Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini victory over Nebraska

2 of 4

Feb 25, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) goes up for a shot against Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Derrick Walker (13) during the second half at the State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Rebounding matters

Illinois is one of the best rebounding teams in the country. Coming into the game on Thursday night, the Illini were averaging 40 rebounds per game, which ranked No. 16 in the nation.

Nebraska is no slouch when it comes to rebounding either. They were pulling down 36.1 rebounds per game entering Thursday night, which ranked No. 115 in the nation.

In the first game between the two teams, the Cornhuskers were the aggressor on the boards. They took it to Illinois and outrebounded the Illini 40-39. This is a big reason why Nebraska was in the game. Luckily, we were able to win in overtime.

Not a ton changed between the first game and this past game between the two teams. But there is one pretty big discrepancy, and that is in the rebounding department.

Illinois dominated the glass on Thursday night. They were able to top their season average, as the Illini pulled down 43 rebounds. Illinois only allowed Nebraska to secure 29 rebounds, which gives the Orange and Blue a +14 advantage on the glass.

Believe me, rebounding matters. Having a +14 rebounding margin is going to win you a lot of games moving forward. This was the main reason Illinois went from beating Nebraska in overtime to beating them soundly by 16 points. Rebounding makes a huge difference.

Home/Illinois Basketball