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What Illinois # 4 did at Michigan # 2 on Tuesday – on Michigan’s own court, no less! – could be considered illegal in some jurisdictions.
Without the services of All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu, the Illini (19-6, Big Ten 15-4) dismantled the Wolverines 76-53. It was 33-22 at the half, the game quickly slipping away from Michigan. But this really got out of hand in the second half. Trent Frazier’s 16 points in the second half (and 22 points, the game-high) took Illinois to a massive 43-31 advantage in the final 20 minutes.
Michigan (18-2, 13-2) built their stellar season around physical play, solid defense, effective all-round offense and good 3-point shooting to back up their offense. Illinois decided they wouldn’t allow them to play their game. The result was a 42-26 rebound disparity in the Illini advantage, and a dismal 2-of-7 3-point result for the Wolverines. Their 53 points marked their lowest score of the entire season and the lowest since Dec.3, 2019, when he failed to break the 50-point mark in a loss to Louisville.
The two teams entered the evening as the No. 1 seeds in Jerry Palm’s bracketology. Following the loss, Palm has the Wolverines remaining a No.1 seed, but moving from the No.2 seed to the National No.3 seed with their loss. The Illini remain the fourth seeded No.1 with their victory, effectively standing in first place while changing slightly. Gonzaga and Baylor are the first No.1 seeds following Tuesday’s action.
Illinois have now won 10 of their last 11 games and have climbed into the title race after a bumpy few weeks in December and January. To demolish a Michigan team like it did without Dosunmu, considering how this The Michigan team has played, should force you to recalibrate expectations. There are only a handful of true and viable teams capable of winning the tournament. The Illini have shown with a declaration that they are undoubtedly among them.
Here are a few things to remember:
Big game Trent Frazier
There are very few teams in college hoops that have a third man as capable as Illinois with Trent Frazier. It’s a luxury Illinois tapped into with Dosunmu still ill, because he put him in the spotlight and he responded. But even with Dosunmu, Frazier showed flashes of brilliance. Three times in the past 35 days he has passed at least 22 points. That kind of combustible potential is the kind of talent that, paired with the star-studded duo of Dosunmu and Cockburn, can elevate Illinois from good to excellent.
Kofi Cockburn’s impact
I expected Cockburn to have a tough job against the Michigan frontline. So on paper, a 23-point win in Illinois, you’d think, means Cockburn is gone. Instead, he finished the game with 12 points and seven tables. But don’t surf the stat sheets. Its impact goes beyond the score of the box here. His impact in this game was mostly on defense, where he held Hunter Dickinson to just six points and five tables. The team as a whole scored 24 points in the paint. It was Cockburn’s domain to defend all evening and he held his end of the bargain.
Don’t run away Michigan believers
It’s easy after that kind of performance to convince yourself that Michigan may be ignoring the top status they’ve earned throughout the season. No, Michigan is still a mammoth. It took a Herculean defensive effort from Illinois and a brutally bad night of filming to expose Michigan to a human appearance. It can happen. This team still has what it takes to be a title contender between a top five defense, a top 10 offense, veteran experience, a 3-point shot and a big NBA at Dickinson. Don’t jump off the bandwagon yet.
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