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Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini loss to the Purdue Boilermakers

By Rees Woodcock

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks down court during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Sunday, March 5, 2023, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.Purillini030523 Am6869
Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks down court during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Sunday, March 5, 2023, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.Purillini030523 Am6869 /
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Illinois basketball
Mar 5, 2023; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Brandon Newman (5) and forward Caleb Furst (1) go for a loose ball around Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) during the second half at Mackey Arena. Boilermakers won 76-71. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /

In another disappointing loss, the Illinois basketball team fell short of a comeback against the Purdue Boilermakers.

Coming off a thrilling win over Michigan, I thought the Illini might be able to build momentum and knock off a top-five team. That didn’t happen.

The first half was another ugly outing. Illinois, again, looked lackluster to start a game, and this resulted in a 21-point deficit heading into halftime. We came out in the second half and mounted a comeback. This comeback had a lot to do with the heart and hustle of our young guys. But that comeback would end up falling short, as we would fall to the Boilermakers, 76-71.

Here are five observations from the Illinois basketball loss to the Purdue Boilermakers.

1. Illinois needs more out of Terrence Shannon Jr.

Big-time players show up in big-time games. On Sunday, the Illini had a chance to take down a top-five program in Purdue. We needed Terrence Shannon Jr. to step up and have a big game. That didn’t happen.

Shannon has put up some good numbers this season, averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per contest. But he has also been wildly inconsistent. He is shooting a career-low from the field at 43.8% and is now below 33% from the three-point range.

The rough season for Shannon does not stop there. He is also averaging 2.3 fouls and 2.6 turnovers per game, which are both career highs for the veteran guard.

With that being said, Shannon has had some great moments this season. We needed him to step up and give the Illini a great game against Purdue. That didn’t happen, though.

Shannon would play 33 minutes against the Boilermakers and finish with 13 points, two assists, one rebound, and one block on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range. He also knocked down all three of his free throws.

Those numbers sound good for a solid role player, but Illinois needs more out of a star talent like Shannon. In addition to those numbers, Shannon also had six turnovers and five fouls on the day.

If Illinois wants any chance to make a run in the postseason, Shannon is going to need to step up. I haven’t seen that for an entire game in a long time.

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