There were quite a few games last season when Illini basketball had major issues scoring. Clemson in the NIT, at Northwestern, Ohio State, IPFW were just a few of the many times we saw Illinois put up halftime point totals that were in the teens or low twenties. Watching their half-court sets was often as enjoyable as logging into HealthCare.Gov.
Well, it’s a brave new world this season. Watching this Illini basketball team run their offense is way more fun and exciting than paying utility bills online. Illinois followed up their 114 point barrage over Coppin State with a 107 point explosion versus Austin Peay.
It’s not going to be this good all year obviously, but it will be way better than last year.
Illinois opened up the year with a 80 point effort versus Georgia Southern. The Coppin State rout featured the Illini basketball team scoring its most points (114) and largest margin of victory (58) since dropping 121 points in a school-record 69-point win over Chicago State on Dec. 18, 1993. The Illini broke the 100-point plateau for the first time in 10 years, since tallying 105 points vs. Longwood on Dec. 27, 2004.
Now they’ve scored 100 in back to back games. Last year Illinois hit 80 points in just five games last season. Three of those 80+ point games occurred in within the first four; during the cupcake part of the season. Illinois only hit 80 on one occasion during conference season, and they needed overtime to do it.
2013-14 Illini basketball never reached the 90 point mark.
It goes without saying that this offensive outburst won’t continue once the level of competition improves. Obviously, you look first at last season where Illinois hit 80 in three of the first four…only to see them score less than 61 points in fifteen, yes FIFTEEN, games.
The November part of the schedule “cupcake city” as Dick Vitale likes to say, and Illini basketball has faced the most sugar laden of cupcakes thus far. Not just for Illinois, but for everybody. The Illini basketball pre-conference schedule, through no fault of their own, is weaker this year than usual.
Traditional rival Missouri is really bad this year (they have actually lost to UMKC already) and the United Center opponent is Oregon. The Ducks were very strong last season, but this is a rebuilding year in Eugene.
We will learn about this team on December 9th when they take #12 Villanova at Madison Square Garden. The pre-conference schedule doesn’t offer much else opposition, other than the final Las Vegas Invitational contest, where they will face either Baylor or Memphis.
Of course, Big Ten season will be here before you know it, and only then will we see what this Illini basketball team is truly all about. What we do know is that this team is much better than the 2013-14 team. And on offense this Illini basketball team is LIGHT YEARS better than last year.
“When the ball has energy like that and is just moving like that freely and guys are unselfish, the basketball gods will take care of you,” said Groce.
In Rayvonte Rice, the Illini have a true go to scorer and alpha dog: “He’s physically a man. The thing I’m most proud about is the muscle inside his chest,” said Groce.
However, he’s far from the only major weapon on the team.
“This is a different team than the first two years because we have multiple scorers and shot-makers,” said Groce.
This Illini basketball team received three votes in the latest AP Top 25 Poll and eight votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, but they’re still currently unranked. That may change, as Groce tends to own November. His Illini teams are 18-0 in the month thus far.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2