Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini win over Rutgers
3. Dare I say, the best is yet to come?
Illinois took control of the game against Rutgers from the jump and never looked back. This was probably the best game they have played this season, which should be scary for the rest of the college basketball world.
When a team continues to get better as the season goes along, that usually means that team is going to be a nightmare in the NCAA tournament. I believe this is the case with Illinois. This is a completely different team than what we saw to begin the season.
Ayo Dosunmu did his usual work dropping 23 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. He hit 8-of-11 from the field and was sensational in the mid-range. Kofi Cockburn was his traditional greatness too. He ended the night with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
But it seems like every game we get a little more out of the “other” guys. Having our role guys step up and be big-time contributors is so important for this team to make it to the national title. These players continue to improve each and every game.
Andre Curbelo, Jacob Grandison and Da’Monte Williams each scored seven, eight and nine points, respectively. They are the best role players in the country. It is hard to find better players to have as your No. 5 man or coming off the bench.
Illinois hasn’t hit their peak yet, though. I believe their best is yet to come. My main belief is stemming from the development of Adam Miller.
Miller’s development during his freshman season has been interesting to watch. He started out hot against bad teams but then got beat back down by the rigors of the Big Ten season. Slowly but surely we have seen the kid start to put his game together and get the speed of the college game down more and more.
On Friday night, Miller looked great for the Illini. He finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He only had one turnover as well, which is what impresses me the most. He hit 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point range. If he can keep progressing, and we get this type of production out of him the rest of the way out, Illinois will be extremely tough to beat.