![Jan 21, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Da'Monte Williams (20) shoots over ]Maryland Terrapins guard Eric Ayala (5) during the first half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/b6cd262ffe7138352d0112152a396b84c791a9b29580c6732ec72505a08c0534.jpg "Jan 21, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Da'Monte Williams (20) shoots over ]Maryland Terrapins guard Eric Ayala (5) during the first half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports")
5. Defense wins championships
It doesn’t matter how many points Illinois scores, if they can’t play defense, then they won’t win games. This season, though, Illinois has played some of the best defense I have seen them play in years.
With so many players missing, the Illini needed to find something extra in the tank, especially of late. They managed to do that and have now given up fewer than 57 points in three out of the past five games.
That little something extra has helped win games, and it also helps the season average. The eye-popping stat for Illinois’ defense is how many points they are giving up this year.
Illinois is only giving up 65.8 points per game this season, which ranks No. 71 in the country. I know that doesn’t sound like an amazing number, but the Illini have been without their regular starting lineup all but three games this season. The fact we can function and communicate on defense is extremely impressive.
I believe being one of the top defenses in the country is something to be proud of. It is eye-popping to know that the Illini boast a top 75 defense, and they continue to improve each game. If it wasn’t for our defense, we would not be at the top of the Big Ten.