No. 8 Illinois (5-1) got back on the winning track Saturday afternoon as it defeated Long Island University (3-3), 98-58. Freshman guard Brandon Lee played his first regular season minutes in the matchup, scoring four points in 13 minutes. Illinois played with the most healthy roster it’s had all season so far, and it’s already proving its future potential. The Illini also showed improvements both offensively and defensively from their loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier in the week.
Putting pieces together
While the starting lineup came out of the gate stagnant on offense and not in tune defensively, the full bench gave head coach Brad Underwood other options to turn to. This helped Illinois get out of its early slump.
For the final ten minutes of the first half, the Illini shared the wealth offensively. Each player contributed to slowly but surely extending Illinois’ lead to 35 at halftime. Whether that was sophomore guard Mihailo Petrović using speed to push the ball in transition or junior center Zvonimir Ivišić slamming consecutive dunks, the Illinois offense highlighted how it can perform at full strength.
“We’re really trying to build chemistry with each other since we haven’t played all together,” said freshman guard Keaton Wagler. “That’s just going to come with playing together more in practice. I think just continuing to be comfortable with each other and learning what people can do and how to play with them.”
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Once they settled in, the Illini did a complete 180 from how it played in the loss to the Crimson Tide on Wednesday. The ball moved quickly and more frequently in Saturday’s matchup. This helped Illinois hunt down the best shot possible and get everyone involved in the offense. Once the Illini started to click, the Sharks quickly became outmatched and couldn’t recover.
In their second game back from injuries, both Petrović and junior center Tomislav Ivišić played with more ease and confidence. Tomislav Ivišic was better getting up and down the floor, even blocking a shot on one end and throwing down a dunk in transition on the other. Petrović not only used his speed on the open floor, but in the half-court as well to attack the rim. Using this game to increase their confidence will benefit Illinois before it takes on UConn in less than a week.
“I think it’s really big for us having almost everybody back on the court,” Zvonimir Ivišić said. “Everybody starting to understand their roles. What everybody was supposed to do. Everybody getting their confidence back. It took some time, but it’s here now.”
On, off perimeter defense
Not only did the Illini need time to settle in offensively, but they also needed time to settle in defensively. Early into the contest, LIU’s guards proved to be a problem for Illinois’ perimeter defense. The Sharks were adamant about getting downhill, using their quickness to create opportunities for themselves when they were outmatched in size.
Once Illinois started to tighten up its defense, after some frustration from Underwood, it forced LIU turnovers, which benefited Illinois’ offense, letting it get out in transition. The Sharks ended the first half with 10 turnovers, and the Illini scored 18 points off of those. Forcing turnovers helped Illinois continuously extend its lead throughout the first half. The defense from both Ivišić brothers in the paint also helped slow down LIU.
However, the perimeter defense started to let up in the second half, especially guarding the three-point line. LIU only scored 19 first-half points in the matchup, but erupted in the second for 39. This was greatly thanks to its improved three-point shooting. The Sharks shot 7-11 from three-point range in the second half compared to the one three-pointer they made in the first.
“In the second half, we all lost focus, and I wouldn’t say we didn’t care, but it didn’t seem as much as we cared,” Wagler said. “We gave them too many points when we shouldn’t let a team score that many points in the second half when we only let 19 in the first half.”
Illinois will need to improve its ability to make this type of defensive adjustment. Plenty of opponents can get hot from three fast, and that can be a difference maker in the outcome of a game. Improving defensive consistency across the entire 40 minutes is necessary for the Illini moving forward.
“This is where we’ve got to continue to grow as a team,” Underwood said. “We can’t let immaturity settle in. You got to continue to want to play the game the right way. No matter what the lead is. No matter who the opponent is.”
Wagler in control
Wagler played a well-rounded offensive game, showing off his scoring versatility. He finished the matchup with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists. The freshman was also efficient from the field, shooting 7-10, and improved his offensive rebounding from Wednesday’s game, grabbing two.
Wagler had poise, confidence and control in his 32 minutes on the court. He took opportunities to get in the paint and score near the rim, which is where his strengths lie. When he did get in the paint, Wagler stayed patient and used his footwork to create a better shot.
He also improved his three-point and free-throw shooting from Wednesday. Wagler shot 2-4 from three and 3-3 from the free-throw line in Saturday’s game. As the Illini have a lineup full of skilled guards, Wagler is continually finding ways to set himself apart and stay on the court.
Scoring inside
Scoring in the paint helped Illinois separate itself from LIU. The Illini scored 68 points in the paint compared to the 24 that the Sharks scored. Against Alabama, Illinois struggled to take advantage of its size near the basket, but that wasn’t the case this afternoon, as it exploited mismatches.
“Our main focus was trying to just get downhill and make good paint decisions,” Wagler said. “Going until we got stopped and most of the time we didn’t get stopped. We just kept getting to the rim and dishing it off to bigs and if it’s not there just finishing or staying patient.”
The increased ball movement from Illinois and trying to get downhill more helped it score plenty of points in the paint. Junior guard Andrej Stojaković scored 20 points in the matchup with most of those being scored in the second half and coming from getting downhill. The Illini also passed well whenever they got in the lane which led to success inside.
“We’re getting a little more reminiscent of our team two years ago,” Underwood said. “Less ball screens and a little more booty ball and space in the floor and cutting. This team, I think, can be an elite cutting team.”
@evy_york2
