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Illinois Basketball: 4 keys for the Illini to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers

By Rees Woodcock

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 /
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Illinois basketball
Nov 25, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jacob Grandison (3) hits a three point shot during the second half against the North Carolina A&T Aggies at the State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Test of the three-point shot

I have been impressed with how good of a three-point shooting team Illinois has turned into this season. They continue to do great things from beyond the arc, but could Nebraska slow them down?

Illinois’ season average from three-point range is 39.3-percent, which is good enough for No. 11 in the nation. That is a great number, but the last two games haven’t gone so well for the Illini.

In the overtime win over Indiana, Illinois shot below their season average at 36.8-percent from three-point range. In the win over Wisconsin last weekend, the Illini once again weren’t impressive from distance, only shooting 31.3-percent from three-point range.

Three-point defense is something Nebraska has done well this season. They aren’t good at many things, but they can defend the three-point arc. The Cornhuskers are currently holding their opponents to a three-point shooting percentage of 31.3-percent, which ranks No. 90 in the nation.

So, we have an Illinois team that, for the season, has a great three-point shooting average but has struggled recently. They are going up against a Nebraska program that holds their opponents to just over 30-percent from three-point range. Something has to give here.

I think the solution for Illinois is to keep the ball moving. As long as the ball is moving, there will end up being an open man for three. We can’t settle for three-point shots either. If it isn’t there, try to find Kofi Cockburn on the block. While Nebraska has a solid defense, they shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.

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