The state of Illinois is in great shape when it comes to the sport of basketball. Both the Chicago Bulls and the Illini Men’s Basketball have been playing extremely well this season.
The Fighting Illini:
The Illini are currently ranked number one in the Big Ten. The Big Ten has a lot of different contenders that are strong and versatile, but the Illini win over the Ohio State Buckeyes is what gave them the top spot.
All five of the starters have had games scoring over 20 points, which continues to show how consistent the Illini are. Star players DJ Richardson, Brandon Paul, and Meyers Leonard have been playing well on both the offensive and defensive end, which makes the Illini a hard team to beat.
Brandon Paul had an amazing game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 10th (one of the best teams in the Big Ten), scoring 43 points. He had a career high, along with the third best scoring record performance in Illini Basketball history. He was also awarded the Oscar Robertson player of the week by the US Basketball Association.
With performances like Paul’s, the Illini will most likely remain strong for the rest of the season. However, with teams like Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, and Wisconsin gunning for number one as well, the Illini will need to stay on their feet.
Some big upcoming games are 1/31 (Michigan State), 2/9 (Indiana) and 2/12 (Michigan).
Chicago Bulls:
The Bulls have had a strong start to the beginning of the season, despite lockout woes.
With the recent injury of Derrick Rose (who has a sprained left toe), the Bulls have needed some other players to step up to the plate, which Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng have continued to do. Carlos boozer had a strong performance last Tuesday, with 31 points against the Phoenix Suns.
While Boozer looked strong Tuesday night, Joakim Noah has been struggling to get points in the paint. Although it is somewhat early in the season, in order to be successful in the playoffs, Noah will need to find ways to score.
The Bulls are a consistent team that have the energy and motivation to win. Rose, Deng and Boozer are all averaging over 14 points per game, which exemplifies their strong offensive game. The rest of their starters are also averaging above 10 points per game. Rose leads the team with 271 points, while Noah leads the team with 131 rebounds.
With 13 wins and 3 losses, the Bulls are currently ranked number one in the Central Eastern Conference. The other top ranked teams in the NBA are the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic. The Bulls are definitely the team to watch this season, and a team that could very well take home the NBA Championship title.
Hopefully both teams will continue to impress. With strong players on both teams, I think both the Bulls and the Illini will finish the season strong.