UConn Basketball Impressive in 74 to 61 Victory Over Illinois

UConn basketball takes down Illinois at Madison Square Garden

UConn basketball proved once again why Madison Square Garden is also known as Storrs South as they beat #13 Illinois on Black Friday. The Huskies looked right at home as they used their sharp shooting to take the lead right away.

Solo Ball and Alex Karaban each hit early three pointers which was huge for UConn basketball as both have been in a shooting slump. The shooting was contagious as UConn shot over 41% from beyond the arc in the first half.

The lead ballooned to 21 points midway through the second half as Illinois struggled shooting from the field, only making one field goal over the first 10 minutes of the half. Kylan Boswell did his best to keep Illinois in the game, scoring 25 points to help Illinois cut the lead down to 7 with under 3 minutes to play.

Then Malachi Smith stepped in for UConn basketball and hit the dagger, an insane deep three heave while being fouled to extend the lead back to 11. The game was never in doubt from there and UConn walked away with a 74 to 61 win over Illinois.

This was the second top 15 victory of the season for UConn basketball and they have put themselves in a great position as the team continues to get healthier. There was not much to complain about other than the weird blue NBA Cup court at Madison Square Garden… seriously, that court was an abomination.

NO. 5 UCONN GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE 🐺

The Huskies take a big time non-conference win over No. 13 Illinois in MSG 👏 pic.twitter.com/XQRK1Stv8h

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 28, 2025

UConn basketball standouts.

The player who had the biggest impact for UConn basketball was without a doubt Malachi Smith. He stepped in for UConn in a big way as Silas Demary Jr. struggled with foul problems all game.

Smith made huge play after huge play, scored 14 points, and ran the offense efficiently which led to a team high 9 assists.

Eric Reibe continues to flourish as the Freshman looks better and better each game. Tarris Reed Jr. returned to the starting lineup but was limited due to fouls and was shaking off some rust.

Eric Reibe was up for the challenge and chipped in with 8 p0ints, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks during his 22 minutes of playing time when Reed was off the court.

Solo Ball was also an ignition to the UConn offense, especially early on in the game and was a huge reason why UConn basketball was able to build such a large lead as he exploded for 13 first half points.

#UConn‘s MVP Today: Malachi Smith

– Productive: 14 pts in 24 minutes of action
– Efficient: didn’t miss a 3PT shot or a FT
– Clean: 9 assists and 0 personal fouls pic.twitter.com/ZEm1U35Ejz

— Step Back Cardiac Review (@CardiacCTReview) November 28, 2025

Is UConn basketball the best team in the country?

UConn basketball made a statement to the rest of the basketball world on Black Friday. They are finally getting healthy and they are the best team in the nation.

Early season injuries have not stopped UConn basketball from performing well, but they have limited the ceiling of how special this team can truly be.

Dan Hurley has even joked this season that UConn “is the ankle sprain capital of the world.” Thankfully Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins were finally able to return to the court from their ankle injuries, and for the first time all season, UConn basketball had all 15 players available to play.

The team flashed it’s potential and it was evident that what is going to make this team so dangerous is how deep they are. Nine players for UConn played double-digit minutes and each player was able to contribute in their own respective ways.

Reed and Mullins were obviously rusty, but as they get more games under their belt their production will continue to increase.

Reed is already established as one of the best centers in the country and UConn basketball will lean on him to score in the paint and secure second chances on the offensive glass, both of which were evident in his limited minutes against Illinois.

And Braylon Mullins, the highly touted five star Freshman, finally made his UConn debut. He was known as one of the best shooters in his respective recruiting class and will be a welcomed addition to the UConn offense.

A lineup with Solo Ball, Alex Karaban, and Braylon Mullins running around screens and finding open looks is very exciting and will be almost impossible to stop. All of these reasons are why UConn basketball will be fighting for the number one overall seed come NCAA Tournament time.