Baylor Basketball: Takeaways from win over Illinois in Jimmy V Classic

By Dave Ackert | Dec 3, 2020

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 11: Mark Vital #11 and Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears congratulate MaCio Teague #31 after a basket during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on January 11, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

1 of 4

Baylor Basketball Jared Butler Mark Vital Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports /

Baylor Basketball comes up with an extremely impressive win over fifth-ranked Illinois.

Adam Flagler scored 18 points in his third game with the Bears while three of his teammates also reached double figures. Baylor Basketball used its trademark defense to turn the game in the second half and pull away from No. 5 Illinois for an 82-69 victory in the Jimmy V Classic.

Baylor outrebounded the Fighting Illini 20-10 and had double the amount of turnovers and steals. All while also outscoring Illinois in the paint and off the bench.

Things really turned in the second half when the Bears showed no sign of fatigue, in fact, it was the exact opposite! The Team only got more excited as the night went on. Thus, so did the scoring difference.

In the second half Baylor went on a 6-0 run, followed by a 9-0 run still with about seven minutes left to go. This really changed the game that had been so back and forth for the entire first half and more.

Three things really stuck out to me in the impressive win over the then 3-0 Fighting Illini; The team’s energy and enthusiasm, the coaching, and how many weapons the Bears have. We’ll get to all three but first, let’s start with that fire.

Home/Baylor Bears