Writing Illini
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Illinois basketball good, bad, and ugly entering the stretch run of the 2021-22 season

By Rees Woodcock

Jan 21, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 06: Jacob Grandison #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots the ball during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at State Farm Center on January 6, 2022 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 06: Jacob Grandison #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots the ball during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at State Farm Center on January 6, 2022 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Bad

It is hard to find what is the bad in the Illinois basketball season thus far. There are a few options I have been tossing around, but I finally landed on consistency.

The lack of consistency this season for the Illini is something that has been bad for the program. I am not talking about consistency in the manner of winning and losing. We have actually been consistently winning games, so that isn’t an issue at all.

I am addressing the inconsistency of play on the basketball court. Illinois has seen extreme ups and downs this season on the court. There are some games that blow me away with how good we can play. These games tend to make me think we can get to the Elite 8 or, better yet, win the national title.

An example of great play by the Illini was against Minnesota. The 10-1 Golden Gophers were the darlings of the Big Ten, but then Illinois went up to Williams Arena and dismantled Minnesota by a score of 76-53. 11 Illini players had a rebound, nine players scored, and nine players had at least one assist. It was a great all-around victory.

But then there are other games where the team isn’t playing well. The offense gets stagnant or the defense is like Swiss cheese. These games are the most frustrating.

Against Michigan, Illinois won the game easily, but the offense just wasn’t clicking. We only hit 30% of our three-pointers and had 13 turnovers in the game. There are other times our offense is playing well, like against Nebraska. Illinois hit 36.8% percent from three-point range and only had nine turnovers. But our defense gave up 71 points, and the Cornhuskers shot 45.8% from the field that night.

Lack of consistency is the bad that I would like to see fixed. While we do have serious inconsistencies, thankfully, Illinois can compensate. When one thing isn’t working, another element of our game steps up. I would like to see more complete games moving forward, though.

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