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Illinois delivered another January 17 beatdown of Minnesota yesterday, turning the date into an unofficial state holiday. The Illini sit tied for 3rd in the Big Ten with the Michigan schools (all 6-1 in conference play), trailing only the Nebrasketball juggernaut and Purude, who are both currently 7-0 in Big Ten games. .
ILLINI IN THE PROS
NBA
Kasparas Jakucionis, Miami Heat
The Lithuanian rookie earned his second career NBA start and delivered exactly what Miami needed: steady hands against the league’s best defense. Jakucionis posted just 3 points last night, but had a team-high 7 assists in 27 minutes as the Heat edged Oklahoma City 122-120, and here’s the kicker….zero turnovers against a Thunder defense that feasts on mistakes. We all know what a promising sign that is for KJ.
Miami turned the ball over just four times total in the win, a testament to Jakucionis’ floor generalship. That 7-0 assist-to-turnover ratio against OKC’s suffocating scheme is the kind of performance that earns trust from head coach Erik Spoelstra. With the Heat sitting 8th in the East at 22-20, fighting to stay in the play-in race, the rookie’s composure is impressive.
And check out this defense against SGA!
Will Riley, Washington Wizards
Riley’s development hit a speed bump over the past week—the rookie posted plus-minus numbers of -18, -22, and -15 across three consecutive losses before last night. But Saturday’s 121-115 defeat to Denver offered a glimmer: 7 points on 3-of-8 shooting in 16 minutes with a plus-1 rating, his first positive plus-minus in four games.
It’s a small step, but for a lottery-bound Washington squad (10 wins and 31 losses), Riley’s progression matters more than wins. The hustle’s there…the consistency isn’t. Yet.
Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors
Podziemski poured in 16 points with 6 rebounds and 7 assists, helping the Warriors cruise past Charlotte 136-116. The third-year guard continues his steady development, scoring above his 11.9 PPG average while showcasing the all-around game that made him a first-round pick.
Golden State sits 8th in the West at 24-19, locked in their own play-in battle. Podziemski’s balanced production gives the Warriors a versatile weapon as they navigate the conference logjam.
THIS DAY IN ILLINI HISTORY
When fourth-ranked Illinois rolled into Madison on January 18, 1979 and dropped 81 points in a road victory over Wisconsin, no one would’ve predicted it would launch a decade of dominance—that 81-74 triumph ignited an incredible 10-game road winning streak at Wisconsin that stretched all the way to 1988.
Fast forward to 2011, and twenty-third-ranked Illinois defended the Assembly Hall hardwood with authority, knocking off Tom Izzo’s seventeenth-ranked Spartans 71-62 in a statement Big Ten victory. (Spoiler alert: You are going to hear Brandon Paul, Demetri McCamey, and Jereme Richmond’s names a lot in this video)
In 2003 Freshman Dee Brown torched Indiana from distance, draining five triples on just seven attempts—a scorching 71.4% clip that still ranks tied for tenth in program history for three-point shooting percentage by a freshman in a single game. Despite the 74-66 loss at Assembly Hall, Brown’s sharpshooting announced his arrival as a legitimate weapon in big-game moments.
Most recently in 2024, Coleman Hawkins turned in a helluva game, padding the stat sheet including racking up six steals in fourteenth-ranked Illinois’s commanding 88-73 road win over Michigan
By the way, we should all strive to find someone who loves us as much as Illinois loved beating up on Juwan Howard (insert joke about Juwan Howard beating up other coaches). Dusty May is good, and it makes me really, really miss that chump.
WHAT TO WATCH
Whelp. We have one option for Big Ten basketball today. It’s not exactly a matchup of two powerhouses, but hey….it could be competitive!
Penn State @ Maryland – 11:00 AM CT on BTN
Ooooh…an early morning start nonetheless. If the over-under was set at 5.5 points score by the first TV timeout, I just might take the under.
Kayden Mingo is worth watching though as he and Hannes Steinbach are some of the only Big Ten Freshman challenging my beloved Keaton Wagler for Big Ten Freshman POY honors.