What Went Wrong – and Right – for Illinois Basketball in Loss to Baylor

It was a tale of two halves for Illinois in its exhibition loss to Baylor. Unfortunately for the Illini, their first 20 minutes were so painfully bad that their final 20 minutes – the vast majority of which were mighty impressive – weren’t enough to save the day.

Here is what went wrong – and right – on Friday night for Illinois:

What went wrong for Illinois basketball in loss to Baylor

Apr 2, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois head coach Brad Underwood during a press conference ahead of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

First half defense

Baylor’s guard trio of Brett Decker Jr., Kayden Mingo and Isaac Williams IV outscored Illinois’ entire team by itself in the first half (46 combined points against the Illini’s 44). They hit 10 threes but also managed seven made two-pointers.

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Illinois’ defense took away nothing. Admittedly, the Bears’ guards were hitting. But it’s a lot easier to connect when you’re wide open. Friday night was a test for the Illini defense. It failed. Illinois’ defensive personnel – especially at the top of the rotation – remains a question mark on the perimeter.

Defensive rebounding

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) reacts after losing to the Connecticut Huskies during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This point has been hammered home in the aftermath of this loss, but it can’t go unmentioned in this space: Illinois was atrocious on the defensive glass. Baylor had more offensive rebounds (22) than the Illini had defensive boards (17).

Sure, Illinois’ frontcourt was decimated. And, yes, the Bears have good size and athleticism. But a team should never have fewer defensive rebounds than offensive rebounds allowed. It’s flat-out embarrassing – even in an…

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Publish date : 2026-10-27 01:59:00

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