The fallen leaves and cold weather indicate not only the changing of summer to fall, but also are gearing Illini fans up for another season of basketball. Presently, things are off to a really great start as the team’s overall record is an impressive 9-0. Starting from the opening game on October 12, the Fighting Illini have set themselves up for a great start to the season with a win every time.
The team traveled to Hawaii on November 16 for the Maui Invitational and defeated Hawaii by one single point, 78-77 in overtime. This was one of the closest scoring games this season. The Illini won 63-62 against Gardner-Webb on November 25.
The Fighting Illini have not been too successful in the past years, and some debate that this year’s turnaround is because Bruce Weber is no longer leading the team. The players are now coached by former Ohio head coach John Groce. The new coach seems to have a positive effect on the team and is a breath of fresh air after the Weber period. This season is appearing to be more successful than last season when the team finished very last in the Big Ten. The start to this current undefeated season is the best start that any Illinois coach has brought about for around 100 years.
On December 8, the team played Gonzaga, who are No. 10 in the league as of right now. This was a game that was not to be missed, as both teams came into the game undefeated, and were two out of only five teams to be undefeated at the moment. Although it was a close call, the Illini managed to continue their winning streak with the final score being 85-74.
Not only have the Illini been defeating every team that comes their way, they have also been holding their place as some of the top scorers in the NCAA. For example, they are the first ever Illinois team to make over double digit 3-pointers in six consecutive games, and their total number of scored 3-pointers this season is ninety-seven, according to FightingIllini.co. Last year at this point in the season, the team only made a total of 63 3-pointers, which indicates just how well the Illini are doing as compared to their status last year.
As far as other statistics from this season, the Illini are currently ranked 31st overall for points per game, according to ESPN.com. In addition, they are ranked 90th for the number of field goal points per game. As the season continues, perhaps these rankings will climb up as well.
Top players from the team to make note of include senior Brandon Paul, senior DJ Richardson, and junior Joseph Bertrand, all three of whom play guard. With these high scoring team members, undefeated record and new coach, perhaps this is the year that the Fighting Illini will come out on top as victors!