The Illinois Fighting Illini escaped Happy Valley with a huge 62-56 win that will certainly boost their NCAA tournament resume.
Just two games after fans feared a season-ending injury for Ayo Dosunmu, the Sophomore guard put the team on his back, scoring 24 points to help the Illini knock off the ninth-ranked team in the country.
Here are my grades for each Illini's performance.
DaMonte Williams- C+
Junior guard DaMonte Williams doesn't start because he can put points on the board. He starts because he is a very efficient defender. He was just that tonight. Williams was a lock-down defender all night, contesting many shots. He may not have done much on the offensive end, but Williams finished the night with four rebounds and two blocks.
Alan Griffin- B
Alan Griffin played 17 minutes of the game coming off of the bench. He made those 17 minutes well worth it. Griffin was out there busting his tail, fighting for loose balls, and flying for rebounds like he has been all season. He even converted a four-point play after hitting a corner three while being fouled. Griffin finished the night with nine points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Giorgi Bezhanishvili- D+
Sophomore big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili has not been playing to his potential lately. Tonight was a representation of that as he started the game on the bench for the second consecutive time. In the 17 minutes Bezhanishvili played, he had as many turnovers and fouls as he had points (two). He shot one of six from the field.
On the bright side, he played decent on the defensive end, giving Penn State big men Mike Watkins and John Harrar trouble in the paint.
Trent Frazier- C
Like DaMonte Williams, Trent Frazier had a good night on the defensive end. He was sticking to his man like butter on bread and contesting shots, which wont show on the stat sheet. He did, however, grab four rebounds to add to his superb defensive performance.
Frazier continued to struggle offensively, however, only scoring six points, shooting 28.5% from the field.
Andres Feliz- C
Andres Feliz, again, may not have put up many points, but his smart and scrappy play had a big impact on Illinois' win. Fighting for loose balls, hauling in boards despite being one of the smallest guys on the court, and being smart with the ball proved critical for the Illini. Feliz grabbed seven rebounds, scored five points, and dished out two assists. Those are not mind-blowing numbers, but his scrappy performance passed the eye-test.
Kofi Cockburn- B+
Freshman center Kofi Cockburn sat the final seven minutes of the first half on the bench with two fouls. After struggling to get going early, Cockburn ended up having a great night in the paint. Whenever offensive possessions started to look bad for the Illini, players would just lob it to Cockburn, who would put up a dunk or draw a foul. He was able to prevent Penn State big man Mike Watkins from having a big night, holding him to only 10 points and five rebounds. Cockburn finished the night with 14 points, seven rebounds, and a block.
Ayo Dosunmu- A+
Ayo Dosunmu did not disappoint in his return to the basketball court after injuring his knee against Michigan State last week and missing the Illini's previous contest. Dosunmu was a man on a mission tonight, as he has been all season, and put the team on his back. Dosunmu put up 24 points, shooting 9-15 from the field. That includes what ended up being the dagger floater he hit to give the Illini a four-point lead with 18 seconds remaining.
Dosunmu's return to the court tonight proved how crucial he is to this team. After losing by 15, shooting 31% from the field at Rutgers, the Illini shot 44.4% in a six-point win over the number nine team in the country.
Illinois is now tied for third in the Big-Ten.