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Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini loss to the Indiana Hoosiers

By Rees Woodcock

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 18: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts after a play during the second half in the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on February 18, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 18: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts after a play during the second half in the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on February 18, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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Feb 18, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) shoots the ball while Illinois Fighting Illini forward Matthew Mayer (24) defends in the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

It hurts my soul to say this, but the Illinois basketball team once again fell to the Indiana Hoosiers.

I hate Indiana so much. The Illini had a golden opportunity to put the Hoosiers away but we let it slip right through our fingers.

The refs were bad in this game, but they were bad both ways. Illinois didn’t have Terrence Shannon Jr., our leading scorer on the season, but we still should have come away with the victory. Led by Trayce Jackson Davis’ 26 points, Indiana would come away with the win over Illinois, 71-68.

Here are five observations from the Illinois basketball loss to the Indiana Hoosiers.

1. Good defensive game plan by Illinois

The last time we saw the Illinois basketball team take on Indiana, we were decimated by a score of 80-65. This Hoosiers’ victory was led by Trayce Jackson-Davis, who the Illini couldn’t stop in any form or fashion.

I wanted to see if Illinois could make some adjustments from that first game. With Matthew Mayer back in full health, I expected Brad Underwood to have a new look for Indiana to go up against. Illinois ended up having that new look.

Illinois’ defensive game plan against Indiana this time around was solid. We didn’t let Jackson-Davis get into one-on-one and this helped keep him under more control than back in early January.

While Jackson-Davis still finished the game with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks, he also had five turnovers and wasn’t as effective as in the first game.

There was a lot more communication from Illinois this time around, and I loved the strategy of dropping a second man onto Jackson-Davis. The Illini then needed to rotate quickly, which they did for the most part.

Illinois fell to Indiana once again, but I honestly can’t put too much of this defeat on the defense. We came into the game with a solid game plan and executed it well.

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