Illinois basketball: Illini report card against the Iowa Hawkeyes

The Illinois basketball team was able to secure a huge win Friday night against Big Ten foe Iowa by a final score of 80-75.

Illinois looked great coming off a long layover due to the Michigan State game getting canceled because of COVID-19.

Iowa came into the State Farm Center hungry for revenge after last season’s loss to the Illini, but Illinois had other plans, coming out punching and securing their best win of the season against one of the best teams in the nation.

The Offense: A+

I was extremely impressed with just how well the Illinois offense looked. There was balanced scoring, great shot selection, and a nice tempo throughout the whole game.

Illinois shot 50-percent from the field, a true testament to how well they played. We knew that Iowa wasn’t the most stout team defensively, but the Illinois offense looked smooth as ever.

The Illini shooting 82.4-percent from the free throw line may have been the biggest difference-maker in the game on Friday night, as they were finally able to capitalize on one of the weaker aspects of their game this season.

The Defense: A

Giving up 75 points and receiving an “A” may be generous, but Iowa is not an ordinary offensive opponent.

The Illini were able to hold Luka Garza to under 20 points on the night, a huge accomplishment in itself. Iowa shot 43-percent from the field, and the Illini were able to snag six steals in the game.

The defense was equally as important in this win for the Illini and should restore some confidence in this group moving forward in Big Ten play.

Trent Frazier: A+

I’ve been tough on Frazier all season for his decline in offensive output. However, the senior showed up in a big way on Friday night.

Frazier went off for a 24-point performance, going 8-of-13 from the field. He provided a spark to the Illini offense early and set the tone for the underclassmen in a huge game. Frazier not only contributed on the offensive end of the court, but he continues to be one of the best players on the defensive end, holding Jordan Bohannon to just six points on the night.

Ayo Dosunmu: A

Brad Underwood made a pre-game comment that Luka Garza is the best player in the nation. I think Ayo took that personally and boy did it show.

Dosunmu had a team-leading 24 points in this one. He has been prone to slow starts but really set the tone early against the Hawkeyes. He had 19 points in the first half alone and added an additional four assists by the game’s end. Just another day in the office for the preseason All-American.

Jacob Grandison: A

Grandison showed up in a huge way on Friday night. He played a season-high 30 minutes while coming off the bench.

Grandison, a Holy Cross transfer, has shown sparks of greatness in his stint with the Illini, and this performance takes the cake. He scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds to secure the double-double.

Kofi Cockburn: B

Kofi’s stat line doesn’t capture how well he played in this one. Despite scoring just nine points, Kofi went one-on-one with Luka Garza and did a great job.

Kofi ended the night securing 10 rebounds to go along with his two steals. He went 5-of-7 from the free throw line, including getting his own rebound off of a missed free throw to secure the game for the Illini.

Andre Curbelo: B

Curbelo got off to a white-hot start at the beginning of the season. However, he has slowed down of late as the league makes adjustments to him.

The talented freshman played well in this game, finishing with 8 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Curbelo played 26 minutes and had three turnovers, but that is more or less expected for his style of play.

Da’Monte Williams: D+

Williams has been losing playing time to Grandison lately. He has showcased his three-point shooting this season, adding a nice element to his game, but this hasn’t been enough for Brad Underwood to go to his senior night in and night out.

From a team perspective, it will be interesting to see how Underwood goes about the Grandison/Williams mix. Williams, a senior captain, is a vital glue guy for this Illinois basketball team. He played only 12 minutes in this one, with 3 rebounds and 0 points.

Adam Miller: D-

I’ve pointed out before that Miller is extremely susceptible to empty stat-line nights and this was one of those nights. Miller plays average defense and doesn’t grab too many boards or get too many assists. Therefore, when he doesn’t score, it leads to some bad looking stat lines.

That is exactly what happened in this one. The freshman played 18 minutes but had 0 points and 3 personal fouls. Miller needs to play up to his potential.