For Illinois Basketball, Time to Toughen Up and Drop the BS

A 43-point loss to Duke?

What 43-point loss to Duke?

OK, fine, there's no pretending Illinois' 110-67 loss to No. 3 Duke on Saturday night in New York didn't happen. Have we mentioned it was by 43 points? That's the most lopsided "L" in the history of Illini men's basketball, which, fortunately, goes back merely 120 years.

But the Duke game was so last week. A "Starting Five" for a new week begins for the struggling, 17-11 Illlini.

Illinois has shot 14 threes and made none of them. Duke, on the other hand, has made 5 of 10 attempts.
— Duke Basketball (@dukebasketball) February 23, 2025

1. Toughen up, buttercup: After the Illini shot a preposterous 2-for-26 from three against the Blue Devils, coach Brad Underwood said his team might not be "tough enough" to hit shots from beyond the arc. It's not often that chucking long balls is equated with "toughness," but it's interesting to think about.

"Man the hell up, jump up and shoot the thing like you know what you're doing and what you were recruited to do," Underwood said.

The team has lost three straight games and seven of 11. Might as well turn up the pressure on the players. Nothing else is working.

2. But cut the BS, too: "[Just] one game," Underwood called the Duke debacle. Also, "We're not out here trying to lose games" and, "We've played some really good teams [lately]. I mean, let's be real."

Uh, no, that's not real. That's hot air.

It's a full-blown crisis. Act like it.

3. Super (important) Tuesday: If the Illini can't win at home Tuesday (8 p.m. CST, on FS1) against subpar Iowa, the season is a wrap. With games left against Michigan and Purdue, this might be the last chance to grab at shreds of confidence.

Your starting lineup vs. No. 3 Duke. pic.twitter.com/Lm0ZSFdZxy
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 23, 2025

4. Not a Hum ringer: You know what Ben Humichous has looked like all season? A nice NAIA player who, after three years at that level, managed to squeeze in a D-I season on a really bad Missouri Valley team. That's Humichous' background, of course. Somehow, it got him to Illinois and into the starting lineup from November on.

It's still not too late to subtract from the starting lineup a 6-foot-9 player who grabbed one rebound against Duke while going oh-fer from the field in 22 minutes. Frankly, it's pure stubbornness not to.

5. Looking ahead: Predicted final regular-season record for this team is 18-13 (10-10 Big Ten). The likeliest conference tournament destination is the 8-versus-9 game, with Oregon and Nebraska among the possible Thursday opponents in Indianapolis. An 8-versus-9 game in the NCAA Tournament seems the likeliest scenario, too, though there's wiggle room up or down depending on how the next four (or more) games go.