Nice spirited start by Our Beloved. Illini pitch a shutout for the first 3-1/2 minutes taking an 8-0 lead.
‘The Wrong Orange’ squad get only 3 points in the first 5 minutes. But they wake up and tie it at 14 around the 10-minute mark. They grab Their first lead at 18-17.
The Number 1-Rated Team in the Nation snuck to a 31-30 lead at halftime. A physical first half filled with strong defense on both ends, lots of fouls, and not terrific shooting by anybody from Threeland.
K-Jac hits a long-range bomb and adds a free throw to put Illini ahead 50-44 with 11:21 left to play.
Game tied at 52 with 7:49 left. Then Indiana H-Man with a big rebound flush to put Our Beloved up 58-57 with the timeout with 4:25 left. Game remains close until 54 seconds remaining and Tennessee up by 1.
A failed possession by Illinois at a critical time at the end made things look bleak. But the Illini get the ball back and K-Jac hits 1 of 2 free throws to tie things at 64 with 5 seconds left.
And then... Tennessee drives it to the hole... and the game is over.
Certainly was a winnable game for the Illini.
General Takeaways...
Not the cleanest game you’ll ever see. More like a street-brawl. Tough and physical. Well-contested.
K-Jak’s poise, smooth ball-handling, leadership and floor presence, and long-range gunnery is a joy to behold. But he made some mistakes as well.
SEC is not just a football Conference. Some serious ballers.
The Illini can play at the level of America’s current Number One. Which makes The Beloved in the atmosphere of a Final Four Grade team... IF they don’t make critical mistakes at bad times.
Hey guys... call it a Learning Experience.