Andrej Stojakovic scored 24 points in a 105-96 win over Cincinnati. His ability to score was on display for an Illinois team with high expectations this year. Stojakovic has the capability to lead the Illini in scoring this season. They will need him to be an offensive weapon this year more than last season.
Andrej Stojakovic Scoring Gives Illinois a Boost
Andrej Stojakovic’s 24 points came on efficient shooting. He was 8-for-15 from the field and made all 8 of his free-throw attempts. He didn’t shoot any threes; instead, he displayed his ability to attack the basket and draw fouls. Stojakovic attacking the basket puts pressure on the defense.
If he’s drawing fouls like this, then it’s most likely putting opposing teams in foul trouble, causing lineup problems. That will be big for Illinois in order to take some teams out of the game. He is capable of knocking down threes, so with his driving ability, he’ll create open threes for himself.
Illinois Gets Big Contributions From Others
Six players scored in double digits, including Stojakovic. Stefan Vaaks had 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting and made two threes. Ethan Brown finished with 15 points. Quentin Coleman was impressive with 14 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. Illinois made 14 of their 33 three-point attempts in the game
The offense of Illinois is well-rounded, with threats all over the court. All these players are able to attack the paint and draw attention, leaving shooters open. The Illini offense is predicated on drives and kicks. Illinois has shooters that are ready to shoot off of other players attacking the paint.
Illinois Showed Defensive Issues
As good as the Illinois offense was, their defense didn’t play well. They gave up 96 points to Cincinnati and it took them scoring 105 points to win. Even though their offense is really good, scoring over 100 in every game in college basketball is not realistic.
There are going to be high-scoring games and low-scoring games. When their offense is struggling, will their defense be able to hold up? That’s the question that needs to be answered. They can’t rely on scoring over 90 points every game to have a great season.
What’s Next for Illinois Basketball
Illinois has an exhibition game against Baylor on October 23rd. They will have a chance to show improvement on the defensive end before starting the regular season in November. It will also be a chance for Stojakovic to show consistency in his offensive attack.
This will be a good test to see if they can show improvement defensively. Baylor is a good basketball program, so for Illinois to play them in an exhibition game will only benefit them. This game will allow them to see what adjustments they need to make before the regular season starts.
At the end of the day, these are just exhibition games. They’re just games to get teams, players, and coaches ready for the actual season. These games can, however, show flaws and good signs. As of right now, their first game showed flaws in the defense. The next game will be a GC for them to make adjustments and improve on defense.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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