2. Can Illinois get their defense in order?
Illinois isn’t having a bad season this year, but they haven’t played their best basketball. 7-3 with their only three losses coming to solid programs isn’t a reason for mass panic.
One thing that has bothered me this season is the lack of defense being played by Illinois. Something is wrong with the Illini on the defensive end of the court, and it came back to bite us against Arizona.
In four out of the past five games, Illinois has given up at least 72 points. In three of those contests, we surrendered at least 80 points. This includes the close loss to the Wildcats where we gave up 83 points for the second game in a row.
Illinois is now giving up 67.6 points per game this season, which ranks middle of the pack at No. 145. This number has been trending down for quite some time as the early games against Jackson State and Arkansas State skew the average.
Can the Illini put up a good fight on the defensive end for the first time in about a month? That is something I will be watching out for on Saturday. I need to see a good defensive effort. I need to see cohesion and communication. Something needs to change.