2. Illinois couldn’t find the same shooting spark
I am old enough to remember when Illinois dropped 109 points on the No. 9 team in the nation. That game against Oregon was amazing to watch. We were hitting everything, and the Ducks couldn’t do anything about it.
What a difference a few days makes, though. The game against Washington was the polar opposite of what we saw against Oregon. Illinois was on the struggle bus and couldn’t get off.
Against Oregon, the Illini managed to shoot 55.2% from three-point range, as we went 16-of-29. That is an incredible number, and I don’t expect Illinois to hit that number many times this season. But against Washington, we hit rock bottom at 19.2% from three-point range, going 5-of-26 in the contest.
Shooting 19.2% is horrific. That is not only bad, but it is the second-worst three-point shooting outing of the season, only behind the 17.4% we shot against Tennessee.
There was, thankfully, an effort to get into the paint and score. Illinois ended the game against Washington going 26-of-40, 65%, from inside the three-point arc. That is a great number and shows that we can’t be stopped if we drive the ball.
Coming into the game, Washington had a great three-point shooting defense. Illinois also had a massive size advantage. It only makes sense that we dominated in the paint. This was a smart game plan.
Honestly, I don’t think it was the Washington defense that hindered Illinois from making three-point shots. I think it was just one of those nights. The Illini laid a stinker and couldn’t find the same shooting spark we had against Oregon. Sometimes, those games just happen.