When preparing to bet the UConn-Illinois game, we would caution against interpreting a lot of strength by Illinois in their win last night over Iowa State. We don’t use the “C” word in sports, but the Cyclones’ 1st half was a ‘deer in the headlights’ performance on both ends of the court.
Iowa State clearly did not come out of the locker room ready to play their normal game. They were rushed and impatient on offense. And Illinois’ passing at times made Iowa State’s “#1 in the nation” defense look like the Washington Generals guarding the Harlem Globetrotters.
And then there were the bounces. The Illini had a 3-point shot bounce six feet high off the rim and then go in. That was one of many shots that bounced around and went in for them, while the Cyclones had the opposite luck around the rim.
The game could not have gone any worse for Iowa State or any better for Illinois and they won the game by 3 points.
