CHAMPAIGN — Ten days in between video games meant Illinois coach Brad Underwood structured his practices a bit otherwise within the lead as much as Friday evening’s high 25 showdown with Iowa. Underwood labored in some intrasquad scrimmages for his group. Break up up the Illini into what he believed have been pretty equal sides.
Then Trent Frazier simply blew up Underwood’s greatest intentions with a few of his greatest practices of the season. It was then the Illini coach knew his senior guard could be at a special degree towards the Hawkeyes.
“I don’t know the precise quantity he made in a row, however I’ll say this, it didn’t matter if it was Ayo (Dosumu), (Andre) Curbelo or Da’Monte (Williams),” Underwood mentioned. “Whoever was making an attempt to protect him failed miserably. When Trent will get on these steaks, his tempo and his velocity and his vary will increase. It wasn’t simply the day we scrimmaged. It was the times up in preparation. He didn’t miss pictures towards the zone.”
Frazier didn’t miss many pictures towards Iowa both. The 6-foot-2 guard was 8 of 13 from the sphere, together with 4 three-pointers, and upped his season excessive with a 24-point efficiency within the 80-75 Illini victory.
“My preparation has been good with me being on a heater in apply making numerous balls,” Frazier mentioned. I feel the largest factor was my preparation. I’ve been superb in apply, doing the correct issues, making pictures and taking pictures the ball with confidence.”
Ayo Dosunmu desires Frazier to maintain taking pictures the ball with confidence. The junior guard doesn’t need to see hesitation on the offensive finish from his teammate.
“I’ve seen Trent at his highest potential,” Dosunmu mentioned. “He does a lot for us on the defensive finish, that generally his offense is sacrificed. Whenever you’re on an important group, generally it’s important to have guys to purchase in. Trent does an unbelievable job of that, however there’s occasions I inform him, ‘You’re a hell of a participant, too,’ Now I name him ‘No hesitation Trent.’”
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One in all Frazier’s 4 three-pointers Friday evening towards Iowa got here on a circus shot because the shot clock expired late within the first half. Frazier’s one-handed, borderline hook shot from the left nook fell, and all he may do was hit the Hawkeyes and his teammates along with his greatest Michael Jordan-inspired shrug.
“After apply I are likely to get in that zone the place I throw up a bunch of pictures from in every single place on the courtroom,” Frazier mentioned. “Clearly, I contemplate {that a} fortunate one, however for some I apply bizarre pictures like that. I don’t know what to say about that. It was three factors. That’s all I see it as.”
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Jacob Grandison began his second sport for Illinois on Friday evening. His 11-point, 10-rebound double-double towards Iowa was his first with the Illini and simply second of his profession. The 6-6 wing had 22 factors and 16 rebounds on March 5, 2019, in a 79-74 Patriot League match win for Holy Cross towards Lafayette.
“He’s placing the work in to his craft and helps our group,” Dosunmu mentioned. “Our group is superb. Our group may be very deep. Now we have so many weapons that may go on the market and produce for us. That’s one factor I like about our group. (Friday) was his evening.”
Underwood has appreciated the vitality and energy Grandison’s delivered to the Illini’s beginning lineup. It’s not totally different from what he was doing off the bench. Simply extra of it now that he’s supplanted Da’Monte Williams as a starter. A distinction Underwood, in fact, doesn’t put all that a lot inventory in. “It was only a change that helped,” Underwood mentioned. “Da’Monte’s had some ankle and Achilles stuff he’s been combating. Jake stepped in and has completed a pleasant job. We’re going to want Da’Monte. I like the flexibility each of these guys give us as a result of they’ll each swing, as they did rather a lot within the first half. They performed a superb quantity collectively. They will each guard guards, and so they’re sufficiently big and powerful sufficient to protect some 4s on this league.”
Grandison’s effort when past vitality and a excessive motor Friday. That was nonetheless vital, however he crammed in as Illinois’ third scorer with an environment friendly 4 of 6 taking pictures efficiency, together with a three-pointer.
“We ran the play for him on the again aspect of the zone to identify up,” Underwood mentioned. “Shoot, he knocked that sucker down.”
However the entire vitality and motor factor was vital, too.
“He’s a fast twitch, actually athletic man,” Underwood mentioned. “He doesn’t get drained. He’s a man that takes numerous delight in being in nice, nice form. He’s a man that tries to outdo Trent on the mile run for being the most effective conditioned man and run it the quickest. He performs that method. He performs at a tempo that helps us.”
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Iowa coach Fran McCaffery was in a, let’s say, lower than verbose temper following his group’s five-point loss in Champaign.
McCaffery was requested after the sport about Jordan Bohannon being held to only six factors on 2 of 6 taking pictures. Within the Hawkeyes’ 4 losses this season, the redshirt senior guard has simply 15 complete factors. Why was that the development?
“I don’t know,” McCaffery answered.
The Iowa coach was additionally requested to touch upon the would-be goaltending name on Cockburn being waved off within the closing minute of the sport.
“I can’t,” McCaffery mentioned. “I can’t.”
The stretch of brief solutions to questions ended with the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leiskitow mentioning Iowa was within the bonus for primarily the ultimate 10 minutes of the sport and didn’t try a free throw.
“That’s actually fascinating, Chad,” McCaffery mentioned. “That’s an important statement by you. You’re a wise man.”
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Bohannon wasn’t the one Iowa participant that was off his regular manufacturing Friday. However the reality he had simply six factors after dropping 29 factors on the Illini the final time he was in Champaign (Jan. 11, 2018) nonetheless stood out to Underwood.
“The job Trent did tonight simply goes together with my disappointment of him not being on the Naismith award checklist for defensive participant of the yr simply because he doesn’t get a ton of steals,” Underwood mentioned.
Luka Garza scoring 19 factors was additionally thought-about a defensive win by Illinois contemplating the Iowa heart is the nation’s main scorer and scored his 19 factors on simply 9 of 18 taking pictures. And he needed to work for these 19 factors.
“I believed Kofi did an unbelievable job of simply making his pictures powerful, carrying hm out,” Frazier mentioned. “I imagine he was worn out a bit of bit simply having to protect that bodily physique.”
“He’s a really environment friendly offensive participant,” Dosunmu added. “They play a zone sometimes to cover him from having to protect and make him very environment friendly on offense. We simply made him guard. I imagine we’ve got the most effective massive within the nation in Kofi. We simply needed to get the ball to him and attempt to put fouls on (Garza) and make him work. Make him a bit of drained and get him fatigued. I feel we did a fairly good job of that.”
