Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini loss to Michigan State
4. Trent Frazier has been sensational the past eight games
Illinois basketball went on a stretch of winning we haven’t seen in a very long time. Brad Underwood had this team clicking, and it led to the Illini winning seven games in a row.
In the past eight games, which includes the seven-game winning streak and the loss against Michigan State on Tuesday night, Trent Frazier has been one of the best players on the Illini roster. In some of the games, I think he has shown why he has been such a valuable piece to this program for the past four years.
Some of Frazier’s best games in the past eight contests have come in big-time moments when Illinois needed him the most. He had 19 points and shot 4-of-9 from three-point range in the overtime win against Indiana.
In the win over No. 7 Iowa, Frazier helped lead Illinois with 24 points and, again, went 4-of-9 from distance. He was also 8-of-13 from the field in that game, which is 61.5-percent. I would credit his big game to the reason we could knock off the Hawkeyes.
On Tuesday night against Michigan State, while Illinois did fall to the Spartans, Frazier tried to keep us in the game. He dropped 22 points and had some big three-point shots late in the game. He was still 4-of-8 from three-point range and shot 53.8-percent from the field.
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Illinois needs to continue getting this type of offensive production from Frazier the rest of the way out. The other members of the team need to pick up their weight. If that happens, then I believe we can be unstoppable.