Ready for the New Year

Contrary to popular belief, the Twelve Days of Christmas BEGIN rather than end on Christmas Day. And what did the women's basketball team give us on this fourth day of Christmas?

Four in double figures,
Three-pointers falling,
Two and Oh in conference,
...And a win o'er the Black and the Gold.

(That should be singable, you know you want to try it)

After heading west to Columbia a couple weeks ago, I went east and attended my second road game of the year to watch the Illini top the Boilermakers, 83-73. The game felt a little bit like my road trip:

Traveling east in the morning: 65 degrees, mild weather
Traveling home in the afternoon: The Apocalypse (temp dropped, tornado watch, and the worst rain I've ever driven in)

First and Third quarters: Illini outscored Purdue 55-33
Second and Fourth quarters: Purdue outscored the Illini 40-28

...which speaks to one of our strengths (good starts out of the locker room, solid game plans) and one of our weaknesses (lacking the experience to really put a solid team away). The Missouri game played out somewhat similarly: we built a comfortable lead and then got comfortable. We were the better team in both of those match-ups, but struggled to show that for a full 40 minutes.

But I'm feeling great about where this team is. The best start (12-1) to a season IN PROGRAM HISTORY. A ten game win streak. First win at Mackey in a decade. The first 2-o start in conference in over fifteen years. And 2026 hasn't even begun. I'm excited.

• Our big three were big again today. Maddie was en fuego in the first quarter (three 3's, 11 points), Berry got some big buckets when we needed her, and Gretchen hit some mid-range daggers when poor Purdue thought they had a chance in the fourth. 52 points for these three...oh, and Cearah had a mere 14 and 8 (yawn). We got some dudes.
• I hinted at it above, but this team has consistently (with the exception of the Florida State game) started fast. It was 13-4 in this one before you could blink. It's such a psychological advantage when we constantly make teams play from behind. Kudos to the coaching staff for getting the team in the right frame of mind.
• I think Shauna is still figuring out some rotation stuff. After a fantastic first quarter, the second quarter line-up included Aaliyah, Lety, and Jas and it was clear right away that that combination wasn't going to work today. Purdue started to whittle away at the lead and eventually took it. We REALLY need the best from our bench players or they'll have a very short hook for the next three months.
• So Mackey Arena...I get it. Purdue had about 6000 fans there (not bad for three days after Christmas) and when their team went on a run, it got pretty darn loud all things considered. I would absolutely bring earplugs for big men's games.
• I'm starting to worry about turnovers since we had 19 against North Texas and 17 tonight...which included four straight turnovers when Purdue was gaining steam in the second quarter. With Ohio State's press looming...we better get a handle (heh) on that.
• We were living at the free throw line today. 25-30, right at our average (82.7 percent, second in the nation). When our guards are in aggressive mode, it's Advantage: Illinois.
• I was devastated when Purdue got to 70. The first opponent all year to get there...there will be more, of course, but it was really fun while it lasted.
• I still have a few questions about this team that will get answered very soon in conference play:
  • How good is our interior defense really? (Lety only so-so, Cearah might be too small for big bigs)
  • How will this team respond in a truly hostile road environment? (haven't played in one yet)
  • Can we play from behind against a good team? (haven't had to yet)

I can't wait to find out.

Friends, I’ll be quiet around here for a bit…I’m heading to Italy in a few days! But we have three big games coming up, so let me provide some quick previews of our opponents:

January 1 vs. #7 Maryland (14-0)

Torvik rank: #18
Best win: over #16 Kentucky (neutral)

What to know: Maryland has been plagued by injuries, but is still undefeated after a pretty soft non-conference schedule. They’re a historically great program under long time coach Brenda Frese (she took the job in 2002) and Illinois hasn’t had much luck against them (1-17 all time). 

What they're good at: Efficient offense partially due to their insane offensive rebounding prowess (they get back 46 percent of their misses, 5th in the country)

Who to watch: Oluchi Okananwa (15.5 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.3 ast)

• 5’10” guard who transferred from Duke. Leading scorer, excellent going to the rim, but low percentage 3-pt shooter (25%).

Prediction: I think we’ll win. Maryland hasn’t been challenged much thus far, and they’ll be limping into a road game after a holiday hangover. We took down Caitlin Clark and Iowa on a New Year’s Day and we can do it again.

January 4 at #24 Michigan State (12-1)

Torvik rank: #27
Best win: over #15 Ole Miss (away)

What to know: Coach Robyn Fralick is off to a great start in her third season, and the pummeling they gave Ole Miss on the road (66-49) made everyone take note. They’re the second best team in Michigan, but probably still a top third Big Ten program. 

What they're good at: They can SHOOT. 41 percent behind the arc, 58 percent overall, wow. 

Who to watch: Grace Vanslooten (14.5 pts, 5.2 reb, 1.8 ast)

• 6'3" forward, Senior transfer (Oregon) who has never averaged fewer than 13 ppg in her career. She is crafty around the rim and opportunistic on the defensive end (over two steals a game).

Prediction: This is going to be a tough one. They gave us a thumping last year at home. This is our first conference road game this season and we know how these things can go, especially with a young team. Let’s hope the atmosphere is muted with no students, but I suspect we’ll lose by a handful.

January 7 vs. #19 Ohio State (11-2)

Torvik rank: #33
Best win: over #21 West Virginia (away)

What to know: Kevin McGuff (13th season at OSU) has won and won a lot. His teams thrive on pressure and lesser teams tend to wilt from his 40 minutes of havoc. This team is good, but not top tier as the 32 point drubbing by UCONN showed.  

What they're good at: McGuff loves to press and they have the turnover percentage to show for it (31 percent defensive turnover rate, 13th in the country).  

Who to watch: Jaloni Cambridge (19.3 pts, 5.6 reb, 3.6 ast)

• The 5'7"sophomore guard is a menace on the defensive end and is most comfortable going downhill on the offensive end. She shoots, she rebounds, she passes…other than her outside shooting, she’s great.

Prediction: We can win this one. Turnovers are a concern, but I think we'll be ready for the press. Between that and OSU being a very poor shooting team from the perimeter (28 percent), I think we’ll take this one at home.

(The famous John Wooden statue. Why aren't we striving for "industriousness" anymore? I should look that one up...)