2. Illinois averaging 113 points is silly
I know that the level of opponent that Illinois has played in the first two games of the season isn’t exactly top-tier. Jackson State and Florida Gulf Coast might be bad this season, but they are still DI programs with DI talent.
With that being said, Illinois is still scoring at a clip that no one has ever seen before. We put up 113 points against Jackson State, and then the Illini followed that great scoring performance with another 113-point performance on Friday night against Florida Gulf Coast.
The thing that piques my interest is that Illinois scored 113 points in back-to-back games in very different ways.
Against Jackson State, Illinois was nearing a program record of three-pointers made. We hit 17 three-pointers and shot 45.9% from beyond the three-point arc. It was a great display of scoring from the perimeter.
The style was a bit different against Florida Gulf Coast. Illinois still peppered in the three-pointers, making 11 and shooting a solid 35.5%, but this was more of an inside game for the Illini.
Kylan Boswell was great going downhill. He got to the rim a lot and was effective. I can say the same for Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic. They were not afraid of contact and were able to get to the rim.
In addition to more of an inside game, Illinois went to the free throw line 34 times and converted 30 of those attempts. That was a result of being more aggressive toward the basket.
Scoring 113 points in one game is amazing. Doing it in back-to-back games to start the 2025-26 season is just silly. Illinois has so much offensive firepower.