Happy Game Day Illini Nation! The game tonight is on BTN at 6:00 - but maybe you’ll be there in person anyway!
Terrible news yesterday as we found out that Bam fractured his right hand during practice. He is expected to miss approximately a month, with a mid-February return currently targeted. Underwood called it a “freak deal”—Boswell bumped his hand into an arm during practice..
Underwood praised his professionalism, noting that Boswell is frustrated but actively looking for ways to contribute. “He’s a wonderful young guy who has meant a lot to our program,” Underwood said.
For Illinois, replacing Boswell, particularly his defensive presence, won’t fall on one player. Underwood stressed the team will need a collective “next man up” effort from the whole team.
In the Big Ten, there are no gimmes…especially not against Maryland. The Illini are just 3-9 against the Terrapins under Brad Underwood, a stat that’s been hanging around like an unwanted guest. Tonight’s a chance to finally starting shaking that turtle-shaped monkey off our back, but now we’ll have to try and do that without Boswell
This marks game seven of a seven-game stretch many viewed as Illinois’ opportunity to stack wins. The Illini have capitalized so far, but the work isn’t done. Get Maryland down early, never let them back in it, and carry real momentum into Saturday’s showdown at #4 Purdue in Mackey Arena.
No easy games. Just opportunities.
THIS DAY IN ILLINI HISTORY: JANUARY 21
January 21, 2020: Kofi Cockburn Announces His Arrival at Mackey Arena
Six years ago today, a 7-foot, 290-pound freshman from Jamaica walked into one of the Big Ten’s toughest road environments and put the conference on notice. Kofi Cockburn’s dominant 22-point, 15-rebound performance powered #21 Illinois to a 79-62 victory at Purdue. It was the program’s first win at Mackey Arena in twelve years.
Cockburn was unstoppable. His 15 rebounds rank as the sixth-most in a single road game in Illinois history, and he controlled the paint against Purdue’s twin towers of 7-foot-3 Matt Haarms and 270-pound Trevion Williams (Matt Painter really really does have a type). The freshman went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line which could be the most impressive part of all of this!
But Cockburn didn’t do it alone. Ayo Dosunmu posted his first career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 11 assists, orchestrating the offense with precision. Trent Frazier added 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from deep, part of an 18-for-19 team effort from the charity stripe. Illinois opened the second half with a 7-0 run to erase a 30-29 halftime deficit, then never let Purdue closer than nine down the stretch.
The win snapped Purdue’s 15-game home winning streak in Big Ten play and ended Illinois’ own seven-game skid at Mackey Arena dating back to 2008. For Brad Underwood’s squad sitting at 14-5 and 6-2 in conference play, it marked their best Big Ten start since 2005-06.
January 21, 2004: Illinois Obliterates Penn State in Historic Blowout
Twenty-two years ago today, Illinois delivered one of the most lopsided beatdowns in Big Ten history. The Illini demolished Penn State 80-37 at Assembly Hall, setting records that still stand today.
The 43-point margin of victory remains the largest in series history against Penn State. The Nittany Lions shot a putrid .210 from the field (13-for-62)…the worst field goal percentage by a Big Ten opponent in Illinois history. Their 37 points tied for the fewest ever scored by an opponent at Assembly Hall.
This was a statement-win. Bruce Weber’s squad was building toward something special, and this demolition was an early warning shot that the 2003-04 Illini meant business in conference play.
Another notable performance:
1993: Illinois went perfect from the free-throw line (24-for-24) against Penn State—one of only two times in program history Illinois has shot 1.000 on 24+ free throws.
ILLINI IN THE PROS
NBA
Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls
Dosunmu dropped 18 points with three rebounds and four assists in Chicago’s dominant 138-110 victory over the Clippers on Tuesday night. The third-year guard shot efficiently as part of a Bulls squad that tied a franchise record with 25 three-pointers, completely dismantling a Clippers team that had won six straight .Over his last seven games, he’s been even better, posting 16.9 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 55.4% from the field.
The Bulls are sitting at 9th in the East at 21-22, the Bulls are clinging to their play-in position by their fingernails. Chicago is 5-5 in its last 10 games and 3-2 in its last 5 as they continue to tread water. However, they did win last night and the game before…that’s called “two in a row”. If they win tomorrow, that would be called a “winning streak”.
Kasparas Jakucionis, Miami Heat
The 19-year-old rookie logged just one point on 1-for-2 shooting with two rebounds in Miami’s 119-108 victory over Sacramento on Monday night. Jakucionis played limited minutes off the bench after returning to his reserve role following Davion Mitchell’s clearance to play again.
For a Miami squad sitting 8th in the East at 23-21, Jakucionis represents long-term upside in what’s shaping up as a developmental season. The Lithuanian rookie shows flashes when given extended opportunities. However, with Miami fighting for play-in positioning, Jakucionis is learning the NBA game in small doses while the Heat lean on veterans.
Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors
The third-year guard contributed 11 points with three rebounds and two assists in Golden State’s brutal 145-127 loss to Toronto on Tuesday night. Podziemski couldn’t find his rhythm in a game where the Warriors got torched from deep and lost Jimmy Butler III to a torn ACL, fundamentally altering their rotation outlook. With the Butler injury, Podziemski, now becomes a critical piece in Steve Kerr’s rotation puzzle. The Warriots are in 8th place in the West with a record of 25-20.