Illinois Basketball: Illini MVP in the loss against Baylor

The Illinois basketball team struggled in a loss against the Baylor Bears, but there was one player for the Illini who stuck out from the rest.

Illinois lost to No. 2 Baylor 82-69 on Wednesday night. This isn’t a bad loss considering that Baylor is arguably the best team in the country. Illinois was able to keep the game close for the most part, but Baylor was just too much for the Illini.

Some Illini players struggled in this game, but one player played well and deserves the MVP of the contest for the Orange and Blue.

The MVP of this game goes to Giorgi Bezhanisvili, who was extremely impressive against the Bears.

Giorgi’s stats consisted of 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 1 steal.  Giorgi had an efficient night as he shot 7-of-10 from the field and 1-of-1 from three-point range. He was the most consistent Illini player on the court. He also provided a spark coming off the bench.

Players such as Andre Curbelo and Da’Monte Williams could have received the MVP of this game, but Giorgi was just too good. His number was called early because Kofi Cockburn got into foul trouble. He played well on both ends of the court. Giorgi’s defense was just about as impressive as his offensive production.

Illinois game against UT-Martin was canceled so, on Tuesday, December 8th, the Orange and Blue will face off against Duke. That will be an important game because both teams will be ranked in the top 15. I can’t wait to see what this Illinois basketball team has in store for us against the Blue Devils.