Illinois basketball: Illini report card against the Indiana Hoosiers

The Illinois basketball team is now 3-1 in the Big Ten and 7-3 overall after their 69-60 win against Indiana on Saturday.

Illinois looked sharp on Saturday against the  Hoosiers, notching another victory in Big Ten play. The Illini were able to come out strong in the second half after leading by two points at halftime. Led by Ayo Dosunmu, the Illinois basketball team continues to impress.

The Offense: B+

The pace of the game was much slower compared to other games the Illini have competed in thus far. The score was only 29-27 at the half, indicative of the kind of game it was.

Illinois shot 44-percent from the field and 35-percent from three-point range. The Illini had 15 assists against Indiana compared to its 11 turnovers. They were also able to go on an 11-0 run late in the second half, which secured the win.

The Defense: A

The Illinois basketball defense held the Hoosiers’ offense to 60 points, which is a tough feat. Indiana only shot 39.7-percent from the field, which was a big reason for the turnout of the game.

The Illini also out-rebounded Indiana 40-28 in this one; another big reason for their victory. The defense looked stout, as Armaan Franklin and Trayce Jackson-Davis were the only two Hoosiers with double-digit points.

Ayo Dosunmu: A+

I don’t think there is anything that I haven’t already said about Ayo. The kid is great, plain and simple.

Ayo finished with 30 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds. He had 16 points after the 9:19 mark in the second half, which signifies a true veteran who is clutch in big moments. He continues to carry this team when the rest of the group is struggling. Start building the statue of Ayo outside of the State Farm Center now.

Kofi Cockburn: A

Kofi Cockburn looked solid in this one as well, displaying the Batman and Robin dynamic that Ayo and Kofi have. He ended the game with 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He looks more comfortable from the free throw line as well. All signs point up for Kofi.

Da’Monte Williams: B+

Williams played his usual solid defense and even displayed his ability to drain the three-pointer once in a while. He had 8 points and 6 rebounds to go along with his two steals. He went 2-of-3 from beyond the three-point arc, putting him No. 5 in the nation in three-point percentage for the season.

Trent Frazier: C

Frazier has tended to fade in some of the bigger spotlight moments offensively this season. He went 0-of-5 from the field and all four of his points in this game came from the free-throw line. He did have 6 rebounds and 2 steals though, which was a nice bonus.

Adam Miller: F

The true freshman has yet to really get anything going in conference play. Miller played 18 minutes and had 0 points and 2 turnovers.

Andre Curbelo has started to eat into Miller’s playing time, but as of now, Miller still has the starting job. It is yet to be seen if Curbelo will start over Miller or if Brad Underwood likes him coming off the bench. Something to keep an eye on moving forward.

The Bench: B-

Andre Curbelo had the majority of the playing time off the bench with 30 minutes. He continues to be one of the best on the team in transition offense and is a great compliment to Ayo.

We also got to see Giorgi Bezhanishvili, who looks very comfortable in his role off the bench this season. The big man had seven points to go along with 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 18 minutes of action.

Finally, we got to see nine minutes of Jacob Grandison, who has been on and off this season. He had two rebounds and went 0-of-4 from the field. Overall, the bench had 12 points between the three players, which was a nice boost in an offensively challenged game.