3 Key Numbers from Illinois Basketball's Win Over Oakland

An examination of the numbers that help explain the Illini's hard-fought (and somehwat humbling) 66-54 victory

Nov 13, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) and Oakland Golden Grizzlies forward Allen Mukeba (23) attempt to get a loose ball during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

After dominating Eastern Illinois and SIU-Edwardsville in its first two games of the 2024-25 season, Illinois (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) finally appeared mortal on Wednesday night.

Taking on Oakland (1-2, 0-0 Horizon League), coach Greg Kampe – the Yoda of Division I college basketball coaches – and an infamous Golden Grizzlies zone defense, the Illini struggled to move the ball and get the open looks that came so easily in their first two games.

In a slugfest of a contest, Illinois buckled down for a 66-54 win. And although the Illini certainly didn’t win any style points for it, they took care of business, maintained an unblemished record and set up their biggest business yet – next week's showdown with No. 2 Alabama in Birmingham.

Add another to the win column.#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/63rqNVBsKV

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 14, 2024

To gain a bit more insight into the Oakland win – and perhaps learn something about what may lie in store for the Illini – let's take a closer look at the numbers that decided Wednesday’s matchup:

18

In a game characterized by miscues and sloppy play, the Illini finished with 18 turnovers. Freshman point guard Kasparas Jakucionis had a team-high five, appearing mostly flustered and confused – unlike anything we had seen from the player who had entered the game averaging 10.0 assists. But Jakucionis wasn't alone. Veteran guard Tre White had four turnovers, and so many of the Illini came off as unsure and butterfingery against Oakland. Mistakes are always expected in early November, and a month from now those miscues may be characterized as learning experiences. But with the Crimson Tide up next, Illinois doesn't have that long to wait. Illini fans had better hope this is a roster full of quick learners.

28.0

The Illini came into the Golden Grizzlies matchup firing up 40 threes per game and hitting them at a rate of 38.8 percent. Against Oakland, that figured dropped to 28.0 percent (on 7-for-25 shooting). And while the number of attempts can be rationalized to a certain extent by the game's slowed pace, the seven makes can't be explained away. The Illini got plenty of open looks against the zone – especially in the corners – but not much was falling. An off night was inevitable at some point, but Illinois must rediscover its rhythm by next Wednesday to have a shot of upsetting Alabama.

20

As the lone bright spot in Illinois’ victory, big man Tomislav Ivisic – uniform No. 20 – was steadily dominant for the Illini. Ivisic shot 9-for-14 from the field, scoring a game-high 20 points, while adding six boards. Making a living off bunnies in the paint, he was Illinois’ only answer to the Golden Grizzlies' unorthodox defense. On the other end, Ivisic had a similar impact, finishing with four steals – all from the first half. For what it's worth, it's the highest single-game total for any 7-footer in the country so far this season.

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