3-2-1 RECAP: Arizona Freshmen Unstoppable as No. 21 Wildcats Blow Out Illini
Sunday night was a measuring stick game for an Illini program desperately looking to prove they belong among the national elite in Brad Underwood's third season in Champaign. A win over a ranked Arizona squad in the McHale Center, something that a non-conference opponent has only done once in the last 49 games in Tucson would've done the trick. A 90-69 loss only reinforces warts this Illinois squad had in its first two wins against Nicholls State and Grand Canyon and needs to quickly figure out so losses to quality teams (specifically to Miami, Michigan, Maryland and Missouri in December) don't begin to pile up. Arizona shot 55.7 percent from the field, got 25 fast break points off 22 Illini turnovers and got 28 points off dunks or layups in a home rout.
Here are three major takeaways from this loss for the Illini:
Illinois forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) tries to block out Arizona forward Ira Lee (11) during a NCAA Basketball game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center.
Jacob Snow/USA TODAY Sports
Third straight puzzling game for Giorgi
Once is noteworthy. Twice is noticeable and concerning. Three in a row is certainly a trend Illinois (2-1) needs to stop quick, fast and in a hurry. Sunday night marked the third straight disappointing game out of the gate for forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili in this 2019-20 season. The 6-foot-9 sophomore ended the night getting a technical foul to foul out with two minutes and 47 seconds left. Bezhanishvili left the game with just six points, more turnovers (three) than field goals (two) or rebounds (one) and didn't do much to contain Arizona forward Zeke Nnaji in 22 minutes. On the offensive end, Bezhanishvili isn't adapting well at all to playing together with freshman center Kofi Cockburn and defensively, he's having trouble rotating over on step-out fours or staying out of foul trouble. In 14 minutes of second half action, Bezhanishvili had just one field goal attempt, no rebounds and three fouls. What's also becoming an issue that may have boiled over in this game is Bezhanishvili's body language. Normally when body language gets brought up, it's about a player sulking or being selfish. This isn't the case with Bezhanishvili but his child-like, energetic fun nature is fine when he and Illinois are playing well. When he and the Illini are playing poorly, it can come across as white noise, fake and possibly difficult to coach. When he picked up his technical foul (and fifth personal foul), the Pac 12 Network broadcast picked up Illini coach Brad Underwood trying to explain what the third-year head coach might have thought was a maturity moment and Bezhanishvili was still doing more talking than listening at that time. Underwood and his staff are going to have to quickly figure out what to change or do with the 6-foot-9 Georgian forward because the Illini have little to no immediate frontcourt depth on the bench to help. At this point, playing four guards around Cockburn would be more effective offensively and not lose much production at all on the glass.
Inconsistent perimeter defense is a serious problem for Illini
When Ayo Dosunmu didn't take it upon himself to check Arizona star guard Nico Mannion, Illinois had no defensive option available. From an energy conservation standpoint, the Illini sophomore guard simply can't be asked to guard a team's best player and do what he's responsible for on the offensive end for the 33 minutes he played tonight. That simply won't work. And as good as Trent Frazier has been on defense in each of the wins against Nicholls State and Grand Canyon, neither he or Andres Feliz could keep Arizona's 6-foot-3 guard in front of them Sunday night. Mannion was an assist short of a double-double with 23 points and nine assists while producing a true shooting percentage (takes into account three-point shots and free throws) of 64 percent. Arizona (2-0) shot 7 of 16 from three-point range and have reached the 90-point plateau in each of its first two games. In each of its first three games, Illinois' opponents have shot 40 percent or better behind the three-point arc and allowed at least 20 points off turnovers in each of its games in the state of Arizona.
Underwood already hates the early-season turnover numbers
Brad Underwood has constantly talked up this Illini team by saying his starting lineup of Dosunmu, Frazier and Feliz has three ball-handlers and three possible point guards to get Illinois situated and the ball moving in its half-court action. In each of Illinois' first three games the turnover number has been 23, 17 and 22 while the assists have been 12, 13 and 10.
Underwood would be the first to admit that a near 1/2 assist-to-turnover ratio will get the Illini beat in every game against a quality opponent this season and quite honestly, shouldn't happen with his experienced, veteran guard play. Whether Illinois is trying to force the high-low to Cockburn and Bezhanishvili or simply not being tough enough with the basketball, the turnovers are a habit Illinois will need to break.
NEXT: Illinois will have eight days between games as they next host Hawaii on Nov. 18 for a 7 p.m. tip at the State Farm Center. The Illini will face Hawaii, The Citadel, Hampton and Division II Lindenwood in an eight-day stretch to end November.