Illinois basketball: Illini report card against the Michigan Wolverines

In one of the biggest games in Illinois basketball history, the Illini pulled out a victory against the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, 76-53.

Wow! As I’m writing this on Friday, I still cannot believe how well this team played without Ayo. Michigan has been hailed as one of the top teams in the country all season, and Illinois just swept the Wolverines off their own court without their best player.

Illinois came out and shocked not only Michigan but the entire college basketball world.

The Offense: A-

The offense came out and did what it needed to do to win. They put pressure on Michigan, they kept their tempo, and they played smart basketball. The Illinois basketball team shot 47-percent from the field and had only 12 turnovers, a big improvement from past games.

The Defense: A+

Limiting Michigan to only 53 points on their own court deserves more than an A+. The Illinois basketball defense swarmed any Michigan player who came near them. Trent Frazier and Kofi Cockburn were among the most impressive defensive players for the night. Michigan shot a paltry 35-percent for the game.

Trent Frazier: A+

Frazier stepped up in a huge way. He had 22 points and 4 rebounds while shooting 7-of-18 from the field in 34 minutes of action. Oh, and two steals. He was guarding Mike Smith, which is no easy task, but he was up to the challenge and limit him to only five points. It was an amazing game by the senior, who continues to step up in the big moments.

Kofi Cockburn: A

King Kofi beat out Hunter Dickinson on Tuesday night. Dickinson only had 6 points and 5 rebounds. Kofi had 12 points and 7 rebounds and shot 60-percent from the field. The big man continues to assert himself as one of the best centers in all of college basketball.

Andre Curbelo: A

Curbelo came off the bench in this one but was one of the biggest contributors on the court once again. Continuing his recent hot streak, Curbelo shot 57-percent from the field and ended with 17 points. The 6 rebounds and only 2 turnovers were a huge reason for the improved grade. The freshman is going to be fun to watch as he grows and matures.

Jacob Grandison: B+

Grandison got the starting job on Tuesday and played 31 minutes. He finished the game with 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal. His five assists led the Illini in the game too. He has great instincts on the floor and knows when to pass and when to hand it off to the hot hand. Grandison seems like he has quickly become Da’Monte Williams 2.0, and that’s a huge compliment for the junior transfer.

Da’Monte Williams: B

Speaking of Da’Monte…he played 31 minutes and finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds. He played solid defense and continues to pressure the opposing offense and can spread the court and hit a three-pointer when the Illini need it.

Giorgi Bezhanishvili: B-

Giorgi came into the game and got 15 minutes off the bench. In his limited time, he looked great. All season, he has looked solid filling in for Kofi when needed. Giorgi brings a ton of energy to this team, and when he can translate that energy to the court and his game, he’s one of the best bench players in the Big Ten.

Adam Miller: C+

Though it may not be showing just yet on the stat sheet, I think Miller has slowly been getting better. He is taking better shots and becoming more of a force on defense. He shot 50-percent from three-point range but also had three turnovers against Michigan.