Instant reaction
What happened
Did you know Minnesota was 13-1 at home heading into Saturday’s game? It was a major talking point. Maybe less so moving forward. Illinois’ 31-point win was both the Illini’s first by that margin on the road in 21 seasons and the third-worst loss for Gophers in Williams Arena history (their home since 1928).
What it means
“Must win” games take on a different feeling for a top five team on what’s now a seven-game a winning streak. The Illini didn’t need to win at Minnesota. They’re a lock for the NCAA tournament. But staying in the Big Ten title hunt — with Michigan and Ohio State posting rather impressive wins Thursday night — perhaps required a win against the Gophers.
What’s next
The end of February and beginning of March won’t be easy. Illinois has five more games in the next 13 days. Four of those games are on the road, including a Tuesday trip to Michigan State. The Spartans might be in the midst of their worst season since Tom Izzo took over from Jud Heathcote, but they did win Saturday at Indiana.
What was said
“We know the sense of urgency we have to play with. The regular season is winding down, and we know in order for us to accomplish our goals there’s no room for error. So we’re just out here having fun, playing as hard as we can, doing what we do and doing what we love and just enjoying the fact we’re playing basketball.” — Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu
Grades
Player of the game
Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu
A second triple-double in a two-week span was simply the latest addition to Dosunmu’s Big Ten and national player of the year candidacies. What was unique Saturday was it was a typical Dosunmu performance — getting his teammates involved first — that turned into a triple-double with 10 assists and 10 rebounds to go with his 19 points.
Backcourt
Illinois: A+
Minnesota: C
It wasn’t just Dosumu’s triple-double. Trent Frazier was a force at both ends with 15 points and clampdown defense on the Gophers’ Marcus Carr (12 points, but on 11 shots). Frazier also had four assists, which Andre Curbelo matched as part of the Illini’s final total of 27 assists on 37 made shots.
Frontcourt
Illinois: A+
Minnesota: D-
Kofi Cockburn 2, Liam Robbins 0. It wasn’t an exact repeat of Cockburn’s 33-point, 13-rebound effort in a mid-December win in Champaign, but the Illini center still has his Minnesota counterpart’s number (albeit with Robbins not at full strength Saturday). Jacob Grandison’s best performance in an Illinois uniform didn’t hurt either.
Bench
Illinois: A
Minnesota: C-
Brad Underwood was able to empty his bench Saturday, getting minutes to guys like Jermaine Hamlin, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (who scored late) and even a couple walk-ons. The Illini’s regular reserves were solid, though. Curbelo helped direct an efficient offense, and Giorgi Bezhanishvili helped bolster a dominant Illini frontcourt.
Overall
Illinois: A+
Minnesota: C-
What Illinois did to Minnesota is the type of 40-minute effort Underwood wants every game. The Illini ran the shorthanded Gophers off the court, but they did it with their defense, as 18 Minnesota turnovers turned into 24 Illinois points and strong defensive rebounding sparked a transition offense the Gophers simply couldn’t stop.
Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
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