Illinois Basketball Explodes For Season High 105 Against Minnesota

Illinois basketball games are starting to fall into a similar rhythm. After defeating Iowa in a back-and-forth shootout on the weekend, the Illini once again scorched the State Farm Center nets in a 105-97 win over Minnesota. Much like that Iowa game, neither team was able to really pull away at any point early. Much like that Iowa game, Illinois was able to get just enough stops down the stretch to bring home the win comfortably.

1. Thermonuclear

Illinois basketball has one of the best offenses in the country this year. This has been the case for some time. Against Minnesota the Illini unleashed their entire arsenal. Coleman Hawkins, Marcus Domask and Terrence Shannon Jr. all had 20+ points. Shannon Jr. had 29, just missing out on another 30-point game. Quincy Guerrier got back into double digits and scored in a variety of ways. Dain Dainja haunted his home state school with his best game in months, putting up 11 points. The Illini shot 61% from the field and 45% from deep. They scored on 26 of their 32 second half possessions. 105 points is the most they have scored in a Big Ten game since 1994.

2. Leaky

Despite their offensive output, the Illini once again struggled to chain together stops. 97 points for Minnesota is easily their most in Big Ten play. Illinois basketball fell 35 spots in Kenpom’s adjusted defense rankings. Minnesota was able to score in a multitude of ways, with Dawson Garcia attacking the Illini’s frontcourt, and splashing a ridiculous 14-20 from three. It’s the first time a team has shot 60% from the field and 70% from three and lost since Wofford in 2019. No power five team had lost hitting that many shots since 2010-11. However, when the Illini needed stops the most, a lineup of Dainja and Hawkins was able to provide enough resistance defensively around the basket to pull away.

3. Business End

Now Illinois basketball enters the month that has been so bipolar for them recently. Still two games behind Purdue, a share of the Big Ten title slips further away after each Boilermaker win. However, with Wisconsin away, and then Purdue at home, Illinois has a chance to make one last push for the 3 seed line before the Big Ten Tournament. There are only five more games guaranteed, and the Illini need to realize that. There’s still time for a late season push, but they have to get back to playing more than five minutes of defense a game.

With the win Illinois basketball goes to 21-7, 12-5 in conference play.