Illinois Basketball: 4 keys for the Illini to take down Ohio State
4. Utilize our bench as much as possible
This slide goes hand-in-hand with slide No.2. Illinois has some impressive depth on the roster. We can go at least eight deep in the blink of an eye. So, I believe the Illini need to utilize their bench as much as possible on Sunday.
In the most recent win over Ohio State, Illinois flexed their bench muscles. Giorgi Bezhanishvili dropped nine points in 15 minutes. Jacob Grandison ended the game with 8 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound and 1 block. And Illinois’ best bench player, Andre Curbelo, only played 12 minutes but still finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
The Illini have a luxury that most teams don’t have. They can bring in a rotation of fresh, talented, players from the bench. Just look what Curbelo did on Saturday night against Iowa. He went for 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Those are insane numbers off the bench.
On top of Illinois having a deep bench, Ohio State does not. They aren’t nearly as deep as Illinois, so if the Illini bring in fresh legs and continue to rotate players in and out, then the Buckeyes should wear down quickly.
dark. Next. 4 observations from the Illini victory over Iowa
The depth of this Illinois basketball team is such an asset. It will help the program compete and, potentially, win the Big Ten Tournament. But, more importantly, the Illini depth gives us a leg up in the NCAA tournament. We have a legit shot to win it all, and the bench is a big reason for that possibility.