Illinois had been reeling in BIG 10 play owning a record of 3-7 in the conference. They had a convincing win over Ohio State but that was all they had to show for. In John Groce's first season as head coach, the Illini needed some statement wins to make a resume for March and there was no better place to start than last night in Champaign.
Trailing by 12 at the half, the Illini began to get rolling and a step back jumper followed by two Brandon Paul free throws tied the game at 72 apiece. Paul's first free throw, feeling the pressure, banked in after hitting every part of the rim and backboard. He then calmly swished the ensuing free throw as number 1 was on the ropes again.
Player of the week, Victor Oladipo, brought the ball up the court with only a 2 second difference between play and shot clock. The Hoosiers were planning on taking the last shot and began their offense with 10 ticks remaining. As Oladipo drove right he attempted to crossover behind his back but was stripped by D.J. Richardson who went coast to coast only to get blocked from behind with 0.9 seconds remaining. With no timeouts, Illinois had the ball under Indiana's basket and attempted to set screens for a shot in he corner but then mayhem broke loose. Indiana big man Cody Zeller flanked to the corner to cover a shot but left his man. And then greatness happened. Illinois big man Tyler Griffey cut to the basket and flicked the ball up right before the red light lit. Good!! Illinois wins the game on a back cut as time expired. The student section rushed the court and there will be a new number 1 come Monday.
What this means for Indiana? Nothing really, they will be fine. Either a 1 or 2 seed depending on their finish in the BIG 10. But for Illinois they suddenly have a sign of a life. Potentially they could finish only 2 games below 500 in the BIG 10. If the Illini do damage in the conference tournament I could definitely see this team sneaking into the March tournament. What a game!
Final score: 74-72 Illinois
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