Rutgers is certainly far better with Dylan Harper on the floor. Unfortunately for Illinois, the projected No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft returned to the court on Wednesday.
After missing the previous two games with an ankle sprain, Harper had a game-high 28 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead Rutgers to an 82-73 win over No. 23 Illinois at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Fellow star freshman Ace Bailey, the projected No. 3 pick in the draft, had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Scarlet Knights (12-11, 5-7 Big Ten)
In a game with four potential one-and-done first-round picks, Illinois freshman Will Riley shined for Illinois with a team-high 18 points (6-for-16 FG) and six assists, and he helped Illinois battle back from a 17-point deficit in the first half to take a lead midway through the second half. But Riley cooled and missed his final five shots.
Meanwhile, Illini star freshman and projected lottery pick Kasparas Jakucionis continued his recent struggles with five points on 1-for-7 shooting and three turnovers.
Ben Humrichous added 14 points and five rebounds for Illinois (15-8, 7-6 Big Ten), which has lost five of its last eight games. Morez Johnson Jr. added 11 points and five rebounds but battled foul trouble.
Illini center Tomislav Ivisic suffered an ankle injury early in the second half and only played four of the final 16 minutes.
Rutgers stormed to a 23-6 lead midway through the first half as Illinois made just 3 of its first 17 shots, and Rutgers made seven straight shots at one point. But Illinois got back into the game with improved defense, forcing Rutgers to miss nine of its last 11 shots of the half. Meanwhile, Riley scored or assisted on the every point of a 12-4 run late in the half to help cut the deficit to 37-29 at halftime. Still, Illinois shot just 2 of 17 from three in the first half.
The teams traded buckets to begin the second half, but Illinois used a 9-0 run (during which five different players scored) to take a 48-47 lead, its first lead since it was 2-0 after the first possession. Riley continued to score and dish for Illinois. But Rutgers answered with a couple key 3-pointers by PJ Hayes and Zach Martini and consistently got to the free throw line, eventually taking a 67-62 lead following a fastbreak 3-pointer by Harper.
Illinois’ offense went cold again to end the game, making just 2 of 10 shots ver the final six minutes, to allow Rutgers to expand its lead to 75-67 before closing out the ranked win as Illinois allowed two offensive rebounds on a late possession.
What it means: This Illini team’s hallmark now is its inconsistency. The Illini haven’t won back-to-back games since a five-game win streak capped on Jan. 8. And while Illinois wasn’t completely whole with Tre White out on Wednesday (reason unknown before Brad Underwood’s press conference), the Illini’s best players were all available and they were unable to beat a talented but subpar Rutgers team that had lost three of four in the Big Ten on its home floor. This team was built to shoot, but it’s the worst three-point shooting team in the Big Ten. The Illini’s veteran transfers haven’t been stabilizing, and the freshmen are still freshmen, which means they’re inconsistent. The Illini are looking more and more like the 2022-23 version of Illinois: capable of beating anyone but capable of losing to anyone. Right now, they’re lacking consistent identity and are untrustworthy.
Star of the game: It’s easy to see why Harper is projected to be the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft. He uses his size advantage well but also plays with great pace and composure, and he’s able to score at all three levels (3-for-5 three) and draw a lot of fouls (8-8 FT). Whoever finishes runner-up in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes is getting a player normally worthy of the No. 1 overall pick.
Stats of the game
- Illinois shot 6-for-28 from three.
- Rutgers scored 18 points off nine Illini turnovers.
- Rutgers outscored Illinois 24-10 on the fastbreak.
- Illinois scored 20 second-chance points off 18 offensive rebounds.
- The Illini’s bench outscored Rutgers’ bench 36-11.
- Rutgers led for 33:05, while Illinois led for 3:45.
Don’t overlook: Kasparas Jakucionis has been very inefficient during his last five games and recently has seemed to hurt his team more than he’s helped. In that five, game stretch, the freshman is averaging 13.0 points on 36.3% shooting (15.3% three) with 27 assists to 23 turnovers. His decision-making, particularly at critical times, has really hurt the Illini. Underwood benched him for long stretches in the second half. Jakucionis has been the Illini’s best player over the entire season, but the 18-year-old is hitting a mental wall at the wrong time entering his final month of college basketball. The Illini need more from him.
What’s next: Illinois travels to Minnesota for a 5 p.m. Saturday tipoff (BTN). After opening up conference play with six straight losses, the Golden Gophers (12-11, 4-8 Big Ten) have won four of their last six games, including home wins over Michigan and Oregon. The Illini have won seven straight against Minnesota, including three straight at Williams Arena by an average of 24 points per game. Dawson Garcia leads Minnesota with 20.1 points and 7.1 rebounds, while Mike Mitchell Jr. (10.8 points) and Charlotte transfer Lu’Cye Patterson (10.5 points) are also averaging double figures.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
