First-year head coach Matt Bollant brought the Illinois women’s basketball program a new coaching staff and a new system this offseason.

After finishing 11-19 last season, the Illini are off to a 6-4 start. Illinois went 6-8 in nonconference play last season.

While Illinois struggled under former head coach Jolette Law, Bollant led Green Bay to a 31-2 record and No. 9 national ranking last season. He brought his schemes that helped him achieve such success with him, and he has started to install them in Champaign.

A new up-tempo, dribble-motion offense has been one of Bollant’s installations. The Illini have new freedom in the system, and sophomore point guard Alexis Smith has gone from six minutes per game to 35 and ranks second in the Big Ten in assists per game.

Senior forward Karisma Penn leads the team in scoring for the third straight season, but she has improved her points per game from 13.4 last season to 18.9. Sophomore guard Ivory Crawford has also seen a significant bump in her scoring average, improving from 5.6 points per game to 15.7.

Junior guard Amber Moore also has benefited from the new system. Bollant said he thinks Moore can be an All-Big Ten player, and he wants her shooting at least 10 3-pointers per game.

Illinois has continued to play a man-to-man defense, but associate head coach Mike Dvibillis has also brought his Buzz defense to Illinois. The 2-1-2 trapping zone played a key role in the success at Green Bay, and, after initially struggling, Illinois has been able to have some success in the new defense.

“The full-court Buzz, that was the best it ever looked,” Bollant said of Wednesday’s 80-62 win against Oregon.

This far into the season, Bollant’s biggest concern has been Illinois’ defense. Out of 343 teams in the NCAA, the Illini rank No. 297 in scoring defense. Because of this, Bollant has restructured practices, focusing on defense first and offense second.

Illinois has been playing without two players so far this season. Senior guard Adrienne GodBold was academically ineligible for this semester. GodBold hopes to be eligible for a Dec. 28 matchup with Georgia.

Sophomore center Kierra Morris was forced to have surgery after she broke her fifth metatarsal during practice before the season. Morris, who only played three minutes during her freshman year because of injuries, hopes to return for Big Ten play on Jan. 2.

After opening the season 3-1 against mid-major opponents, Illinois faced four staright BCS foes. The Illini went 1-3 against the power conference teams but were able to rebound with a road win over Memphis on Sunday. The Illini followed up with an victory over the Ducks.

“A two-game winning streak feels good,” Bollant said. “We’re headed in the right direction.”

Johnathan can be reached at [email protected] and @jhett93.