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Illinois basketball fell to Dan Hurley's UConn squad due to one crucial stat

It was a disappointing result for Illinois basketball fans, but you can point to one important stat that turned the game in favor of UConn
ByRees Woodcock|
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Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) goes to the basket against UConn Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) goes to the basket against UConn Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Illinois basketball team has played in some big games, but when the lights are the brightest, you never know what you are going to get.

UConn had the luxury of being extremely experienced when it comes to postseason play. That isn’t something the Illini had, and it showed in a big way.

Illinois didn’t play our usual style of basketball. We were extremely selfish, and the ball wasn’t moving around a lot. Some of this had to do with UConn’s great defense, but Illinois can shoulder most of the blame. It also manifested in the numbers.

There was one stat that really stood out on the page. One number that baffled me when it was all said and done.

Assists.

Illinois went into a Final Four game and completely laid an egg when it came to a winning style of basketball. We finished the contest with three assists. Let that sink in for a second.

The Illini were in the game against UConn down to the wire, and we had three total assists for the entire game.

This is the same Illinois team that averaged 14.5 assists per game all season. We were a top 120 program in assists. The ball just wasn’t moving against the Huskies. You can’t score efficiently if the ball is not flying around the court.

Illinois’ three assists were a season-low, too. I would like to expand this stat even further, though. Not only were the three assists a season-low, but it was the fewest assists by an Illinois team in the Brad Underwood era.

You have to jump in the wayback machine to find the last time Illinois basketball had fewer assists

Illinois’ Underwood teams have always been about ball movement and sharing the rock. We picked a bad time to have the fewest assists in a game during his tenure.

You have to go a long way back to find the last time an Illinois team had fewer than three assists. It was actually the 2012-13 season. This was John Groce’s first year at Illinois, and it was his lone NCAA tournament campaign.

It was a game against Wisconsin on January 12, 2013. Illinois finished the contest with a loss by 23 points. We only had two assists in the game.

Illinois got away from what we do best on Saturday night. This was not the style we played with all season, but it was still a great year nonetheless.

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