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Illinois Basketball: 3 things to watch for in the Illini game against Bethune-Cookman

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 10, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts off the bench during the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts off the bench during the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois basketball
CHAMPAIGN, IL – DECEMBER 02: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini is seen during the game against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes at State Farm Center on December 2, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Illinois basketball welcomes in the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats in what should be a get-right game for the Orange and Blue.

The struggles have been well-documented for the Illini. There have been some chemistry issues throughout the past few games, and it all culminated with a 22-point thumping at the hands of Missouri.

This loss to the Tigers in the Braggin’ Rights game was a wake-up call for the program. Something is off with this team right now. Bethune-Cookman is the perfect team to play after that ugly performance.

Here are three things to watch for in the Illinois basketball game against Bethune-Cookman.

1. Can Illinois start scoring again

It has been a while since I have felt comfortable about the Illinois basketball offense. We started the season hot and have cooled off tremendously since.

In the first six games this season, the Illini averaged scoring 84.6 points per game. We were consistently hitting our three-pointers, and our only loss came in a close game against a ranked Virginia program. Illinois also beat a top-15 UCLA squad in that stretch.

Since then, things have gotten rough for the Orange and Blue. Over the last six games, Illinois has averaged just 70.3 points per game. If you break that number down to just the past three contests, the Illini scoring average drops down to 66 points per game.

That is why, on Thursday night against Bethune-Cookman, I am going to be watching to see if Illinois can get back on track with scoring the basketball.

Illinois shot 22.6%, 25.9%, and 30.4% from behind the three-point arc in the past three contests. That type of shooting is not going to win you a lot of games moving forward.

I want to see confidence instilled in these players. They need to know that they can make shots and that they are doing the right things on the court. I believe their confidence has wavered a lot lately. Meaningful ball movement is going to be key. Let’s start moving the ball and get players like Matthew Mayer open from distance. This should solve the scoring issues.

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