The Illinois basketball offense continues to roll, beating Big Ten foe Penn State in a 98-81 victory and bringing the Illini to 2-1 in conference play.
Despite the Illinois basketball team trailing Penn State by double-digits early, the Illini secured their second Big Ten victory on Tuesday night. Big offensive showings from Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn lead the Illini to a 98-point performance.
The Offense: A
Any time a team can score almost 100 points against any Big Ten opponent, it’s a big deal. However, I would have liked to see a more balanced effort, though this is nitpicking.
Ayo and Kofi had 53 of the Illini’s 98 points on Tuesday, more than 50-percent of the team’s output. The Illini did cut down on their turnovers, which has been a problem this season, with only 10 turnovers in the game. They also shot 55.6-percent from the field and had an 82.1-percent rate from the free throw line, which has also been a weak point this season.
The 58 points in the paint compared to Penn State’s 32 is what made a huge difference in this one. The 14 offensive rebounds were also a contributor to the success of the Illini. All of these factors combined led to a powerful offensive output.
The Defense: B-
These Big Ten games are going to be dog fights every night. Penn State is a good team.
It was a fast-paced game, which is why I give the defense more credit than what the score would indicate. Also forcing 12 turnovers, 5 steals, and 2 blocks was nice to see. The 38 points allowed to Penn State in the second half is more of what I expected from the Illinois basketball defense, so I’ll cut them some slack for picking it up after a weaker first half.
Ayo Dosunmu: A+
Every game, Ayo ends up at the top of this list. After his 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, the guard is now averaging 23.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
According to Illini States & Notes on Twitter, Ayo would be the fourth player to post 20-6-5 season since 1992-93. Sit back and watch one of the best in the nation work his magic.
Ayo Dosunmu had 30 points, six rebounds, and five assists to bump his season averages to 23.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists.
— Illini Stats & Notes (@IlliniStats) December 24, 2020
Only three players have posted 20-6-5 seasons since 1992-93:
1993 Penny Hardaway (Memphis)
2004 Ricky Minard (Morehead)
2010 Evan Turner (Ohio St.)
Kofi Cockburn: A
King Kofi is on fire and I think it’s fair to say he has his groove back. The center put up 23 points and 6 rebounds in this one. Defensively, I would like him to be more of a factor, but the big man shot better than 80-percent from the floor against Penn State and was a big reason for the Illini victory.
Andre Curbelo: B+
Curbelo continues to evolve his game. As my colleague Max pointed out, Curbelo has done a great job cutting down on his turnovers.
Having one of the more interesting stat lines to close this one out, going just 3-of10 from the field but going 9-of-9 from the free throw line, Curbelo ended up with 15 points. He did an amazing job spreading the ball as well with 8 assists. This kid is special.
Jacob Grandison: B+
Coming off the bench without many minutes against major opponents, Grandison proved he can be a viable option for Brad Underwood in critical situations.
The Holy Cross transfer only played 15 minutes but was able to knock down all three of his shots from the floor ending the night with seven points. His most impressive stat of the game was his seven rebounds in the 15 minutes he played.
Giorgi Bezhanishvili: B
Giorgi was another big spark off the bench, with 12 solid minutes versus the Nittany Lions. He ended up with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and just 1 turnover. He continues to be a great backup to Kofi when he needs a breather. I’m very happy to see him embrace his new role this season.
Trent Frazier: B-
Frazier had a very nice, well-rounded, game ending with seven points. He was also able to pull down four rebounds in the 38 minutes he played.
I’m impressed with how many minutes the senior has been able to eat up this season. And despite playing 38 minutes, Frazier showed his poise by having zero turnovers.
Da’Monte Williams: C+
Williams, known more for his defense, was more of a non-factor in this one. Playing 25 minutes, he had 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. He only had one shot the entire game, so he really let the other shooters get their looks.
Adam Miller: C
The freshman continues to find a groove against major opponents. He played 18 minutes, scoring five points after going 2-of-6 from the field.
Miller’s 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 assist are nice to see, but the guard continues to really impress me since the beginning of the season when the Illinois basketball team took on mid-major teams such as NC A&T and Chicago State.