17 hours Ago
To subscribe, click here. Sign up for our daily basketball newsletter here Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team and college basketball at large: The advanced metrics favor Illinois as the new year approaches.
The Illini rank 10th in Torvik, 23rd in KenPom and 14th in the NET after an 8-3 start to the season. Here's a look at some interesting data points (courtesy Bart Torvik) heading into the weekend: — Illinois has the fifth best defense in terms of adjusted efficiency. The foundation of that is limiting three-pointers and forcing tough twos, which the Illini are accomplishing.
They rank 28th nationally with their opponents getting off threes on just 33 percent of their total shot attempts and check in at 11th ini two-point defense with opposing teams shooting 42.6 percent inside the arc. — Shooting three-pointers is also Illinois' top offensive priority, and 51.
1 percent of the Illini's shot attempts through 11 games have come from beyond the arc. Only eight teams shoot from long range more frequently (North Dakota State, North Florida, Louisville, William & Mary, Furman, Indiana State, IU Indy, South Alabama, Creighton and DePaul). Making 32.
3 percent of them, however, has Illinois ranked 217th in the country. — The stingy Illinois defense is once again happening without forcing many turnovers. The Illini have a defensive turnover rate of just 14.
1 percent, which ranks 332nd nationally. — Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis ranks fifth in the Big Ten with an assist rate of 31.4 percent and also fifth in the conference with a turnover rate of 26.
9 percent. — Sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic checks in at fifth in the Big Ten with a defensive rebounding rate of 26.2 percent.
Fellow big man Morez Johnson Jr. would be tied for fourth with Maryland's Julian Reese with a defensive rebounding rate of 26.8 percent if he played enough minutes to qualify.
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