Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini loss to Arizona

Illinois basketball fell to the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday night in brutal fashion.

The Illini were playing well and had this game. But the Orange and Blue let a four-point halftime lead slip away. Despite 20-point performances by Trent Frazier and Alfonso Plummer, Arizona would prove to be too much for Illinois. The Wildcats would take the game, 83-79.

Here are four observations from the Illinois basketball loss to Arizona.

1. Illinois needs more contribution

It was a tough loss on Saturday night, but when you break down the numbers, this game could have easily gone the way of the Illini.

Illinois had some big-time players show up in a big-time game. But, sadly, the rest of the roster didn’t show up.

The main player I am eyeing is Da’Monte Williams. At this point in the season, I believe Williams is a liability as a starter. I know he brings a ton of experience to the table, but if you are giving me 29 minutes and fail to score a single point, then I can’t have you starting for this program.

Coleman Hawkins also started for the Illini and put up a zero-point night. He only played 12 minutes, but I need to see some type of scoring out of him. I know he is capable of putting the ball in the hoop.

I feel like there was a clear game plan by Brad Underwood to focus the scoring on a few individuals. Even when you look at some of the role players coming off the bench, like Luke Goode, there wasn’t a single shot taken. That is something that confuses me.

Illinois has the manpower to win these types of games. They have the ability to score the basketball. When we are playing our best is when everyone is getting involved. That didn’t happen on Saturday night against the Wildcats.