Why Illinois Basketball Shouldn't Panic after Northwestern Loss

The Illini struggled defensively against a team of mid-range maestros

Mar 23, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

With Illinois (6-2, 0-1 Big Ten) falling to Northwestern (7-3, 1-1 Big Ten) – a team that had lost all three of its games against high-major opponents leading up to Friday's matchup – Illini fans may now be concerned about their squad.

 But they have little reason to be.

Yes, Northwestern was picked in the preseason to finish 16th out of 18 Big Ten teams, but consider two things: 1) the conference is extremely deep this year, and 2) the Wildcats already seem to be proving that projection to be massively wrong.

Especially after the performance the Wildcats turned in Friday, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone left who believes that Chris Collins' squad is the third-worst team in the Big Ten.

After trailing nearly all of regulation, the Wildcats were able to tie the score with 41 seconds left in regulation to force extra innings on a Brooks Barnhizer one-legged fadeaway – a shot that served as a perfect microcosm of the game.

BROOKS. BARNHIZER.

📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/kBnhouN9vr

— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) December 7, 2024

All night, Barnhizer (17 points) and teammate Nick Martinelli (a game-high 27) dominated the Illini by utilizing a style of play that is no longer en vogue – and is, in fact, strongly discouraged in many modern basketball circles: the mid-range.

Against Illinois, Barnhizer routinely pulled up on defenders, taking fadeaway jumpers and “settling” for long, contested 2s.

Even Martinelli, who does much of his work closer to the rim, thrived on an endless string of contested bunnies and difficult flip shots.

Nicky Buckets gets us started in OT 🤌

📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/LRPT4vyUKp

— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) December 7, 2024

And here's the kicker: All of that was exactly what Illinois coach Brad Underwood wanted. 

Illinois’ defense is built on the concepts of running opponents off the 3-point line and preventing layups – essentially encouraging opponents to fire away from mid-range. And on the season, they have done just that, holding the competition to 25.1 percent from long range (the fourth-best mark in the nation).

Specifically against NU, that number held up – and then some – as Illinois held the home team to a grim 4-for-19 performance from beyond the arc (19.0 percent).

So what was the issue?

The Wildcats mid-range game was unstoppable.

Martinelli backed down, banged, poked around and pirouetted in the lane to finish 11-for-20 (55.0 percent) from the field en route to his 27.

Barnhizer struggled a bit more, going 7-for-23 (30.4 percent), but he knocked down timely shots all night – most of them contested 2s.

Even guard Jalen Leach chipped in with 16 points, going 6-for-11 (54.5 percent) from inside the arc, and hitting multiple mid-range jumpers. 

And although it may not be the mathematically “correct” way to approach the modern game, there is a dusty, old saying that still holds up: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“I have a mid-range team. And we won,” said Collins when asked about the 35 non-rim twos his Wildcats took against the Illini. "Brooks Barnhizer is a mid-range player. Nick Martinelli is a mid-range player. Jalen Leach is a mid-range player. You’ve got to coach the players you have. I’d be an idiot to tell those guys not to take mid-range jump shots.”

While the personnel of this Northwestern squad is built perfectly to take down Illinois’ defensive style of play, the Wildcats still shot just 28-for-72 (38.9 percent) from the field – clearly a successful defensive outing for the Illini.

The problem manifested on the other end of the court, where the Illini's own shooting – 9-for-34 from deep (26.5 percent) – quite literally came up short.

But timing is everything. Illinois has a roster laden with high-level shooters, and that outing against the Cats figures to be one of its worst of the season. On the vast majority of nights, all other things being equal, the Illini would have walked away from Welsh-Ryan Arena with a win.

Don't expect drastic changes (or even any) from Underwood. If the Illini stick to their preferred defensive formula and start knocking down shots – while continuing to control the glass on both ends – they will be in great shape moving forward.

And with No. 20 Wisconsin in Champaign on Tuesday night and No. 1 Tennessee to follow Saturday – two great opportunities to build Illinois’ resume for March – now is the time to fine-tune their schematic principles and be well-prepared to weather the storm down the stretch.

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