No question about this one. The Illini freshman had just six points at halftime Saturday against Rutgers. By the end of overtime and Illinois' 99-94 victory? The Rustavi, Georgia, native had a career-high 35 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds.
Backcourt
Illinois: B+
Rutgers: A-
The Illini had three guards in double figures, with Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu and Aaron Jordan combining for 39 points. But the Scarlet Knights' guards were just as effective, led by Caleb McConnell's career-high 25 points.
Frontcourt
Illinois: A+
Rutgers: C-
The best game of Bezhanishvili's career — the best scoring performance by an Illini freshman ever, surpassing Deon Thomas' 34 points against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Dec.