CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Following Illinois’ first back-to-back losses of the season, the outside noise surrounding the program has shifted from praise to concern. The message inside the locker room remains clear: Don’t drink the poison.
It’s no secret that Illinois head coach Brad Underwood’s program is built on grit, but even the grittiest teams eventually hit a physical limit. The reality of a Big Ten schedule finally came into focus following Saturday’s overtime loss to Wisconsin.
Illinois was the only
team in the country to play 11 games in just 33 days. For a roster that hasn’t been 100% since October and hasn’t seen its veteran leader play in almost a month, it’s tough to keep up with that kind of volume. We saw the effects of those tired legs result in 13 turnovers against Wisconsin, the most the Illini have had in Big Ten play this season. With a starting lineup playing virtually the entire game, it’s hard to expect them to not make a bad decision at some point. The packed schedule without their best defender was already a challenge. But the Illini were forced to take the floor without another star in the backcourt against Wisconsin, up against star guards John Blackwell and Nick Boyd.
Just as Andrej Stojakovic was settling into a more strenuous defensive role given the absence of Kylan Boswell, an ankle injury that he suffered early in the Michigan State game kept him on the sideline against the Badgers. With only one true ball handler available, the offensive burden reached a tipping point and gaps in the defense opened up. On top of logging extra minutes, players like Ben Humrichous and Jake Davis were forced to do things they don’t normally do, like chase guards off screens. The reality is that playing guys out of position is a difficult way to survive life in the Big Ten, and the Illini weren’t given much of a choice.
But there’s still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about what’s next. These rare breaks in the schedule typically sees this group return to its dominant form. The nine-day window before Braggin’ Rights resulted in Illinois dismantling Missouri by 43.
There’s no sense of panic for the No.1 KenPom offense and a mature group that remains focused despite suffering two heartbreaking losses in a row – a necessary reality-check to rediscover their identity on both ends of the court before the final stretch of the season.
