Very little went well for Illinois (17-11) on Saturday night, and the team left New York with more questions than answers. No. 3 Duke (24-3) dismantled a team already teetering on the edge and embarrassed Illinois in front of a national audience.
*Kylan Boswell (B+): This might be slightly generous, but compared to every other Illini, junior guard Kylan Boswell was superior. It began on the defensive end, with the Champaign native taking the most important matchup of the game: Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg.
He held the star to just six points on 1-4 shooting in the first half while recording two steals. He also went 4-5 from the field, with his only miss being a last-second heave.
Boswell didn’t provide much offensively in the second half, and Duke was too hot for anyone to play good defense. But, before the rails completely came off, Boswell was the only positive contributor. Head coach Brad Underwood labeled the junior as someone he thinks will step up at the end of the year and get the team back on track.
*Kasparas Jakučionis (C+): The box score for the Lithuanian isn’t horrible, but freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis didn’t play well. He only made four field goals, and while he recorded seven rebounds and six assists, there were some negatives as well.
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“We’re talking a lot in the locker room with all of the teammates,” Jakučionis said. “Talking is good. To know what our mistakes were in the game or in the process and how to get out of it, how to fix things (is good).”
Jakučionis got trapped multiple times out near halfcourt, which threw the guard off. He committed only two turnovers but also forced bad passes that didn’t set his teammates up for success like he usually does.
Jakučionis also missed all four of his three-point attempts, which was a big issue in New York. He finished a team-worst -34 in the box score.
“We shot 2-26 today,” Jakučionis said about the team’s three-point shooting. “Really bad. I think we just have to be mentally stronger, just to step out and make a shot.”
*Tre White (B-): It seems like junior guard Tre White is back in the lineup for good. Illinois needs his presence against top opponents like Duke to put points on the board.
“I still believe in this team,” White said. “To me, it’s still one of the best teams in the country. We just got to turn it around and keep playing.”
White finished with a team-high 16 points and added five boards. He got the Illini on the board first with one of his pump fakes to draw a foul. While this may be overlooked due to the margin of defeat, Illinois did miss White’s ability to trick defenders.
The transfer didn’t do anything great on the defensive end as part of a unit that surrendered offensive boards like it was free food in the opening half.
“(Morez Johnson Jr.) is a beast for sure, I mean, he definitely holds it down,” White said. “But, like we were saying in the locker room, Rez wasn’t averaging 25 rebounds. So definitely, we have to pick it up for the rest of the team, and that’s our mentality.”
*Ben Humrichous (D): Your 6-foot-10 starter scored zero points and hauled in one rebound. It’s no wonder Illinois lost by a whopping 43 points with statistics like these, and the fanbase is losing faith in the Evansville transfer.
Graduate student Ben Humrichous has gone through highs and lows this year, as most shooters do, but his lows have gone too far. He was also unable to make an impact on the glass, which proved to be one of the early downfalls for Illinois on Saturday.
*Tomislav Ivišić (C-): Sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić did nothing special against Duke, as the ACC top dog was able to get the matchups it wanted. Ivišić was frequently moved around the court and out of position, which helped open up opportunities for Duke to secure offensive boards.
“It’s crazy to think we’ve been the No. 1 rebounding team in the country after tonight,” Underwood said.
He was also unable to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball. He missed several close shots and looked as uncomfortable as ever with his jumper. Ivišić did, however, hit the first three of the game for Illinois, which earned a raucous, sarcastic cheer from Illinois fans who made the trip.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (C): Sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn continues to be one of the few reliable Illini. It is rare that the sophomore isn’t flying around the court and making an impact, and he made some nice plays against Duke.
He seems to energize the rest of the team when he plays, but this game was different. Illinois needed his three-point shooting more, but he could not deliver.
Instead, he found success in other areas. Despite his size, Gibbs-Lawhorn plays with physicality and a relentless desire to get to the rim. More consistency beyond the arc is necessary to help Illinois return to form, and improvement defensively wouldn’t hurt either.
Will Riley (C-): The streak is over. Seven consecutive games of scoring double digits came to an end on Saturday for freshman forward Will Riley, as a 2-7 shooting effort only led to seven points.
Duke’s forwards were able to get whatever they wanted, and Riley did nothing to help team defense in New York. He was not as physical as the game required, a step back after he seemed to toughen up lately. It’s just one game for a player who has been as consistent as anyone in recent weeks, but still a disappointing performance.
Jake Davis (C-): Sophomore forward Jake Davis took two three-pointers relatively early on, and never launched another shot. The transfer only played 13 minutes and didn’t play well on either side of the ball. For a team that shot 2-26 from three on the night, Davis needs to contribute more.
Carey Booth (B-): In a game where Illinois needed major help gathering rebounds, sophomore forward Carey Booth had a quick leash. The bouncy 6-foot-10 forward immediately pulled in a rebound during his first stint but was hidden in the corner on offense. He didn’t get any major chances and was removed quickly each span.
A poor game led to far too many poor grades across the table. The Illini are running out of time to turn the season around, with just three Big Ten games remaining. The all-around play needs to step up soon, or else future fans will only mention the November and December Illini when discussing this season.
@benfader7
