What happened
Just enough Illinois turnovers kept Iowa hanging around in the second half Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. Any momentum (and notable lead) the Illini appeared to be building was erased by a run-out and points at the other end. Then Fran McCaffery got consecutive technical fouls, and Kasparas Jakucionis made all four free throws to give Illinois a double-digit lead that snowballed on the Hawkeyes en route to a 106-94 Illini victory.
What it means
Illinois certainly didn’t lose any of its offensive momentum from its three-game winning streak to end the regular season. The Illini basically got whatever they wanted against the sieve-like Iowa defense, and they eventually got to a point in the second half where they were’t just trading buckets with the Hawkeyes. A defensive effort for Illinois that raises a potential red flag as it tries to keep its Big Ten tournament run alive against better teams.
What’s next
The sheer number of Big Ten newcomers on the Illinois roster makes getting a game under their belt in the conference tournament ahead of increasingly more difficult opponents a good thing. That starts Friday for the No. 24 Illini (21-11) with a rematch against No. 11 Maryland (24-7). Round one went to the Terrapins — decisively — with their dominant frontcourt of Derik Queen and Julian Reese overwhelming what was then a shorthanded Illinois in January.
What was said
“I think we’re getting closer. I don’t think we played 40 minutes, but I think we’re getting closer to achieving that. That’s ultimately where our ceiling is when you can play a 40-minute game and do it at both ends. (Friday’s) game will definitely be different. There’s no doubt. … To be honest, we weren’t in a great spot (in the regular season game) against Maryland, but I also thought when we played them they were one of the best teams in the league and they’ve proven that.” — Illinois coach Brad Underwood on the rematch with the Terps
