The sun still rose this morning. Yeah, it stings. The 12-game winning streak died in overtime at the Breslin Center last night, and if you’re feeling the weight of it this morning, that’s because we care.
Keaton Wagler looked mortal for the first time in weeks. Michigan State was physical, aggressive, earned an unusually high number of fouls from an Illinois team that usually stays disciplined, and out-rebounded us. The Spartans forced the issue all night and made the Illini uncomfortable in ways few teams have managed this season.
But let’s talk about Jake Davis for a second. Two free throws with one second on the clock. When he was done, the game was tied. I know in the Dunker house he was already beloved, and I like to think that its the same for countless households in Illini nation. After that, I like to think the whole world outside the state of Michigan are Jake from State Farm Center fans.
It wasn’t enough last night, and that’s okay. Illinois hadn’t lost since mid-December. One loss at the Breslin Center, where good teams go to die every February…one loss doesn’t change what this team is. The Illini are still 20-4, still sitting near the top of the Big Ten, and still firmly in position for a high seed come Selection Sunday. The conference title race is alive and well. One foot in front of the other.
ILLINI IN THE PROS
NBA
Ayo Dosunmu, Minnesota Timberwolves
Ayo was not active for the Wolves on Friday night after being traded before the NBA deadline, but he looks to be ready to go for Minnesota’s matchup against the Clippers today at 2:00 CST on ESPN.
Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves
Signs are pointing in a positive direction for TJ. After missing over a month with a left foot abductor hallucis strain, Shannon was cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 activities on February 6 and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Clippers — the very same game in which Ayo is expected to debut for the Wolves.
Before the injury, Shannon’s second NBA season had been a grind. He averaged 4.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.8 minutes across 22 appearances, serving as the backup behind McDaniels with inconsistent minutes. The foot issue, his second of the season after a November bone bruise, has robbed him of development time at a critical juncture. But the Wolves’ deadline moves cleared roster space and shuffled the guard rotation. With Ayo now handling primary bench guard duties, Shannon’s path forward might actually become clearer as a wing specialist rather than fighting for backcourt minutes.
Will Riley, Washington Wizards
File this under “breakout alert.” Will Riley is officially cooking, and Saturday night in Brooklyn was the hottest he’s burned yet.
The rookie wing torched the Nets for 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting (4-for-6 from deep), adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block in 45 minutes. Twenty-seven points is a new career high, topping the 20 he hung on the East-leading Pistons just two days earlier. Before that, 17 against the Knicks. Before that, 18 and 6 assists against Sacramento. Before that, 13 points and 4 steals against the Lakers.
That’s five straight games averaging 19 points per game, and the 6-foot-9 wing has been doing it from everywhere, shooting the lights out from three over his last several games after hitting just 23.2% from deep through his first 34 outings.
Washington’s at 14-37 and playing with a skeleton crew after the deadline gutted the roster, but for Riley, the opportunity is golden. He turns 20 on Monday, and the birthday present he’s given himself is to make the most out of these opportunities he’s been given.
Season averages of 6.5 points look modest until you see his recent trajectory
Kasparas Jakučionis, Miami Heat
The youngest Illini in the NBA continues his steady climb. Jakucionis had started six consecutive games before sliding back to the bench on February 1 when Davion Mitchell returned from a shoulder injury, but his January audition earned him something more valuable than a starting spot…Erik Spoelstra’s trust.
The numbers tell one story: 4.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists on the season. But the eye test and the advanced metrics tell another story. Jakučionis is shooting 48.4% from three-point range and posting a 55.0% true shooting percentage. His January 25 performance against Utah (12 points and 5 rebounds in a 147-116 blowout) and his January 15 line against Boston (12 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds) showed a player whose basketball IQ plays beyond his age.
The Heat sit at 27-26, navigating what many have called a “gap year.” But within that gap, a 19-year-old Lithuanian point guard out of Champaign is carving out real NBA minutes. Jakucionis has appeared in 30 games, and his defensive activity and spot-up shooting have made him a rotation piece, not a project.
This Day In Illini History: February 8
2025: Illinois 95, Minnesota 74
Exactly one year ago today, two future NBA first-round picks put on a show at Williams Arena. Will Riley scorched Minnesota for 27 points on 11-for-17 shooting with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, a performance so complete it barely needed a supporting cast. But he had one anyway: Kasparas Jakucionis poured in 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting with 6-for-6 from the free throw line, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
If you haven’t watched one of Mike LaTulip’s film breakdowns, take a chance and watch this one. Even though its a year old, you will learn something new for sure.
Meanwhile, Tomislav Ivisic was ruthlessly efficient, going 8-for-9 from the field (including 2-for-2 from deep) for 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The No. 23 Illini shot a blistering .632 from the field and .563 from three as a team, both season-best marks.
2009: #23 llinois 66, #12 Purdue 48
On this Feb 8 in 2009, the Illini delivered a statement. A 23rd-ranked Illinois squad demolished 12th-ranked Purdue 66-48 at Assembly Hall in a Big Ten showdown that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggested.
The catalyst for the blowout was sophomore Mike Davis, who put together a helluva gutsy performance. Despite battling Bell’s palsy and tonsillitis, Davis dismantled the Boilermakers’ frontline to the tune of 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. His length and activity in the paint, combined with his signature mid-range jumper, gave Illinois an edge Purdue simply couldn’t match, especially with Robbie Hummel sidelined. Coincidentally, Robbie Hummel on the sideline has turned out to be quite enjoyable in more recent years, as well.
By halftime, Davis already had nine boards, setting the tone for a rebounding effort that allowed the Illini to control the pace and ignite the Assembly Hall crowd to “earsplitting” decibels.
Defensively, Bruce Weber’s squad turned the game into a nightmare for the Boilers, holding them to a season-low 48 points and a dismal 32% shooting. Chester Frazier spearheaded the effort, taking the assignment of guarding E’Twaun Moore personally and holding the future NBA guard to just six points.
The game was effectively decided by a massive 23-6 second-half run where Illinois’ defense choked out the Purdue offense, holding them to just one field goal over a ten-minute span.
Frazier punctuated the victory with a late layup and a legendary fist pump that Weber later remarked had officially “broken their spirit,” securing a win that remains a cornerstone of the 2009 season’s identity.