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Illinois Basketball: 4 big statistics from the Illini victory over Minnesota

By Rees Woodcock

Feb 20, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jacob Grandison (3) in action while Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Both Gach (11) defends in the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jacob Grandison (3) in action while Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Both Gach (11) defends in the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 20, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jacob Grandison (3) drives to the basket while Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Both Gach (11) defends in the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jacob Grandison (3) drives to the basket while Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Both Gach (11) defends in the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports /

2. 56%

Illinois has some special talent on the team this season. Obviously, everyone is talking about how great Ayo Dosunmu has played and the fact he should be the John R. Wooden Award winner. Kofi Cockburn has been special as well.

But without the role players, Illinois wouldn’t be in the position they are in today. They wouldn’t sit with a 16-5 record overall and a 12-3 Big Ten record. One of the role players who has contributed a lot this season is Jacob Grandison.

Grandison has made 56-percent of his shots in the seven-game winning streak.

To begin the season, Grandison was coming off the bench, but he has started to play more over the past month or so. These minutes have been important to Illinois, as Grandison continues to put up good and efficient numbers.

Shooting 56-percent from the field is an impressive feat. Most big men can accomplish this achievement, but Grandison isn’t a big man. He is actually shooting well from everywhere on the court. He is actually hitting 50-percent of his three-point shots to add to his great inside presence.

With the win over Minnesota on Saturday, Grandison bumped up his shooting numbers. He was 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range. Grandison would end the day with 12 points, which helped the Illini tremendously.

The stars on the team are going to lead the Illini to great heights, but they can’t succeed without the help of role players. Grandison has been the perfect role player for this program.

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