Eighth ranked Illinois opens the season with two impressive wins

[November 27, 2020] 

Illini basketball is back. Finally. It appears to be better than ever! Eight and a half months after Illinois beat Iowa to the end the regular season on Sunday March 8, the beloved returned to the hardcourt. And wow was it an impressive return! This Illinois team is the most anticipated bunch in 15 years and started the season with a bang that has Illini Nation thinking big!

Wednesday, Illinois disposed of North Carolina A & T 122-60 in game one of the new season. Illinois led 58-19 at the half and made a school record 17 three-point baskets. That’s correct, 17 three-point shots. Freshman Adam Miller scored a first game record 28 points on 6-8 shooting from downtown and consensus All-American Ayo Dosunmu matched his HS teammate Miller with 28 points of his own to go along with 10 rebounds. The massive sophomore center Kofi Cockburn also had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in just 17 minutes of game action. This game was so lopsided, walk-on Zach Griffith from nearby Fisher (go Bunnies!) saw game action in the first half!

Other Illini making their initial appearance for the orange and blue included transfer Jacob Grandison (Holy Cross) and freshmen Andre Curbelo and Courtney Hawkins. By the way, you have to love the Curbelo hair! Reminds me of the Lincoln Christian College point guard Jeff “Jose” Mayfield from the 1970’s we know and love! Returning Illini Da’Monte Williams, Trent Frazier and fan favorite Giorgi Bezhanishvili round out the Illinois rotation.

On Thanksgiving Thursday, Illinois picked up where they left off on Wednesday, jumping out to an early 25-6 lead against a Chicago State team playing this year without their head coach due to Covid-19 concerns. Illinois was never threatened, leading 47-17 at halftime on their way to a 97-38 victory. Once again, the Chicago Morgan Park duo of Dosunmu and Miller led the way with 22 and 15 points respectively, while Kofi and Frazier each scored 14 points, and the big Jamaican center secured his second straight double-double with 11 rebounds. The 38 points allowed defensive effort was one of the very best in the history of Illinois basketball. What a great first two games of the new season! Illinois will play a third straight day on Friday with a noon tipoff against the Ohio Bobcats.

How good are these Illini? No one is really sure, but the early signs points to a special season in Champaign-Urbana. And the next two weeks could give us a really good idea, with games against #2 Baylor in Indy on Wednesday, a trip to Cameron Indoor Arena and #9 Duke on December 8, and a road game at Missouri on December 12. Win all three games, and you are looking a team that might compete for the number one ranking in the land for the first time since the days of Dee, Deron and Luther. Go 1-2 or 0-3 and it’s another story all together.

But for now, let’s simply give thanks. Let’s give thanks for a new basketball season, despite the Covid-19 craziness. Let’s give thanks that Ayo and Kofi are back for another year. Let’s give thanks for freshman that bring smiles to our faces. Let’s give thanks for the orange and the blue! Go Illini!

[Greg Taylor]