3 Key Numbers from Illinois Basketball's Loss at Michigan State

The Illini slowed the Spartans' fastbreak, but they also had their own best player brought to a screeching halt early

Jan 19, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) defends Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichous (3) during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

Illinois coach Brad Underwood may not blame the officials for his Illini's 80-78 loss at Michigan State on Sunday, but the men in stripes certainly received a lot of attention from media and fans – especially those of the visiting team.

With or without the advantage of the whistle, Illinois failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities in East Lansing, ultimately falling to 13-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten – and sixth place in the conference standings.

Diving a bit deeper than the resulting outcomes in the win-loss columns, we highlight three key numbers that helped determine why things shook out as they did in the first heavyweight Big Ten clash of the season:

9

That’s how many minutes Kasparas Jakucionis logged at Michigan State before fouling out. In this case, we’re not here to argue about whether his five foul calls were “correct." But one thing appeared crystal clear: Illinois was the better team during his time on the floor. During those nine minutes, the Illini were plus-7 and a demonstrably more potent and effective group. With Jakucionis in the game, Illinois’ offense functioned at its typical efficient and high-octane level, and without him, it wasn’t close to the same product.

Kasparas Jakucionis fouled out with just three points on the day. pic.twitter.com/C39xjMWU5G

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) January 19, 2025

20.8

Not since the Oregon game on Jan. 2 have the Illini shot better than 35 percent from three-point range. That trend continued against the Spartans, with Illinois going 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) from long distance. After knocking down three triples in the opening 10 minutes, the Illini went just 2-for-17 over the final 30 minutes.

Aside from its 81-77 escape against Washington, Illinois has lost all of its games against Power Four opponents when shooting under 30 percent from beyond the arc. The Illini must find some consistency from deep or they will continue to live and die by the three-ball – a recipe for disaster come March.

8

In a bright spot, Illinois’ transition defense dulled one of the Spartans' sharpest weapons. Entering Sunday, Michigan State’s offense ranked first in the country in fastbreak scoring, sprinting out to 19.1 points per game. Against the Illini, the Spartans scored just eight points on the break.

Not only did that force MSU to play in the halfcourt – where its offense is far more limited – but it generally stifled momentum swings that could have buried a visiting team at the Breslin Center. Although it wasn’t quite enough in the end, the Illini's transition D helped them stay within striking distance and get several opportunities late in the game to take back the lead.

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