Illinois basketball: Illini report card against the Rutgers Scarlett Knights

The Illinois basketball team notched their first victory in the Big Ten tournament, handling Rutgers with ease, 90-68.

Illinois is now 1-0 in conference tournament play, advancing to the semifinals. Lucas Oil Stadium was electric, as Illinois fans got their first chance to see the Orange and Blue in person this season. The Illini took care of business and looked great after losing to Rutgers earlier this season.

The Offense: A

Shooting 52-percent from the field will certainly help win a couple of games. The Illini offense looked unstoppable at times, scoring 90 against Rutgers.

The 68-percent free throw mark is an improvement, but it is something to keep an eye on throughout March. The turnovers – the other Illinois basketball weak point – were also a little bit of a concern, with 15 turnovers on the night. These points are nitpicking though, as Illinois was able to grab an incredible 17 offensive rebounds.

The Defense: A

The defense was on their A-game (literally) on Friday night. Rutgers shot 46-percent from the field but made only two three-point attempts. The Illinois basketball team did not trail Rutgers once, and the defense was a huge reason why.

Ayo Dosunmu: A+

Masked Ayo might be even better than no-masked Ayo. The All-American stuffed the stat sheet on Friday night, notching a team-high 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. His one Achilles heel was the five turnovers, but Ayo was extremely efficient once again.

Kofi Cockburn: A

The center had 18 points – 12 in the second half – and shot 60-percent from the field. Kofi’s 12 rebounds led him to yet another double-double, and his 16th of the season for those of you counting at home. He went 6-of-11 from the free throw line and absolutely dominated Rutgers in the paint. The Kofi-Ayo combo is one of the best in the nation, if not the best.

Adam Miller: A-

Miller might have had one of his best games of the season on Friday night. The freshman was efficient from the field, shooting 50-percent and nailed several clutch three-pointers. His defense continues to improve, and if he can get hot going into the tournament, watch out.

Trent Frazier: A-

The senior had 8 points and 4 assists. Frazier was also very efficient from the field, going 4-of-7 and played his usual solid defense. He looked strong on Friday night, continuing his 2021 surge.

Jacob Grandison: A-

Grandison has slowly become a mainstay in this lineup and has earned the trust of Brad Underwood. He had 8 points and 3 rebounds and came out hot for the Illini. He’s one of the smartest players on the court and has been a huge get for the Orange and Blue.

The Bench: A

The bench had 21 points in total, showing off the Illini depth. Andre Curbelo had seven points and looked very good on the court. Da’Monte Williams collected nine points and looked as calm and collected as anyone on the court. I don’t think he’s gotten nearly enough credit for embracing a bench role after being named a senior captain, but that’s a story for another article.

Giorgi Bezhanishvili tends to have games where he just looks off and tonight seemed like one of those nights. He couldn’t get much going on offense, and the Rutgers offense exploited his less-aggressive defense. That Tyler Underwood three-pointer at the end of the game bumped up the grade of the bench alone.