Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Nebraska

2. The hustle is phenomenal

Do you know what wins me over as a fan? Hustle. It is pretty simple. If you are giving it your all, no matter the talent level, then you will have a fan in me for the rest of time.

In every game the Illini has played this season, I have seen great hustle from various members of the program. On Tuesday night, the same could be said. Illinois players hustled and that is a reason they were able to stay close to Nebraska.

There were specific memories I have from the game where hustle stood out. One of the memories is with Luke Goode. Goode got his chance to play a few minutes. There was a long rebound opportunity off the rim. Multiple Nebraska players were closer to the ball, but Goode hustled after it and managed to secure the rebound. That hustle play ended with a Trent Frazier three-pointer.

I also had a couple of different memories of Coleman Hawkins making some great hustle plays. In one play he was burnt by the guy who was guarding him. Did Hawkins give up on the play? No, he trailed the offensive player and ended up making a block to save a field goal.

Another time was when Hawkins was in the paint. He was able to secure a rebound. Hawkins would miss the short shot due to defense, but he kept fighting. He brought the ball back down and would make a shot. That hustle and aggression don’t go unnoticed.

I could continue on with the hustle plays, but there are just so many to go through. Illinois is playing hard for Brad Underwood. This team loves to be on the court. That passion shows.