Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini victory over Iowa

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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) works against Iowa Hawkeyes guard Jordan Bohannon (3) on Saturday, March 13, 2021, during the men’s Big Ten basketball tournament from Lucas Oil Stadium. Illinois won 82-71 to set up a title game with Ohio State.Iowa Vs Illinois /

The Illinois basketball team beat the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday evening to advance to their first Big Ten Championship game since 2008.

Illinois was able to punch their ticket to the Big Ten Tournament Championship after completing the two-game season sweep over the Iowa Hawkeyes with an 81-72 victory.

Here are four observations from the Illini victory over the Hawkeyes.

1. The Illini were smart with the ball

One of the glaring problems for the Orange and Blue this season has been taking care of the basketball. The Illini average 13.5 turnovers, which is the second-most in the Big Ten Conference. These 13.5 TPG also ranks No. 195 in the country.

This was not a problem for the Illini at all today. Illinois finished the game with only eight turnovers, which is six fewer than Iowa’s 14 turnovers. Notably, the Illini finished the first half with only two turnovers.

Instead of turning the ball over, the Illini were making smart choices with the basketball for the most part. The Orange and Blue were keeping their eyes up and sharing the ball, as seven different Illini recorded at least one assist in the game.

Star player Ayo Dosunmu led Illinois with nine assists in the game. Senior guard Trent Frazier finished second in the assist cabinet with five of his own. Freshman guard Andre Curbelo would additionally contribute, coming away with three assists in the contest.

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