Michigan vs. Illinois score, takeaways: Illini pound Wolverines, who slip to the No. 3 overall seed - CBSSports.com

What No. 4 Illinois did to No. 2 Michigan on Tuesday -- on Michigan's own court no less! -- could be considered illegal in some jurisdictions.

Without the services of All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu, the Illini dismantled the Wolverines 76-53. It was 33-22 at the half, the game quickly slipping away from Michigan. But it really got out of hand in the second half. Trent Frazier's 16 second-half points (and game-high 22 points) carried Illinois to a whopping 43-31 advantage in the final 20 minutes.

Michigan's built its stellar season around physical play, tough defense, an efficient all-around offense and good 3-point shooting to buttress its attack. Illinois decided it wasn't going to allow them to play their game. The result was a 42-26 rebounding disparity in the advantage of the Illini, and a woeful 2-of-7 finish from 3-point range for the Wolverines. Their 53 points marked their lowest scoring total all season and lowest since Dec. 3, 2019, when it failed to crack the 50-point mark in a loss to Louisville. 

Both teams entered the evening as No. 1 seeds in Jerry Palm's Bracketology. After the loss, Palm has the Wolverines staying a No. 1 seed, but dropping from the No. 2 to the No.3 national seed with their loss. The Illini remain the fourth No. 1 seed with their win, effectively holding steady on the top spot yet shifting ever-so-slightly. Gonzaga and Baylor are the top No. 1 seeds as a result of Tuesday's action.

Illinois has now won 10 of its last 11 games and heaved itself into title contention after a bumpy couple of weeks in December and January. To demolish a Michigan team the way it did without Dosunmu, considering the way this Michigan team has played, should force you to recalibrate expectations. There are only a handful of true, viable teams capable of winning the tournament. The Illini showed with a statement they are undoubtedly among them.

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