Illinois Schools Hummel-less Purdue

Illinois really needed a bounce-back win after that bad loss in Wisconsin Thursday night. Sunday they got it in the form of a 66-48 trouncing of Purdue. The Illini stifled the Boilers' offensive attack, holding them to just 32-percent shooting, including a dismal 2-of-15 from behind the arc.

Of course, Purdue also missed the presence of their best player, Robbie Hummel. This is a bad sign for them moving forward, because they do not play well without the sophomore swingman. Purdue is 16-3 with Hummel in the lineup and 1-3 without him this season.

While Hummel's not a necessarily a dominant player, he's a key cog to help the offense run smoothly. E'Twaun Moore and Keaton Grant were terrible Sunday, facing extra defensive pressure without Hummel on the floor. Defensive stopper Chris Kramer was forced to take a season-high seven shots -- he only hit two, so there's good reason he rarely shoots. The Boilers assisted on just seven of their 19 field goals, and turned the ball over 11 times.

On the flip-side, you have to give Illinois credit; they played really well. The effort was pretty par for the course when they win games. The offensive balance was the story, as six players scored at least eight points, while no one scored more than 14. Of the 25 field goals, 21 of them were assisted. Ball movement has been the key all season when the Illini are firing on all cylinders, and today was just another example. The one standout today was Mike Davis, as he scored 14 and pulled down 16 rebounds.

With Illinois' season sweep of Purdue complete, along with Hummel's questionable health, Sunday's victory represented a seismic shift in the Big Ten. I would now feel pretty comfortable declaring Illinois as easily the second-best team in the league, while Purdue is going to be sparring with Penn State, Ohio State, and Minnesota in the middle of the pack.