CHAMPAIGN — Illinois saw first hand what a team that aggressively attacked the basket could do in its Big Ten-opening loss at Maryland. The Illini also saw what could happen when they didn’t respond to the inevitable run every team makes.
None of it was good that Tuesday afternoon in College Park, Md.
Sunday’s Big Ten home opener saw Illinois not only be relentless in looking for opportunities at the rim, but also resilient when Ohio State proved it could do the same thing in the second half.
Senior guard Malcolm Hill re-engaged his aggressiveness from the first half in the closing minutes.