Three Takeaways From No. 12/14 IUWBB's 86-66 Loss At Illinois

Hoosiers Blown Out By Illini To Fall To 21-4 Heading Into Iowa Showdown Thursday

The State Farm Center In Champaign Where IU Suffered An 86-66 loss On Monday

Illini Uses A Different Game Plan Against Mackenzie Holmes To Perfection

Many teams have tried to double and triple team the post against IU’s All-American big Mackenzie Holmes. This has often left IU’s four shooters wide open from behind the arc and allowed the team to hit 10-15 from long range in a given game.

However, Illini coach Shauna Green has taken a different approach for the most part to more success. In her two years leading Illinois, she has played the Hoosiers harder and closer than any team not in the top tier of the league or college basketball. This is because Green while throwing doubles at times in the post, has more often than not allowed Holmes to score at will and focused on shutting down the perimeter. As a result, the games between these two has seen three close Indiana wins and today’s blowout.

While Holmes has gone for 23, 30, 30, and 24 in the last couple of seasons, Illinois has also held IU to just 21-63 on three-pointers and no more than six in a single contest. It does help that the Illini have athletic guards that can drive to the basket which is the Hoosiers kryptonite. However, conceding easy layups in the post is far better than allowing double-digit makes from long range.

Green said her strategy is important for giving her team a chance.

“You have Mackenzie Holmes who is one of the best post players in the country and then you have elite shooters around her,” Green said. “In order to beat Indiana you’ve got to be able to guard inside and then you’ve got to be able to bust your butt out and get a high hand on their shooters. We just try to keep (Holmes) on her toes of doubling some and really try to take away the other guys and neutralize them.”

Meanwhile, IU coach Teri Moren said she did not notice a difference in how Holmes was defended despite the many layups she got.

“I think we prepare the same way,” Moren said “They were crowding (Mack) and being physical with her and I think that is to be expected when you are an All-American post player.”

Hoosiers’ Long Winning Streak Against Illinois Ends, But With A Major Caveat

IU had beaten Illinois 16 straight times before today. However, until Green showed up in the last two seasons, the Illini were the worst team in the conference on a yearly basis. Much like Teri Moren did a decade ago at Indiana turning the program around and snapping long losing streaks, Green is doing similar in Champaign.

As a result, the winning streak broken is essentially three games given Illinois was uncompetitive until the current regime showed up. With both sides competing at a much higher level now, expect the series to go back and forth moving forward.

Iowa Game Thursday Will Likely Tell A Lot About How The Rest Of The Season And Holmes’ Career Might End

As Holmes’ career as the best Hoosier player in program history winds down, reality seems to be setting in for her as she was in tears during the post-game press conference. She said this was because ‘she doesn’t take losing well’. However, she likely also wants her career to finish with the bang it deserves and knows improvements are needed for that to happen.

Given what occurred today, the upcoming showdown with Iowa on Thursday (8 pm on Peacock) will go a long way in determining the Cream and Crimson’s postseason fate. Indiana came into today at no. 15 according to the NCAA Selection Committee. This loss will at least temporarily knock IU from the top 16 and hosting home games come March Madness. However, a win over the Hawkeyes in Bloomington would cancel out today’s defeat and likely keep them in line to play in Assembly Hall come tournament time.

While coming out on top is very important to show today was a fluke, the Hoosiers need a signature win. Before today, Indiana had the benefit of every loss so far in 2023-2024 being on the road to a top-10 squad. While today was still a quad one defeat, it comes against a side that is barely inside the top 50 and is not heading to the postseason. While IU does have six wins against teams likely headed to the NCAA’s, the best is Michigan State who is a projected seven seed. With today’s defeat, the Hoosiers now need a victory against elite opposition on the resume and only Iowa can provide that.

If it is a good night for fans in Bloomington, getting to Saturday of the Big Ten Tourney will likely be sufficient to stay home come March Madness. However, if the Hawkeyes leave with the W, the Cream and Crimson might need to win it all in Minneapolis to not have to travel to an opponent’s gym to compete for a national title.

As a side note, today all but eliminated a chance at a league championship. However, given they won the conference last season and were upset early come tournament time, what happens in March is what matters in 2024. Winning Thursday would likely give the Hoosiers the cleanest path possible to getting to at least the second weekend of the NCAA’s and competing for a Final Four to send Holmes out in style.

The postgame show with Jeff Marlow and Kathy Amos can be seen here: