Illinois Basketball comes out of West Coast swing undefeated

Illinois basketball traveled to the West Coast for Big Ten play for the first time and came out with two key road wins. It has been a grueling week for the Illini as they have not been back in Champaign since December 30th. However, they prevailed in both of their contests vs Oregon and Washington. Both games provided key learning points as they come back to State Farm Center for a stretch of games. Their first game vs Oregon made history and they were making a lot of shots. In Sunday’s win over Washington, Illinois learned that it is a 40-minute game and they learned how to close out a tightly contested game on the road.

Win over Oregon 109-77

The win on Thursday night over Oregon grabbed the nation’s attention. At the time, Oregon was ranked 9th in the nation and the Illini came in and dominated from start to finish. It was a strong showing from grad transfer, Ben Humrichous, who got going after some nice looks in the paint. On top of that, Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn and Jake Davis were absolutely crucial coming off the bench. Gibbs-Lawhorn showed that he can be the reliable sixth man for Illinois basketball,  a role that will be key down the stretch of the season.

Oregon may not stay in the top 10 of the rankings, however, the Illini gained a significant quadrant one victory.

Win over Washington 81-77

At first, Illinois basketball looked headed towards a comfortable win over the Washington Huskies. However, turnovers and defensive breakdowns helped the Huskies claw their way back from a 17-point deficit. Luckily enough, the Illini’s star players helped seal the deal. The game vs Washington highlighted that the Illini need to focus on getting rim pressure and easy baskets. Sometimes, they shoot too much from the perimeter instead of using it as an adjunct to their offense. In particular, Tomislav Ivisic shot three three-point shots down the stretch and missed them all.

Ivisic had trouble finishing around the rim and actually had one three-point shot rim in and out, however, the Illini should have taken advantage of being in the Bonus. Once again, Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn was crucial to the Illini victory and his fire off the bench was invaluable.

The Illini will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon vs the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

We at Armchair Illini are proudly sponsored by Hamilton Walker’s Steak, Seafood, and Spirits. Located in the heart of downtown Champaign, there is certainly no better restaurant for Illini fans to visit. Order online here or call (217) 350-0363 to make a reservation.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at [email protected]. Additionally, please use our Seatgeek code for $20 off your purchase on Seatgeek.com: ARMCHAIRILLINOIS. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing Illinois media outlets around.

Thank you for reading Armchair Illini! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.