Illinois coach Brad Underwood crafted a non-conference schedule that would serve as a torture chamber for the 2024-25 season. His goal was to ensure that his mostly inexperienced Illini would be battle-tested by March. And indeed, early adversity began to rear its head.

Unraveling the Illinois-Alabama Game: Key Insights and Fixes

Section 1: The Struggle with Momentum

Every time Illinois (3-1) managed to gain some momentum on Wednesday, it was swiftly snuffed out. Not by Alabama, but by the Illini themselves. In the second half, they managed to draw the Tide into foul trouble and reach the bonus, a significant development. However, they missed 11 free throws, shooting only 54.2 percent from the charity stripe. These numbers are crippling in any situation, but against a formidable opponent like Alabama, they became an insurmountable hurdle. It showed that the Illini struggled to maintain their offensive rhythm and convert easy scoring opportunities.In the early stages of the game, they seemed to overpursue, take bad angles, and close out late on defense, digging themselves a deep hole in the first half. Despite a strong second-half run that cut the deficit to eight, they ran out of gas and ultimately suffered a 100-87 shootout loss.

Section 2: Offensive Inefficiencies

Alabama (4-1) is a well-oiled offensive machine, assisting on 23 of their 39 made field goals. The Tide's talent, coaching, and selfless approach deserve praise. But the Illini made it easy for them by routinely getting beat off the dribble and making one defensive mistake after another. On nearly every possession, Bama ball-handlers were able to get two feet in the lane to finish or kick to an open teammate. These teammates would either drive against a long closeout or knock down a poorly contested 3-pointer. Poor rotations gave Alabama plenty of opportunities, and they rubbed salt in the wound with a highly efficient shooting night, shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 84.6 percent on free throws. This exposed the Illini's defensive weaknesses and showed the importance of better team defense.

Section 3: Struggles in Transition Defense

A week ago, Alabama scored seven fastbreak points against McNeese State. In the next game against Purdue, they scored zero points in transition. No one expected Illinois to hold Alabama scoreless in transition, but a performance similar to that of McNeese State didn't seem too much to ask. Instead, the Illini gave up 19 fastbreak points against the Tide. Alabama simply won the footraces down the floor and spaced and passed beautifully to create easy finishes at the rim. Apart from Kylan Boswell and Morez Johnson Jr., there seemed to be a lack of effort or poor positioning and reaction times among the Illini. If the Illini don't improve in this area across their tough schedule, their results won't improve much.Top 5 Must-Watch Matchups for Illinois Basketball in 2024-25Illinois Basketball Signs Four-Star Guard Brandon LeeInstant Analysis: Alabama Takes Down Illinois 100-87