Despite a slow start, the Illinois basketball team was able to notch out a win in their first Big Ten game of the year, easily beating Minnesota 92-65.
Righting the ship after their tough loss to Missouri in the Braggin’ Rights game, the Illini were able to handle Minnesota without much problem on Tuesday night in Champaign. The offense was rolling and the defense tightened up, proving that Illinois had just too much talent for the Gophers.
The Offense: A
This game will go down as the “Kofi Game” in my books. The center finally exploded, putting up 33 points in just 25 minutes. The offense looked a lot more balanced, with Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu, and Adam Miller all scoring 10 points or more.
The Illini shot 53-percent from the field and had 21 assists in the game. The biggest difference in this one was the points in the paint: 48 to 14 in favor of the Illini. Also noteworthy was the 22-3 run the Illini went on in the first half to blow this game wide open.
The Illinois basketball team just looked unstoppable against Minnesota, although the 68-percent free throw mark and the 14 turnovers continue to be a concern. This may be nitpicking after a huge win.
The Defense: A+
The defense was able to hold Minnesota to just 29 points in the first half, and the Gophers only shot 27.5-percent from the field. Illinois was able to outrebound Minnesota 53-35 in large part thanks to Cockburn’s 13 rebounds.
Minnesota could not put anything together offensively, and the stout defense of the Illini was a huge reason for the blowout victory.
Kofi Cockburn: A+
Cockburn finally had his blowup game! I’ve been waiting for this game all season and it did not disappoint.
The big man was easily able to handle the smaller Minnesota team by putting up a double-double with 33 points and 13 rebounds. The 33 points is a career-high for the sophomore. What is even more amazing is the fact that Cockburn did it in only 25 minutes.
Ayo Dosunmu: A-
Ayo had a very well-rounded game in this one putting up 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Having the support of his teammates versus the Gophers helped Ayo play the more balanced game. He continues to put up big stats for the Illini game in and game out.
Trent Frazier: A-
Frazier has been playing lights-out defense this season, and he was a huge reason why the Minnesota offense was unable to get anything going. The cherry on top was Frazier’s 10 points and 3 rebounds on Tuesday night.
Adam Miller: B+
14 points and 0 turnovers for the freshman in just 25 minutes is a very solid game. Miller continues to shoot the three-ball well, going 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
However, I would like to see Miller utilize his driving ability more, as he has been prone to going ice cold in games where the three-point shot doesn’t land. Overall, a solid game for the freshman.
Andre Curbelo: B+
The freshman from Puerto Rico continues to impress off the bench as well. Curbelo led the bench production for Brad Underwood with 22 minutes. He went 3-of-4 from the field, scoring nine points on the night.
Curbelo also had a team-high nine assists. I am convinced he is one of the best passers in all of DI basketball, and he will only get better with experience.
Da’Monte Williams: B-
A very Da’Monte Williams-like stat line: 2 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in 29 minutes. Williams continues to play lock-down defense and adds offensive depth when needed.
Like Frazier, Williams has embraced the defensive-minded role this season, which has helped the Illini become a more well-rounded team.
The Bench: B-
The Illinois basketball team had 23 points off their bench against Minnesota, with nine of those points coming from Curbelo.
Giorgi Bezhanishvili played 15 minutes versus the Gophers, putting up 4 points with 5 rebounds. We also got to see Coleman Hawkins play 12 minutes, although the freshman is proving to be more of a defensive asset in his short stints in action.
Toward the end of the game, when the Illini were up big, we even got to see Brandon Lieb, Jermaine Hamlin, Edgar Padilia Jr., and Connor Serven. While these names might not jump out as the next Ayo Dosunmu, these players certainly have bright futures with the Orange and Blue.