The Solution for Illinois' Basketball? 'We Should Start Driving the Ball More'

After the Illini tossed away an excellent start against the Spartans, they seem to be rethinking their bombs-away approach

Feb 15, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) runs past Michigan State Spartans guard Tre Holloman (5) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – It was a tale of two halves when Illinois (17-9, 9-7 Big Ten) hosted No. 11 Michigan State (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) on Saturday at the State Farm Center.

A first half that was characterized by penetration against the Spartans' defense – notably, getting the ball into the paint to finish at the rim or kick to an open shooter – helped carry the Illini to a 41-37 lead into the break.

And after Illinois leapt out to a 31-15 start, the four-point halftime margin didn’t quite tell the story of its excellence – especially on the offensive end.

Getting into the lane on nearly every possession, the Illini went 11-for-15 (73.3 percent) on two-point field goals in the opening frame, while shooting a respectable clip from long range (6-for-17). Many of those looks from deep were created off inside-out action.

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Jake Davis drains back-to-back triples to extend @IlliniMBB's early lead over No. 11 Michigan State.#B1GMBBall on @CBBonFOX 📺 pic.twitter.com/hmzYTVZNZ1

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 16, 2025

Moving into the second half, Illinois exchanged buckets with Michigan State for the first 11 minutes and change of the second half, and after a Ben Humrichous mid-range bucket, the Illini found themselves up 65-64.

Then the script was flipped. 

Illinois coach Brad Underwood summed it up best: 

“We fell in love with what was easy, which was shooting threes and got away from … I thought the difference was the last 10 minutes of the game. We had been living in the paint. Morez [Johnson Jr.] was having success. You know, [Kasparas Jakucionis] was terrific in the first half getting in the paint.

"We just stopped. I wish I had the answer for that. We just stopped.”

In case that didn’t make it obvious, the last 10 minutes of the contest did not go well for Underwood’s squad.

In fact, after that Humrichous jumper with 8:29 left on the clock, Illinois went 0-for-19 from the field and was held scoreless for the remainder of the game.

The Illini moved away from their recipe for success in the first half and instead turned to indiscriminately launching triples. Of those 19 straight missed field goals, 12 of them came from beyond the arc – and they were hardly the clean looks Illinois put up in the previous half.

In the postgame conference, Jakucionis spoke on his club's offensive woes to close out the game:

“We didn’t drive the ball as good as we did in the first half in the last 10 minutes," he said. "Starting on me, I took some very bad shots without touching the paint, without creating anything, without creating for others. I think that led us to the loss.”

Jakucionis’ solution? Simple:

“We should start driving the ball more.”

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

The Upside Down Night: Terrence Shannon Jr.’s Jersey Honoring & Illinois Basketball vs Michigan State

On the Rise: Illinois Basketball’s Kasparas Jakucionis Honored Again

3 Key Numbers From Illinois Basketball's Loss vs. Michigan State