Illinois basketball crushed Indiana on Tuesday in what was an ugly game for the Hoosiers.
The Illini came out of the gates looking great. Indiana couldn’t get anything going, and even the double-double by Oumar Ballo was pretty unimpressive.
Indiana was overmatched, and the Hoosiers’ fans let them know, as they started, “Fire Mike Woodson” chants.
There were literally zero issues with the massive win on Tuesday. Illinois looked amazing with Kasparas Jakucionis back in the fold, and his presence helped us win the game, 94-69.
Here are five huge observations from the Illinois basketball win over the Indiana Hoosiers
1. What a difference Kasparas Jakucionis makes
Just under a week ago, the Illinois basketball team tried to run without Kasparas Jakucionis. I wrote in an article that it would probably be best if we rested the kid for the upcoming tough stretch.
Well, the Trojans put a hurting on the Illini. This was a shocking loss, but it provided a much-needed wake-up call for the Orange and Blue.
Jakucionis returned to action on Tuesday night against Indiana. The quality of play between Saturday against USC and Tuesday against Indiana was night and day. To me, it shows how much Jakucionis means to this program.
With Jakucionis on the court, the flow of the game is so much better. He brings the ball up the court and gets Illinois moving. Without him, our offense is stale, and we aren’t quite sure what to do in certain situations.
While his ability to facilitate the offense is special, I would argue that Jakucionis’ ability to hit the big shot is even more important. Whenever Illinois needs a bucket or a play to be made, Jakucionis is always there. If we go on a scoring drought, he can hit a big three-pointer or get to the free throw line.
There have been a lot of special players come through Champaign, and at the end of the day, Jakucionis is up there with the best of the best. By season’s end, he might be the best ever.