Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from Illini win over North Carolina A&T

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Nov 25, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jacob Grandison (3) hits a three point shot during the second half against the North Carolina A&T Aggies at the State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

3. The Illini were hot from beyond the arc

One of the biggest weaknesses for the Illini during the 2019-20 campaign, as my colleague Rees even mentioned, was their ability to shoot the three-ball. Illinois finished the 2019 season only shooting 30.3-percent from beyond the arc. This ranked No. 311 of the 353 total teams in the nation. This also ranked last in the Big Ten.

Following Wednesday’s game, Coach Underwood acknowledged the poor three-point shooting during the 2019 campaign.

#illini Underwood said he thought his team was a better shooting team than it showed last year and struggled a bit with extended 3-point line, especially Dosunmu and Frazier. But those guys have been improved and Miller, Grandison, Hawkins and Curbelo all are upgrades as shooters
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 25, 2020

Alan Griffin, who was their leader in three-point shooting for the 2019-20 season, transferred during the offseason, leaving the Illini with a big question.

Will three-point shooting be a big problem for Illinois again this season?

The three-point shooting was absolutely not a problem for the Illini in the season opener. In fact, it was the complete opposite, as it was the storyline of the game with the Illini setting a new school record of three-pointers made in a game (17).

The Illini would ultimately finish the contest shooting an absurd 17-of-31 from beyond the arc, which is equivalent to 54.8-percent.

Adam Miller led the way with six three-pointers, shooting 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Ayo Dosunmu wasn’t too far behind, shooting 5-of-8 from three-point land. Trent Frazier, Da’Monte Williams, and Jacob Grandison all contributed to the new school record by recording two three-pointers a piece in the contest, as well.

After the game, Dosunmu told media the team placed a lot of emphasis on improving their shooting during the offseason.

#Illini Ayo Dosunmu: "We put a lot of work into our games" during the offseason, especially shooting. Team is confident in each other after seeing great work ethic during the offseason. pic.twitter.com/SseMyzPaof
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 25, 2020

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