The question going into the game against Illinois was how Alabama would respond after a tough loss to Purdue. It was a big bounce-back effort for the Tide, winning a back-and-forth event basically in a road situation inside the United Center. Labaron Philon came through in the clutch with a strong 24-point performance to lead Nate Oats' team to victory. The biggest criticism from Oats coming into this game was the lack of effort rebounding against the Boilermakers, and the team responded well, only losing tonight's rebound battle by two.
Taylor Bol Bowen showed why he was brought in from Florida State with a strong all-around effort, which included some huge defensive stops down the stretch.