The absence of suspended scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. was bound to catch up to the Fighting Illini at some point – and that time was Sunday with their 76-67 loss to Maryland at home.
The Illini struggled to finish at the rim against the physical Terps. They missed 14-of-22 shots at point-blank range.
“They’re lay-ups. How can you get a better shot than a lay-up? They’re lay-ups,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood told reporters after the game. “The easiest shot that God created when he created the game of basketball was a lay-up or a dunk.
“A lay-up.