I honestly expected the Illini to get blown out and that looked to be the case early in the game. However, the orange crush helped the Illini battle back in the second half to take the lead for a short time. Down 3 late in the game, the Illini made a defensive stand but then Maryland stole the ball and scored. That pretty much sealed it for Maryland. I was surprised that Weber didn’t put Jamar Smith in the game to provide a spark. He was pretty non-existent when he did play, so maybe that’s why he didn’t see much time late in the game. I shutter to think how tough playing Arizona will be in a few days. I guess I’m still spoiled by our magical run from a few years ago. Reality check time Stan, the Illini are rebuilding.