Illinois Basketball Report Card: Grades at Oregon (Game 13)

Posted by author January 4, 2025 Basketball

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No. 22 Illinois arrived in Eugene for Thursday’s game against No. 9 Oregon as 4.5-point ‘dogs, then hit the floor and ran like greyhounds and shredded the Ducks like hungry pit bulls in a 109-77 statement win that set a new NCAA mark for highest margin of victory by a road team against a top-10 opponent.

And now that we’ve exhausted our quota of canine references, let’s get down to the fun part after a game like this: handing out high marks (nearly) all around. As always, keep in mind that the following grades reflect single-game performances only and are meant to be an objective analysis of the performances of a bunch of young men undoubtedly trying their best at a game that happens to be really, really hard.

It’s kind of amazing when the player who is generally considered your No. 4 or 5 is out here hanging a 20-10 on a top-10 team on the road. White has been wildly productive (he has nearly notched a 20-10 in three other games this season) and a perfect fit on this team – and he only now seems to be gaining his footing.

Right place, right time? Maybe so, but you know what they say: Half of success is just showing up. Davis had one gift bunny teed up for him against Oregon, and he was set up nicely on a couple other buckets. But those shots don’t just hit themselves, and in his 11 minutes he added three rebounds to go with his 12 points. Unless he’s piloting the plane home, too, you can’t ask for more.

Gibbs-Lawhorn continues to find his niche in this group and bring intensity, athleticism and shooting to the dance. Especially when Illinois finds itself in a track meet, DGL (11 points on 5-for-6 shooting against the Ducks) can be expected to hit the ground running whenever he checks in.

Whatever Boswell delivered Thursday was bound to be a comedown from his triple-double against Chicago State, but 15 points (on 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range), four assists and two steals – plus the usual lockdown on-ball defense – is the kind of drop-off coach Brad Underwood will welcome again and again.

Why not higher? Honestly, Humrichous’ defense was spotty in Eugene, and another two-rebound game is not where it’s at from a starting power forward. But let’s focus on the positives: Humrichous rediscovered his shooting form in a big way (7-for-11 on field goals and 4-for-7 from three) to finish with 18 points, and in seemingly every game he does something that reminds why he should probably be given more leeway to put in work inside the arc: Against Oregon, it was a filthy one-handed dunk that seemed to impress even the Ducks.

After a first-half no-show (no points or rebounds, one assist) due in part to foul trouble, Jakucionis squeezed nearly a full game’s worth of production into 20 minutes: 16 points (6-for-11 from the field), six rebounds and six assists. His between-the-legs dropoff assist on a Humrichous three was a highlight, but his methodical picking apart of Oregon’s D in a second-half point guard masterclass honestly topped it.

It may not have been a banner day for the Illini big man, but eight points, eight rebounds and high-quality interior defense is more than acceptable production when nearly all of your teammates are cooking with jet fuel. The numbers didn’t totally reflect it, but Ivisic was a difference-maker.

Johnson’s numbers – especially given the per-minute standard he has set – were mostly forgettable, but his interior defense played a role and the learning lesson he got in Eugene will be invaluable. Slugging it out inside with a tank like Supreme Cook represent vital reps that should ready Johnson for the Big Ten stretch run.

Riley is still figuring out how best to contribute when he’s on the floor, and that too often translates to trying to do too much – over-dribbling, driving into help and iffy shot selection. His catch-and-shoot three at the end of the game may have been a throwaway, but it was a good example of how calming his approach and taking what he’s given could open up the game for him.