Too bad Illinois couldn't pull out a win, because Kipper Nichols played like a stud.
That was the prevailing sentiment after Illinois' 87-74 loss to No. 6 Michigan State on Jan. 22. It was the kind of performance that shows you what kind of player Kipper could truly be with consistent effort.
He did everything in this game, knocking down a career-high five three-pointers, showing off his athleticism with a highlight dunk and scoring 13 points late in the second half to keep the game close. It was a jack-of-all-trades kind of performance for, in one writer’s opinion, the most athletically gifted player on the team.