5. Ball movement and aggression opened up the three-point arc
Illinois has been able to put up incredible offensive numbers this season. We are scoring at a clip that no one has seen in decades.
Even with the Illini scoring at such a high clip, there are times when the offense doesn’t look good. The ball might be going in the bucket, but the offense comes to a screeching halt as far as movement is concerned.
To start the Minnesota game, Illinois wasn’t moving the ball well. There were a couple of times the ball whipped around, but the shot ended up being a miss in those good trips down the court.
Illinois was hitting early in the game, though. One trip down the court, Illinois’ first pass was to Coleman Hawkins and he jacked up an NBA-range three-point attempt. The ball went in the hoop, but this style of offense isn’t sustainable.
A few minutes into the game, everything changed. Illinois started to do two things. We were finally driving the ball and we were passing it around the court.
It was awesome to see Illinois play good team basketball. When we do play a more team-oriented style, the scoreboard shows, as we put up 105 points in regulation.
Coleman Hawkins was the most impressive with his aggression. I don’t think I have seen Hawkins take the ball to the hoop this much in a game. A 6-foot-10 monster steamrolling to the hoop is hard to stop.
I also loved Terrence Shannon Jr.’s ability to get to the basket. It is a part of his special game. Marcus Domask is incredible in the paint as well.
It is also fun to see the ball moving around the court. Someone like Ty Rodgers can drive baseline and start the ball moving. It whips around the perimeter and the result was usually a wide-open Shannon in the corner waiting for an easy three-point attempt. It is a major reason he was 50% from three-point range on the night.
If Illinois continues great team basketball, we could legitimately put up 90-100 points each night. That is plausible, but we have to not get stagnant. Stagnant basketball is how teams can beat us moving forward. Illinois is a juggernaut offensively, and it is fun to watch.