Illinois Basketball: 3 keys to beating Baylor in 2020 Jimmy V Classic matchup
3. Strong Defense
Against a high-scoring Baylor team, Brad Underwood will need to utilize his strongest calling card: defense.
The Illini weren’t as sharp on defense as expected from an Underwood team last season, allowing 65.3 points per game, which ranked 64th in the nation.
However, it’s uncharacteristic of Illinois teams under Brad Underwood to be anything less than superb on the defensive end. He applies pressure on the ball better than lot of coaches in the country, and they terrorize the Big Ten with their full-court press. Ayo Dosunmu is one of the best defenders in the Big Ten, and he will face a tough test against another one of the best players in the nation in Jared Butler.
Kofi Cockburn should lock down the post, as Flo Thamba doesn’t have the size to be able to score against his monster frame and wingspan. He will have to stay out of foul trouble, though, something Illinois has struggled with this season.
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The Illini will have to force turnovers and create opportunities on offense if they want to upset the Bears, a team that only turned the ball over about 12 times a game last season. This Bears team is good at taking care of the ball. Getting the ball out of their hands is one of the most important things that the Illini can do to beat the second-ranked Bears.