Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini win over Michigan

2. Trent continues to play well

Trent Frazier has been fun to watch in the five years he has been with the program. There have been some special games during this time, but I think the past few games have been some of his biggest.

In the two games prior to the Michigan game, Frazier was averaging 22.5 points, 3.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. He was also hitting his shots at a clip of 46.8% from the field and 41.2% from three-point range.

Frazier’s great performance in those two games is one of the reasons we came out victorious. On Friday night, we needed him to put on his cape again. We needed Frazier to have another big game and he delivered.

Against the Wolverines, Frazier would go for 18 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and one steal. He hit 5-of-11 from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range. He also got to the charity stripe and converted all six of his free throws.

It truly is amazing the versatility that Frazier brings to the table. The seven assists he had against Michigan is his season-high so far, and those seven assists tie his career-high for a game. Frazier continued to move the ball and find the open man on Friday night. That is such an important skill to have.

Frazier continues to impress me on the court. He started this season kind of rough, but he has rebounded nicely. This kid is the heartbeat of the team right now.