It was a tough battle, but the Illinois basketball team couldn’t get over the hump against Alabama.
Wednesday night was hopefully going to be a night of celebration, but the Illini came up just short to a stacked Crimson Tide squad.
Alabama jumped on Illinois early, and we couldn’t fully fight back. Throughout the second half, the Illini managed to get the deficit to single-digits, but Alabama would flip the game again and keep us at arm’s length.
Illinois showed the ability to put up points, but Alabama was just too much. The Illini ended up falling to the Crimson Tide, 100-87.
Here are five interesting observations from the Illinois basketball loss to Alabama
1. Will Riley is becoming a force
When players are listed as five-star recruits, they have a certain special trait in them. They are great players who can change the game completely.
Illinois snagging a five-star is something that is rare. We saw it with Dee Brown back in the day, and now we are seeing it with Will Riley.
As time goes on and Riley gets more games under his belt, one thing is becoming clearer and clearer. This kid is a force.
I am not sure I have ever seen this dynamic of a player suit up for the Orange and Blue. He is a monster at 6-foot-8, and Riley can do literally everything on the basketball court.
Riley was a huge reason Illinois was able to make the game interesting at all. He finished with a team-high 18 points and also added nine rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Riley was 50% from the field and hit 3-of-4 from three-point range.
At this point, I think everything offensively should go through Riley. He needs the ball in his hands, as he is the best player on the court. He has incredible confidence as well. Riley is a force that won’t be stopped in his only season playing the college game.