Illinois Basketball: 5 big questions for the Illini against Maryland

3. Does Illinois continue to spread the wealth?

I love how together the Illinois basketball team has been in the last couple of weeks. Being a man down is never easy on the court, but this team seems to be playing some of the best basketball of the season.

Illinois doesn’t just have a Superman on the team. This unit works together to get wins, and the cohesiveness is truly incredible to watch.

I want to see if Illinois can continue with this great team play. Can we continue to spread the wealth against a tough Maryland defense?

Against Michigan State, Illinois worked so well together to get the victory. We played six players for more than five minutes, and five out of the six players had double-digit scoring nights. The only player who didn’t, Luke Goode, contributed four points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

In addition to the great scoring across the board, Illinois also had contributions in other areas. Five Illinois players had at least three rebounds. Five different Illini players had at least one assist. Three Illinois players had a block. And the team only had eight total turnovers.

The spreading of the wealth has a lot to do with being more team-oriented. Illinois is moving the basketball around the court to find the open man. We aren’t playing “me” ball, we are playing “we” ball.

This style of play is conducive to everyone getting involved. The more everyone is involved, the better the team will look and play. I want to see the wealth continue to be spread against Maryland. If everyone is involved, this should be a big win for the Illini.