Illinois Edges Iowa State In Sweet Sixteen Thriller: 3 Takeaways

The Fighting Illini are headed to their first Elite Eight since 2005 after pulling out a win over Iowa State, 72-69.

Illinois played some of its best basketball all season, holding Iowa State to just 39.7% from the field. Terrence Shannon Jr. finished with a game-high 29 points, his 41st consecutive double-digit game for the Illini, even with foul trouble in the second half.

Here are my 3 Takeaways.

Takeaway #1: Illinois’ Defense

Let’s revisit that intro: Iowa State shot 39.7% from the field. This is an Iowa State team that was shooting nearly 50% from three-point range coming into this game.

Going in, the storyline was “Best Offense vs. Best Defense.” But Iowa State’s defense wasn’t the only defense on display in this one.

Illinois only forced nine turnovers but they were extremely active on closeouts. Just about every Iowa State shot was contested, especially in the first half. The Illini jumped out to an 8-0 lead to start the game and never looked back, always having an answer to a Cyclone run.

But it’s easy to go on big runs when your defense plays the way Illinois’ did.

I spoke with the Illinois radio team as they wrapped up their broadcast courtside and they said this looked eerily similar to the way Illinois played at the beginning of the season. Smothering defense and electric offense, the former having fallen off as the season continued.

But if the Illini can play this way against UConn on Saturday, there’s no telling how far this team will go.

Takeaway #2: Terrence Shannon Jr. 

For a player who got into some serious foul trouble and missed considerable time, Terrence Shannon Jr. put on one heck of a show.

Shannon scored six of the Illini’s first eight points on that 8-0 run to begin the game, setting the tone for the rest of the game. He finished with 29 points and went 4-10 from deep. 

Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey said Wednesday that he paid close attention to how Shannon switched speeds while preparing for the matchup. That speed was on full display, Shannon darting and shifting in the paint all night long. 

Shannon’s ability to absorb contact and draw fouls is elite. While he only went 5-10 from the charity stripe, his physical play was crucial in forcing much of the Cyclones’ lineup into foul trouble.

Shannon capped off the Illinois win with a fastbreak dunk off of a steal, sending the Illini to their first Elite Eight in a decade.

Takeaway #3: The Hot-Shooting Cyclones Were Bound To Cool Off

Going into the contest, Iowa State was shooting just under 50% as a team from the three-point line. They were held to under 40% from the field in the loss.

Sure, there were missed layups. A few head-scratchers that prevented Iowa State from making a comeback. But for the most part, Illinois’ active defense and closeouts made it extremely difficult to get good looks.

T.J. Otzelberger did an incredible job with this Iowa State team. The Cyclones have one of the best resumes in the country. The gameplan that got them through the regular season worked flawlessly during Champ Week and during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones just didn’t have much of an inside presence on offense, and that severely hurt them while going up against one of the nation’s best offenses.

It’s not that Iowa State was incapable of defending the Illini. They held Illinois to 42% shooting, five points below their season average. The Cyclones forced 12 turnovers as well. 

It’s not that Iowa State was not up to the task. It’s just tough to keep up with Illinois if your shots aren’t falling.

Next Up For Illinois: 3/30 vs. UConn (Elite Eight – 6:09 p.m.)