3 Big Questions for Illinois Basketball vs. Maryland Eastern Shore

How will the Illini, back on their home floor Saturday, respond to their first loss of the year?

Nov 20, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) makes a face as he attempts a shot against Alabama forward Grant Nelson (4) in the CM Newton Classic at Legacy Arena. Alabama defeated Illinois 100-87. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After falling to No. 8 Alabama 100-87 on Wednesday, No. 25 Illinois (3-1) has returned to Champaign and is set to take on Maryland Eastern Shore (2-5) on Saturday (3 p.m. CT, on B1G+).

In the midst of a jam-packed week of basketball (three games in six days), Illinois will have a quick turnaround after facing the Hawks, with Little Rock on deck Monday. Both contests will serve as opportunities for the Illini to work out the remaining kinks before a Thanksgiving Day showdown with John Calipari and his 20th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks.

While the Arkansas game is at the forefront of fans' minds, the Illini must first defend their home court and answer some questions – including the following three – in Saturday’s get-right matchup:

Will the Illini rediscover their shooting touch?

After scorching the nets to open the season, Illinois' efficiency from the perimeter dropped off against Alabama, despite its shooters mostly getting good looks. A 10-of-30 mark from 3-point range (33.3 percent) isn’t terrible, but it's subpar for a squad that considers outside shooting to be a calling card. A single game doesn't tell much of a story, but the Illini will need to knock down more triples if they hope to take down college basketball’s top teams. Also, an off night from outside does not explain an abysmal showing at the free throw line, where Illinois all but shot itself out of the game against Bama (13-for-24, 54.2 percent).

Is Kasparas Jakucionis ready to settle down?

Lead guard Jakucionis has been undeniably impactful through four games, averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 assists. But after delivering 20 assists against only five turnovers in his first two games, Jakucionis has flipped the script (nine assists to 11 turnovers in his last two). A passing savant with maturity beyond his years, the 18-year-old Jakucionis will only improve as the season progresses. Maybe briefly dialing down the competition to mid-major level may be exactly what he needs to reestablish his rhythm.

Jakucionis hits @trewhite19 on the pick-n-roll to get us going!

1H 18:00 | #Illini 2, Oakland 0
📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/5WGqYoWk1m

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 14, 2024

Can the Illini keep opposing ball-handlers out of the lane?

In Illinois’ first three games, a few small cracks were revealed in the defense as the Illini's on-ball defenders were occasionally beaten off the dribble. But against Alabama, the D leaked like a sieve, with opposing guards seemingly penetrating into the paint on every possession. Pick an Illinois defender (aside from guard Kylan Boswell), and you can be sure they played traffic cone at least once on Wednesday. And unless Morez Johnson Jr. was cleaning up the mess – which was a rare sight since his four fouls mostly kept him off the court – the Tide were rolling through the lane and creating wide-open looks all night long. Although Maryland Eastern Shore lacks Bama's offensive firepower, now is the time for the Illini to get back to their defensive principles and seal things up.

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