The Illinois basketball fanbase was in a bad place a little over a week ago.
In the final three games of the 2024-25 regular season, the Illini looked good. We beat two top-25 programs and essentially saved our butts. After the 43-point loss to Duke, I wasn’t sure if we would make the NCAA tournament, as finishing with 17 wins was a possibility.
A win in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament over Iowa continued the good run, but then the Maryland game hit. Illinois looked bad in that contest, losing to the Terrapins by 23 points, but that was a mercy 23 points. It should have been a bigger loss.
At the time, this loss seemed like the end of the world. How can a team that looked that bad enter the NCAA tournament and expect to win games? Well, at the end of the day, that loss to Maryland might have been the best thing for the Orange and Blue.
In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Illinois looked noticeably more coached. The biggest difference came on defense. We communicated so much better with each other. The help defense was present for the first time in a long time. Illinois did a much better job with perimeter defense as well.
Not only did all of these things seem apparent, but Brad Underwood eluded in his postgame press conference that the loss to Maryland was great for the Illini.
“The aggravation came when we had so many different things, mono, a broken wrist, the flu. And it just stunted us because we couldn’t practice to get better. That is what freshmen and the young guys need is that. So, I am excited that the opportunity presented itself late in the year. We had two games in the last 15 days, and that gave us an opportunity to really practice.”
Illinois basketball being able to practice had noticeable effects on the program against Xavier
While every Illinois fan would have liked the program to forge ahead and win the Big Ten Tournament, there are numbers to show that falling to Maryland might have been the best thing for the team.
The extra practice the Illini received the last couple of weeks did help tremendously on the defensive end of the court. Illinois held Xavier to 40.3% shooting from the floor. That is 6.9% below the Musketeers’ season average. It is also the lowest an Illini opponent has shot from the field since the Ohio State game back on February 2. Yes, it has been nearly two months since an Illinois opponent has shot worse from the field.
Illinois having that time to rest up and heal also helped in general with energy. Illinois won the rebounding battle with Xavier 45-25. The +20 rebounding margin is the highest for the Illini since the Northwestern game back on January 26, again nearly two months ago.
I touched on how Illinois’ communication was much better against Xavier. Practicing helps with that tremendously. I would attribute Xavier’s lack of ball distribution to Illinois’ better chemistry defensively. Xavier had nine total assists in the game against the Illini. That is the second-lowest total for an Illinois opponent since January 11. Illinois having better communication helps defensively, and this helps cut off lanes to the basket and provide tougher opportunities from three-point range.
On Friday night, Illinois looked like one of the best teams in the country. I believe the loss to Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament was a blessing in disguise. The Illini had fresh legs and two weeks of practice. Let’s see if we can continue the run against Kentucky on Sunday.
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