Illinois basketball: Illini report card against the Wisconsin Badgers

The Illinois basketball team was able to notch their first home win against Wisconsin since 2011 last Saturday, winning 76-61.

Illinois seems to be hitting their stride of late, and at just the right time. The Illini are now on a four-game winning streak, beating Penn State, Iowa, Indiana (on the road), and Wisconsin. An impressive win all around as the Illinois basketball team continues to look better and better.

The Offense: A-

The offense was rolling in this one, scoring 75 points against a good Wisconsin defense.

Illinois shot 53-percent from the field and 31-percent from three-point range. The two negatives from the game that brings the grade down are their two biggest weaknesses this season; turnovers and free throw shooting.

The Illini had 18 turnovers against Wisconsin and shot 67-percent from the free-throw line (albeit this is much better than what they have shown earlier in the season). Nonetheless, this offense is simply one of the best in the country.

The Defense: A

The defense came out to play in this one. Wisconsin only led for 59 seconds in this game, and the defense was a big reason why.

The Illini held Nate Reuvers to just 11 points and Micah Potter to just eight points. Wisconsin shot 42-percent from the field and just 17-percent from three-point range. The Badgers’ offense just could not get anything going.

Ayo Dosunmu: A+

Dosunmu finished with a triple-double, only the third Illinois basketball player to ever do so. He finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in 35 minutes. A historic showing from the senior on Saturday.

Kofi Cockburn: A

Wisconsin only scored 28 points in the paint and got out-rebounded by the Illini 46-19. Kofi was a huge reason why. The big man had 23 points, 14 rebounds, and went 10-of-13 from the field. He held the Badgers in check. When he is on, the Illini are extremely tough to beat.

Trent Frazier: B

Frazier continued to look good for the Illini, following up on his recent hot streak. He struggled from three-point range, though, going 1-of-7 on the night. However, I don’t mind him taking these shots with a hot hand. He also had 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 36 minutes of action. The senior plays lockdown defense and is a big reason for the Illini’s recent dominant stretch.

Jacob Grandison: B-

Grandison continues to get looks as a starter. He played 24 minutes, putting up 5 points and 4 rebounds. I like his defensive abilities in late-game situations, and he has proven to be a solid add to this Illini team.

Adam Miller: C+

Miller continues to struggle to really get off the ground since the first week of the season. He looked better in this one though, scoring six points and going 2-of-5 from the field. I would still really like to see him take more mid-range shots and drive to the hoop moving forward.

The Bench: B-

Illinois’ bench scored 12 points in this one, although, help was not needed as the starters were able to dominate Wisconsin.

Andre Curbelo was the focal point of this grade. He has struggled lately and it really showed on Saturday. He only played eight minutes and racked up 2 personal fouls and 4 turnovers. Curbelo looked erratic with the ball (as he sometimes does), and you could see the frustration from the freshman. I expect this to be a good learning game for the young guard.

Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Da’Monte Williams combined for 40 minutes against the Badgers. Both players looked good on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Getting this type of leadership off the bench shows how much depth the Illini have. It’s a luxury that few teams have, and I think this will be a huge key for Illinois going into March.