The Illinois basketball team delivered an impressive defensive performance against Indiana on Sunday, which caught the attention of the analytics community, particularly KenPom.
This season has been characterized by an offensive prowess that is historically significant for Illinois, but the team”s defense has struggled with consistency. The absence of guard Kylan Boswell, arguably the team”s top defender, has contributed to these challenges. Additionally, the recent injury to wing player Andrej Stojakovic has further complicated matters.
However, following a difficult stretch where Illinois allowed a staggering 92 points to Wisconsin and 85 points to Michigan State in overtime games, the defensive metrics were beginning to show skepticism regarding Illinois” capabilities. KenPom ranked their defense at No. 31 nationally before the game against Indiana.
The return of Boswell, who had been sidelined since mid-January due to a fractured hand, proved pivotal. In his first game back, Illinois showcased an elite level of defense, limiting Indiana to a mere 40.8 percent shooting from the field and just 25.0 percent from three-point range. Although Indiana”s star guard Lamar Wilkerson scored 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting, his success came at a significant cost, primarily due to Boswell”s relentless defense.
Boswell shadowed Wilkerson throughout the contest, forcing him to expend considerable energy just to get his shots off. The rest of the Illinois roster, including freshman forward David Mirkovic and head coach Brad Underwood, contributed to a suffocating defensive effort that led to Indiana scoring only 20 points in the second half, marking their season low at 51 total points.
After this impressive outing, Illinois has somewhat redeemed itself in the eyes of the KenPom metric, climbing to No. 28 in defensive efficiency. Despite the difficulty of making significant analytical gains this late in the season, this three-spot improvement allowed Illinois to rise overall from No. 7 to a tie for No. 5 with Florida, both teams boasting an adjusted efficiency of 32.97 as of Monday morning.
The next challenge for Illinois is achieving consistency. They have demonstrated their potential to be one of the top defensive teams in the nation, but maintaining that level of performance nightly is crucial. With aspirations for a national title, Illinois must establish a more steady defensive presence moving forward to ensure a deep run in March, which requires consistent excellence on both ends of the court.
