Illinois Basketball: 4 big statistics from the Illini win over Ohio State

Mar 6, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) celebrates with his team after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) celebrates with his team after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 2, 2021; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) dribbles defended by Michigan Wolverines guard Mike Smith (12) in the second half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2021; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) dribbles defended by Michigan Wolverines guard Mike Smith (12) in the second half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

2. 27.25

After going on a seven-game winning streak, Illinois dropped a tough road game at Michigan State. This was a tough loss, but since that defeat to the Spartans, the Illini have looked great.

Illinois has now won four in a row again, and they have had some impressive work done by various players. This recent winning-streak hasn’t been a one-man show. Everyone is chipping in, especially the bench.

Over the past four games, Illinois’ bench has averaged 27.25 points per game.

Let that sink in for a moment. The players coming off the bench have contributed 27.25 points per game in the last four contests. That is depth that is rarely seen in the history of Illinois basketball.

The main culprit for production off the bench is Andre Curbelo. The diaper dandy has now scored double-digit points in five-straight games and has been a big part of why Illinois has rattled off four-straight wins.

Led by Curbelo, the Illini bench put up 29 points against Nebraska. They followed that great performance up with back-to-back 26-point performances against both Wisconsin and Michigan. On Saturday, Illinois’ bench shined again with 28 points against Ohio State.

Getting big-time numbers from the bench will help the Illini in the NCAA tournament. Great depth will carry this team a long way in March.