Illinois suffered a devastating 110-67 loss to No. 3 Duke at Madison Square Garden, marking the worst margin of defeat in program history. Once ranked as high as No. 13 in early January, Illinois has since struggled, with star player Kasparas Jakučionis taking unorthodox three-point shots.
Head coach Brad Underwood’s postgame comments raised eyebrows, as he suggested that if Illinois had shot just 5-of-16 from three in the first half, the game would have been much closer. In reality, the team went 0-for-16 from deep before halftime and finished just 2-for-26 overall.
Underwood emphasized the need for better shooting and more cohesive play on defense, acknowledging that missed shots put extra pressure on every possession. Jakučionis, who led Illinois with 16 points, agreed that the team must be mentally stronger and translate their practice shooting into game performance.
Illinois (17-11, 9-8 Big Ten) will look to bounce back against Iowa on Tuesday, while Duke (24-3, 15-1 ACC) aims to avoid an upset at Miami the same night.
