3 Key Numbers From Illinois Basketball's Win Over Minnesota

The dynamic freshman pair of Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley pushed the Illini to a blowout victory

Feb 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) and guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) celebrate during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

At this point, no one knows what to expect from No. 23 Illinois (16-8, 8-6 Big Ten). After falling 82-73 at Rutgers on Wednesday, the Illini traveled back west to Minnesota for what many considered to be a tough matchup against the Golden Gophers.

Having won their last two home games against ranked squads, the Gophers were seeking to push the streak to three – and had as vulnerable a ranked opponent as you could ask for in Illinois, which came in having lost five of its past eight.

Despite the high-alert upset watch the Illini were on, the visitors never seemed sped up or out of control as they cruised to a 95-74 victory behind an uber-efficient offensive night (63.2 percent from the field).

Here are three key numbers that helped determine just how Illinois was able to put together such an impressive performance:

6

It had been more than six years since two Illini freshmen scored 20 or more in the same game – that was, until Saturday night. After scoring a total of 15 total points over his previous two contests, guard Kasparas Jakucionis poured in 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting at Minnesota, finally shaking from his funk and finding his footing from beyond the arc (2-for-4). Meanwhile, forward Will Riley came off the bench and continued his excellent play, dropping 27 on 11-for-17 shooting, while adding nine rebounds and seven assists to round out a stellar stat line.

16

Yes, Illinois’ 56.3 percent three-point shooting was impressive, but the total number of attempts was, in its own way, even more eye-catching. The Illini’s 16 three-point attempts against the Gophers were a season low, but the nine made triples still hovered around their season average. Who doesn't love efficiency?

And with all those extra possessions, Illinois put up its highest scoring total since its Jan. 2 victory at Oregon (109-77). For the first time all season, the Illini capitalized on their ability to score around the hoop and knocked down their long-distance looks when they were available. Moving forward, perhaps head coach Brad Underwood and his squad will embrace a new, rim-focused philosophy that still makes room for the deep ball.

Always know where your teammates are!@willriley_7 🤝@BHumrichous

2H 13:30 | Illini 61, Minnesota 46
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/sLeYDAfDqq

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 9, 2025

12

Minnesota senior forward Dawson Garcia entered Saturday’s matchup averaging 21.2 points per game during Big Ten play – a number that led the conference. Against Illinois, Garcia was held to just 12 points on 4-for-14 field-goal shooting – his second-lowest scoring total in league play this season.

Clearly, the game plan was to throw as many different bodies as possible at Garcia. On some occasions, 6-foot-2 guard Kylan Boswell would match up with the 6-foot-11 Garcia on the perimeter and wait for a double in the post if Garcia backed him down. Other times, forward Morez Johnson Jr. got the call. Seemingly everyone in orange and blue got a turn. But at the end of the day, Garcia mostly got a face-full of Ben Humrichous, who put together his best defensive performance as a member of the Illini.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Basketball Coach Brad Underwood on Kasparas Jakucionis' 'Rough Spot'

Why Illinois Basketball Should Keep Shooting Threes Despite Its Critics

Illinois Finds a New Formula in Eye-Opening Win Over Minnesota