Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Maryland

5. The Illini got out of the winning formula

I was impressed with how well Maryland adjusted at halftime. This was huge for them in the game, and it ultimately won them a road Big Ten contest. I was also massively disappointed by what Illinois looked like in the second half.

The Illini came out in the final 20 minutes and got out of our winning formula. We aren’t a three-point shooting team, and it proved out in the second half.

Illinois was 5-of-8 from three-point range in the first half, which is right where we should be in a half of basketball. We should only take about eight three-pointers in each half. But in the second half, Illinois ended up jacking up 14 three-point shot attempts. We were just 1-of-14 in the final 20 minutes of action.

What was most frustrating about Illinois in the second half was the fact we stopped moving and rotating. We just played stagnant basketball which was extremely uninspiring and lazy.

Illinois has been winning a lot lately because we have been playing as a team. The Illini players have been great about moving and creating open looks with our legs. We have been moving the ball around a lot too. But in the second half, that all stopped.

I don’t know what Brad Underwood could have done, but the Illini weren’t playing our game. My hope is that this was just a hiccup. On Thursday, we need to come out and look much better. The winning formula is to get the ball around the hoop and stop settling for shots. That didn’t happen against Maryland.