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Illinois Basketball: 4 big statistics from the Illini win over Indiana, again

By Rees Woodcock

Feb 2, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) and forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) celebrate on the court after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) and forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) celebrate on the court after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 2, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Armaan Franklin (L) passes the ball while defended by Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) during the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Armaan Franklin (L) passes the ball while defended by Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) during the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /

3. 7-0

Illinois has some special talent on the team this season. There is a great group of young guys mixed in with some wily old veterans, and we even sprinkle in a couple of future NBA talents.

Ayo Dosunmu is one of those players who is going to be heading to the NBA in the near future. The kid is a great player who can do everything on the basketball court. He also has the ability to put up some big numbers in the points column.

On three different occasions this season, Ayo has dropped at least 30 points. He has the ability to shoot and make shots at a high clip. But while seeing him score a ton of points is fun, it isn’t the best way to put wins on the board.

Illinois is 7-0 this season when Ayo shoots 15 shots or fewer in games.

In the overtime win against Indiana on Tuesday, Ayo only shot the ball 11 times. With the win, the Illini are now 7-0 when Ayo shoots the ball 15 times or fewer in games this season. When he shoots the ball 16 times or more, the Illini sit at 5-5.

What does this mean, though? It might sound like I am bashing Ayo and saying he isn’t a good player. That isn’t the case at all. I think Ayo is a fantastic player who can do everything. But this Illinois basketball team doesn’t need him to score 30 points in a game.

Illinois has talent from the top of the roster all the way to the bottom. Each night, this talent needs to get involved in the game. If Ayo’s shot volume is high, that means other Illinois players aren’t getting shots and getting involved in the game.

As previously mentioned, Ayo can do everything on the basketball court. Against Indiana, he had 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. These are the numbers that will help Illinois way more than him putting up a big number in the points column.

Honestly, NBA scouts probably love seeing Ayo putting up great numbers in other columns as well. Just about every NBA player can score the ball, but there aren’t a ton of players who can rebound and distribute on a consistent basis. Ayo can do everything. Illinois needs him to be a Swiss Army Knife.

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