Illinois Basketball: 3 keys to beating Chattanooga in Round of 64
By Tommy Farmer
Convert Layups and Free Throws
It sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, Illinois has had a tough time finishing at the rim and at the line recently. Come March, it gets harder and harder to win when you’re not converting on great looks. The Illini get to the free throw line a good amount, averaging over 18 free throw attempts per game. However, they rank just 200th in free throw percentage across all Division One teams at just 70.76%.
The two Illini players who get to both the rim and the charity stripe the most are Kofi Cockburn and Andre Curbelo. Cockburn has done an excellent job finishing around the rim, but often the opposing team just hacks him and sends him to the line. He has been inconsistent at the line, shooting just 65.1%. This could be to the detriment of Illinois especially late in games if opponents decide to intentionally foul him.
Curbelo, on the other hand, has struggled finishing around the rim. He missed around two months of games and is still getting back into the swing of things, but time is running out on the season.
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He has been great at getting to the rim, but he needs to do a better job converting if the Illini are going to have success moving forward. On the positive side, Curbelo has done a better job at the free throw line, hitting at a 74.5% clip on the season.