Illinois Basketball: 5 big questions for the Illini against Michigan State

5. Does Illinois keep playing efficiently against the Spartans?

Illinois didn’t start the game off well against Purdue, but we managed to crawl back in and make it a competitive contest. Overall, the Illini didn’t look bad in the game despite a few issues.

One of the biggest takeaways from the game against the Boilermakers was how efficient the Illini were. We weren’t turning the ball over, and teammates were getting teammates involved in the game.

On Thursday night, I am going to be watching to see if Illinois can stay this efficient. Can Illinois have another efficient game against Michigan State?

Leading up to the last three contests, the Illini weren’t a very efficient team. We had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.993, which means we have 0.993 assists for every one turnover. That isn’t good. It ranked No. 198 in the country.

Illinois has been much more efficient in the past three contests, though. We have had more assists than turnovers in each game, and the Illini have a 1.56 assist-to-turnover ratio during this stretch. If we carried that number for the entire season, Illinois would be No. 25 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.

The thing to keep an eye on is Michigan State’s ability to force turnovers. They are averaging 12.8 takeaways per game, which ranks No. 125 in the country.

If Illinois continues to move the ball on offense, we should be fine. Since becoming shorthanded, the Illini have been more team-oriented. The ball moves well, and we are creating opportunities for each other. I believe this will continue on Thursday night. Let’s move the ball and keep up the efficiency. This will get us the victory.