To build on the point you’re making, I think a strong case can be made that this team is the most disciplined and system-driven group of any team listed above, rivaling the 2005 team. One of the key reasons championship teams in recent years tend to have experience and continuity is because this has helped build disciplined systems. Systems only work when players fully commit to them.
Brad and staff have clearly built and developed an extremely disciplined roster, and that shows up in several notable stat parallels to the 2005 team:
Turnovers - This year’s turnover rate sits at 14.1%, the lowest of any Illinois team this century. The 2005 team turned it over at 16.5%, while even the better Groce teams (2015 and 2016) were only around 15%. Most seasons typically fall in the 18–20% range. This level of ball security shows this team's discipline and decision-making.
Tempo and shot selection - This team plays at the second-slowest tempo among the teams mentioned, averaging roughly 65.6 possessions per game, compared to 64.1 for the 2005 team. Nearly every other team operates closer to 70 possessions. Like the 2005 group, this team is comfortable playing slowly because it is consistently generating the right shots for the right players.
Offensive rebounding as a system pillar (edit: not necessarily a similarity to 2005)- The ability to play this slow is directly tied to elite offensive rebounding. Every player on the floor is fully bought into attacking the offensive glass, and it has become the team’s secret sauce. This may be the strongest evidence of discipline, as it clearly required retraining players to commit to a demanding, team-wide philosophy that only works with total buy-in.
Shot quality on both ends - Finally, as a bit of a cherry on top, average 2-point attempt distance further highlights this team’s discipline. While it’s a newly tracked stat, this team is elite at only taking close twos offensively, while also forcing opponents into longer twos defensively.
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