, Illinois won this game because it was on fire, yet the lapses in concentration that allowed Iowa to hang around and cut this game to six points at one point in the second half are disconcerting.

Being honest, something just doesn’t feel right with this Illinois team, which lets teams hang around rather than putting them away.

It’s hard to imagine Illinois shooting this well come March, and it’s a bit frightening to think that this was only a 10-point win considering how hot the Illini were from the field.

If Illinois wants a realistic shot of doing some big things this season, this team needs to get much tougher on the interior and play much better and more consistent defense.

As for Iowa, I was impressed with what first-year head coach Fran McCaffery has done with some of Todd Lickliter’s holdovers.

The Hawkeyes never quit until the final horn and play a fast but controlled game that is needed in the Big Ten.

Until tomorrow, when I share some of my observations on the game.

Out of Under-4

• Illinois comes out with McCamey, D.J., Paul, Davis and Tisdale.
• McCamey hits a running layup.
• McCabe misses.
• McCamey misses a runner.
• Gatens hits a three.
• Iowa takes a timeout.
• Illinois leads 78-67 with 2:26 to go.
• Bill Cole is in for Paul, whom Weber was screaming at during the last few possessions.
• Mike Tisdale fouls out on a bogus call. It looked like he set a very good screen.
• Tisdale fouls out with 6 points and 7 rebounds.
• Jereme Richmond is in for Tisdale.
• Gatens hits another three.
• Iowa takes another timeout.
• Iowa trails 78-70 with 1:47 to go.
• This Iowa team is tough.
• McCaffery is doing a good job with the Hawkeyes.
• Josh Oglesby is going to be a good fit within this program.
• McCamey hits Richmond for a reverse layup.
• Davis gets a steal.
• Davis is fouled.
• Davis is fouled again.
• Tyler Griffey is in and is fouled by Brommer.
• Griffey misses the front end of the one and one.
• Jereme Richmond tips in the miss.
• Great tap in.
• Iowa misses a three.
• Brommer goes over the back of Bill Cole.
• Bill Cole hits the first free throw.
• Bill Cole hits the second free throw.
• Basabe misses a baseline jumper. Jarryd Cole tips it in.
• D.J. Richardson is fouled by Gatens.
• Richardson misses the front end.
• Marble hits a three.
• Tyler Griffey is fouled.
• Griffey misses the first.
• Griffey hits the second.
• Paul comes in for Griffey.
• Cole tips in a missed Gatens’ shot.
• Iowa takes a timeout.
• Illinois leads 85-77 with 13.7 seconds left.
• Richardson is fouled.
• Richardson hits first free throw.
• Richardson hits second free throw.
• Meyers Leonard is in for Griffey.
• Cartwright misses a jumper.
• Bill Cole grabs rebound.
• Illinois wins 87-77.

9:48 p.m. Update: Illinois leads 74-64 at the under-4.

Barring a monumental collapse, the Illini should come out with the victory.

The Big Ten Network announcers have praised Illinois’ execution.

Quite honestly, the Illini were great in the first half and first couple of minutes in the second half, but have been very inconsistent since then.

This Illinois team is maddening.

It looks so great at times and then plays so down at other points.

Out of the Under-8 Timeout

• Richardson misses a jumper.
• Cole keeps it alive and Davis scores.
• Cartwright scores, plus the foul, and makes the free throw.
• Illinois with Davis, Cole, Paul, McCamey and D.J. in the game.
• Davis hits a 15-foot jumper.
• Cartwright with a nice dribble drive, but his shot falls out. Cole misses the tip in. The ball goes to Illinois after the television timeout.
• Cartwright has been impressive, as has Iowa’s tenacity. This team hasn’t quit at all.

9:42 p.m. Update: Illinois leads 72-61 at the much-delayed under-8.

Iowa had cut this game to six points before Illinois, make that Demetri McCamey, rattled off 5 straight points.

All in all, an up-and-down second half for the Illini, which just can’t put teams away.

Iowa has played much harder in the second half.

Illinois will likely survive this game despite the peaks and valleys, but I’m worried that the Illini won’t get away with such play against Wisconsin on Sunday.

Out of the Under-12 Timeout

• Illinois comes out with McCamey, Richardson, Cole, Tisdale and Richmond.
• May attacks the rim and draws a foul on Tisdale, who has three.
• May misses the free throw.
• Brommer comes in.
• May hits the second.
• Illinois leads 62-54 and once led by 19 this half.
• McCamey with a dribble drive, but got caught in the air. His pass is stolen by May.
• May is fouled by Richmond, who is called for an intentional foul as he did not make a play on the basketball.
• May misses both free throws.
• Gatens turns the ball over with a lazy entry pass to the post.
• Richmond is fouled on the floor as he was overdribbling as well.
• Illinois needs to move the ball. Too much dribbling that’s leading to nothing.
• McCamey hits a three.
• May drives by Tisdale , has his shot stripped by Richardson, comes up with the ball, gets blocked by Tisdale but keeps the ball.
• Andrew Brommer with a nice pass to McCable, who scores plus one on Tisdale.
• McCabe hits the free throw.
• Illinois leads 65-57 with 9:25 to go.
• Davis is in for Tisdale.
• Cole hustles down an Illinois rebound after a missed three by Richmond.
• Mike Davis misses a forced half hook.
• Marble with a nice baseline drive and banker off the glass over Richmond and Cole.
• Richmond is called for the foul.
• Marble misses the free throw.
• Illinois is up 65-59.
• Iowa is 7-for-13 from the line.
• There’s the game’s difference.
• McCamey hits a tough runner as the shot clock horn expires.
• McCabe misses a three.
• McCamey buries a three.
• Illinois takes a quick timeout.
• Illinois leads 70-59 with 6:59 to go.
• Brandon Paul is in the game for McCamey.
• Illinois comes out in a zone.
• Marble misses a three.
• Jarryd Cole keeps it alive and hits a nice fadeaway.
• Richmond with a nice score on the inside.
• McCabe is called for an offensive foul as Bill Cole got good position.

9:29 p.m. Update: Illinois leads 62-53 at the under-12.

Iowa may not win this game but is certainly playing with more urgency than the Illini as of late.

Illinois seems content with moving the ball along the perimeter and not getting the ball inside.

When the Illini do go inside, the entry pass is way too soft.

Demetri McCamey is really starting to frustrate as he is pounding the ball into the floor.

This Illinois team just doesn’t have that killer instinct to be great.

Out of the Under-16 Timeout

• Gatens hits the first free throw.
• And the second.
• Illinois has Tisdale, Davis, McCamey, Paul and Cole in the game.
• Mike Davis badly misses a rushed runner. Air ball.
• McCabe drives baseline and has his ball knocked out of bounds.
• Gatens’ no-look pass to McCabe goes out of bounds.
• Tisdale hits a tough corner jumper as the Illinois offense is getting stagnant. Too perimeter oriented and not enough movement.
• May misses a corner three that Tisdale rebounds.
• McCamey catches a break, drawing a block after pounding the ball into the floor.
• McCamey needs to start moving the basketball.
• McCamey hits the first free throw.
• Leonard gets Tisdale.
• McCamey hits the second.
• D.J. is back in, for McCamey.
• Let’s see if Paul can get the offense moving.
• Illinois leads 62-49 with 13 minutes left.
• Leonard blocks a McCabe shot out of bounds.
• Cartwright throws the inbound away.
• Paul with a lazy pass to Richardson that is stolen by Marble.
• Gatens hits a long two off a nice pump fake.
• Weber takes a timeout as Richardson got trapped after picking up his dribble.
• 12:24 to go. Illinois leads 62-51.
• McCamey is back in the game.
• McCamey is fouled while driving along the sideline.
• Mike Davis with a lazy entry pass to Leonard that is stolen by Cole.
• Marble misses a shot but steals the ball and scores.
• McCamey overdribbles again and travels.

9:18 p.m. Update: Illinois leads 58-47 at the under-16 of second half.

The Illini played excellent ball in the first two minutes of the half, scoring 11 points and forcing an Iowa timeout.

Since that timeout, the Hawkeyes have been the scrappier team as Illinois has gotten sloppy on both ends.

Iowa is on an 8-0 run, with Matt Gatens about to shoot two free throws at the line out of the break.

For the most part, Illinois has been focused throughout this game.

Illinois needs to regain its concentration with the Hawkeyes not quitting.

Second Half

Out of the Break

• Illinois was 9-for-35 from three in the previous two games; the Illini are 10-for-12 tonight.
• The Illini have 13 assists on 18 field goals thus far.
• Illinois comes out with its starting lineup of McCamey, Richmond, D.J., Tisdale and Davis.
• Richardson buries a corner three.
• Iowa turns the ball over.
• Davis with a lob dunk off a nice alley-oop pass from Tisdale.
• Tisdale blocks Basabe.
• Iowa recovers the ball.
• May misses, Basabe misses tap in, Cole finishes.
• Illinois leads 54-39.
• Mike Davis scores inside. McCamey with a nice pass.
• Gatens misses a three.
• Illinois gets on the break.
• McCamey hits Richmond, who goes back to McCamey for a layup.
• Great ball movement and unselfishness.
• Illinois leads 58-39 and Iowa takes a timeout. 11 points in two minutes. Very impressive.
• A great start to the second half by the Illini, which are putting their feet on the Hawkeyes’ throats.
• If Illinois keeps this up, Weber can get Griffey, Crandall Head and Joseph Bertrand some much-needed time.
• Illinois comes out of the timeout with its starters.
• Gatens throws up a wild runner.
• Richardson is called for a foul, for riding out Jarryd Cole on the rebound.
• Gatens buries a three off the inbound.
• Richmond wasn’t quick enough to close out.
• Illinois turns the ball over.
• Illinois with 10 turnovers.
• Richmond is slow to close out again as May hits a three.
• Richmond with a lazy entry pass to Tisdale. Cole steals the ball and Iowa pushes for a layup plus the foul.
• Cartwright gets the basket and will be at the line.
• Cartwright misses the free trhow that Tisdale rebounds.
• Bill Cole and Brandon Paul are in for Davis and Richmond.
• McCamey misses a three.
• Iowa misses a three but gets on the floor.
• Iowa is outhustling the Illini in the last couple of minutes.
• Gatens drives and draws a blocking foul on Bill Cole.

8:52 p.m. Update: Illinois leads Iowa 49-37 at the break.

The Illini were an amazing 10-for-12 from three in the first half.

Off the bench, Bill Cole was 4-for-4 from beyond the three-point stripe.

D.J. Richardson also had 4 threes while Demetri McCamey added 2 threes of his own.

Illinois’ defense hasn’t been all that great, with the Hawkeyes shooting 50% from the field, but the Illini were simply on fire in the first 20 minutes.

First Half, Out of Under-4 Timeout

• Davis hits free throw.
• McCamey, Davis, Richmond, D.J. and Cole on the floor.
• McCamey allows penetration to Cartwright, who gets in lane and scores a basket.
• Richmond with a bad turnover, throwing a high low pass way out of the reach of Davis.
• Illinois with 9 turnovers.
• Cartwright hits a baseline jumper over McCamey.
• Richmond faces up and air balls a baseline jumper.
• McCabe steps out of bounds after coming up with rebound.
• Griffey in for Davis.
• Cole hits a three.
• Illinois with a nice pass into the middle of the zone there, with Richmond finding Cole in the corner for a three.
• Cole is 3-for-3 from three.
• Iowa takes a quick timeout.
• Cartwright blows by Richardson for a layup. Terrible individual and team defense there.
• Richardson cans a three, his fourth of the first half.
• May blows by McCamey and is fouled by Richmond on a left-handed layup attempt.
• McCamey has been brutal defensively tonight.
• May hits the first free throw.
• May hits the second.
• Davis comes in for Richmond, who has two fouls.
• Bill Cole hits another three.
• Nice head fake by Cole to set up that shot.
• Illinois traps Cartwright in the corner in the front court, and Iowa takes a timeout.
• Brommer misses a jump hook over Davis.
• Illinois will take time here.
• McCamey with a great one-handed pass to Davis, who dunks the ball.
• Cartwright banks in a floater at the horn.
• Illinois leads 49-37 at the break.

8:41 p.m. Update: Illinois leads 37-27 at the under-4 timeout.

After starting 7-for-7 from three, the Illini are starting to attack the rim.

Mike Davis has just scored his 1,000th career point.

First Half, Out of Under-8 Timeout

• Illinois comes out with McCamey, D.J.< Davis, Paul and Tisdale.
• Roy Marble misses a three.
• D.J. fails to box out.
• Iowa gets board.
• Illinois picks up foul on the ground.
• McCamey catches a break as he is late to close out on McCabe, who misses iron on an open three.
• Tisdale with a nice drop step and layup.
• Marble blows by McCamey.
• Tisdale blocks shot.
• Davis doesn’t block out Brommer, who lays in the ball.
• Davis misses a fall away.
• Tisdale picks up an over-the-back foul. His second.
• Tisdale is replaced by Richmond.
• Marble drags his pivot foot.
• Illinois leads 31-23 with 5:14 to go.
• Brandon Paul hits a beautiful flip layup. That was gorgeous.
• Marble dribbles baseline, hits a shot and draws foul on McCamey.
• McCamey with a lazy closeout there.
• Marble misses the free throw.
• D.J. with the rebound.
• Mike Davis badly misses a jumper inside the top of the key.
• Richmond gets the rebound and is fouled on the put back.
• Richmond hits the first free throw.
• Devon Archie in for Iowa.
• Richmond hits second.
• Cole in for Paul.
• Basable comes up with a loose ball and hits jump hook.
• Davis scores inside plus the foul.

8:32 p.m. Update: Illinois leads 29-21 at the under-8.

Live blogging will pick up at this point after the jump.

8:22 p.m. Update: Illinois leads 23-15 at the under-12.

The Illini are stroking it from the outside, going an amazing 7-for-7 from three.

D.J. Richardson has 3 threes and Demetri McCamey and Bill Cole have each added 2 threes.

7:39 p.m. Update: Writing Illini will be providing updates once the Texas Bowl ends.

The Big Ten season tips off in roughly 20 minutes for the Illini.