Illinois’ adjusted tempo (total possessions divided by minutes adjusted for schedule taking into account preferred pace by each opponent and when the game was played) in 2019-20 was its lowest in Brad Underwood’s three years as coach. Low enough that 287 of the 351 Division I teams had a higher tempo.

Does that mean the Illini didn’t push the pace or get out in run last season? No. That still happened. Especially when Ayo Dosunmu had the ball in his hands, with the 6-foot-5 guard tying for third nationally with Alabama’s Kira Lewis Jr. by averaging 5.1 points per game in transition scoring. The quick math shows that 31 percent of Dosunmu’s scoring in 2019-20 came when he was pushing the ball in transition.

Underwood has said this offseason he wants to play faster. Illinois will have the guards to do it — particularly if Underwood sticks with the regular four-guard lineups he used more frequently in the latter half of last season.

The presence of Kofi Cockburn altered Illinois’ halfcourt offense approach. Slowing the game down to work the ball inside to a 7-foot, 285-pound center that shot 68.8 percent at the rim made some sense. It didn’t mean, however, the Illini didn’t have some success pushing the ball in transition.

Just more than a quarter of Illinois’ initial shot attempts in a possession in 2019-20 — 27 percent to be exact — came in transition. Those attempts are defined, per Hoop-Math.com, as occurring within the first 10 seconds of a possession after a steal, defensive rebound or opponent’s score. Most of those opportunities, 19.4 percent, came, unsurprisingly, following a defensive rebound as the Illini put less emphasis on the extreme ball pressure that led to more turnovers in Underwood’s first two seasons.

Those post-rebound transition opportunities were productive ones for Illinois. The Illini had an effective field-goal percentage (takes into account simply that three-pointers are worth more) of 60.3 percent. Those same transition opportunities led to 38.7 percent of first shots coming at the rim converted at a 73.5 percent clip. Illinois also shot 40.2 percent on two-point jumpers in those post-rebound transition possessions and 40.8 percent from three-point range.

Turns out Underwood is justified in wanting to pick up the pace a little more in 2020-21. Illinois often goes as Dosunmu goes, and the Chicago native and All-Big Ten guard is at his best with the ball in his hands in transition.

SCOTT RICHEY

Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).