Notes: Domask records 10th triple-double in NCAA tournament history
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OMAHA, Neb. — Marcus Domask knew he was getting close to a triple-double late in Thursday's first-round NCAA tournament game against Morehead State.
There was no way he couldn't with Illinois teammate Terrence Shannon Jr. was constantly in his ear.
That Domask got two-thirds of the way there with assists and rebounds was the only oddity. The veteran Illini guard, who scored just two points in the first half, looked like he would finish with a unique double-double. Ten second-half points, including a pair of three-pointers to cap it, helped Domask secure just the fifth triple-double in Illinois history and the 10th ever in the NCAA tournament as he wound up with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Illini's 85-69 win.
"It really starts with guys hitting shots," Domask said. "Assists are probably the hardest, but if guys hit shots, you get the assist numbers. Rebounds are all about effort, and the points take care of themself."
Morehead State helped pump up Domask's assist total — he had six in the first half — by sending a constant double team at him. It's what Domask expected from the prep Illinois did before Thursday.
"We knew they were going to double me from the high side with a big," Domask said. "In practice, we worked on how we were going to cut out of it and what rotations we would do to try and take advantage of it."
Domask joined some elite company with his triple-double — his first since several during his senior year of high school. The only other Illini to record a triple-double were Ayo Dosunmu (two), Sergio McClain and Mark Smith. The other NCAA tournament triple-doubles include the likes of Shaquille O'Neal (LSU, 1992), Andre Miller (Utah, 1998), Dwyane Wade (Marquette, 2003), Draymond Green (Michigan State, 2011 and 2012) and Ja Morant (Murray State, 2019).
"It's elite," Illinois guard Luke Goode said. "He's one of the biggest mismatches in the country. He can shoot the ball. He can post up. If you double him, he's a good passer. If you don't double him, he's going to score the ball every time. If you have someone like that and surround him with capable guys ... we've got a bunch of guys that elevate his game, as well."
★ ★ ★
Shannon looked well on his way to another 30-point game — at least — when he finished the first half of Thursday's first-round matchup with Morehead State with 19 points. Shannon ultimately finished with 26 points on 9 of 16 shooting to go with four assists, two rebounds, two blocks and two steals. The 26 points helped Shannon surpass Don Freeman as the Illini's single-season scoring leader with 669 points (and counting).
"Nothing surprises me with Terrence," Underwood said. "I think he's one of the best players in the country, and he's been proving that here in this stretch. ... He gets most of those points kind of through the flow. We don't run a lot to him. We don't run a lot of actions. We don't have to."
Shannon's single-season scoring record comes on the heels of a pair of records he set during the Big Ten tournament. His 40-point effort in the semifinals was the most in any Big Ten tournament game, and his 34 points the next day were the most in any championship game.
"These past couple weeks Terrence's energy has been very high, and he's been leading us better," Illinois forward Dain Dainja said.
Morehead State directed a "No means no!" chant at Shannon during one set of free throws Thursday afternoon. The Illinois guard still faces an unsettled legal situation after being arrested on a charge of rape in late December.
Shannon, unavailable to reporters since his return to the Illini in mid-January, made both free throws during the chanting, but it was the first time his teammates reacted to the chants. Goode clapped at the Morehead State band after Shannon made the first. The fan section behind the bench had an even bigger reaction after he made the second.
"I just feel like it's been addressed a bunch of times," Goode said. "I know the Big Ten addressed it. ... Whatever the fans say, it is what it is. We're trying to have our teammates' back. At the end of the day, we got the win, and that's all that matters."
★ ★ ★
Shannon's 26 points were a team-high for Illinois and his 12th game with at least 25 points this season. The highest-impact play he made, however, could arguably be the loose ball he chased down early in the second half.
Coleman Hawkins poked the ball away from Morehead State's Riley Minix, directing it toward the Illinois basket. Shannon hit the floor — twice — before ultimately whipping the ball off a Morehead State player to salvage possession for his team.
"I've been preaching for a month about the 50/50 balls, diving on the floor for a loose ball," Underwood said. "I tell the story, I didn't go to the Sweet 16 at Stephen F. Austin because we didn't dive on the floor for a loose ball. Those are the plays that separate you. When arguably your best player does that, it means a lot."
Hustle plays like the one Shannon made can be contagious. It certainly got a pop of energy from the Illinois bench.
"When guys are diving on the floor, it uplifts everybody," Domask said. "The bench gets on their feet. On the court, you feel that energy, and it makes you want to make an energy play. When you're playing that hard, good things happen."
The inverse happened to Morehead State. Shannon recovering that loose ball was followed by a massive Illinois run in that turned Thursday's game into a rout.
"It gave us some life," Hawkins said. "It gave us some emotion. And I think it took away some emotion out of them. They were like, 'Oh my gosh.' It's draining to see that happen to your team. I felt like we turned up from there and played aggressive and crawled up in them and did a good job talking and got stops."
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NCAA tournament preparations weren't the only thing consuming the Illinois coaching staff's time this week. The transfer portal opened Monday. The total number of players on the move gets closer to 1,000 each day.
The Illini coaches have to pay attention. Making a run through the NCAA tournament is still the priority, but Underwood and Co. will be active in the portal.
Eventually.
"I'm exhausted by the portal," Underwood said. "I am worn the hell out by the portal already. Our guys are on it. Our guys are checking it out. You have to be dialed in. I'm probably over exaggerating a little bit, but the portal is what it is. We're going to get who we want and who we like. I'm not going to cheat myself or this group by diving into all that, but we've got a lot of guys diving into the portal."
The NCAA approved changes to the transfer portal last fall, with the window for non-graduate players to declare their intentions to transfer shortened from 60 to 45 days with a 30-day window proposed but shot down. What didn't change was the start date — a day after Selection Sunday — which throws another level of chaos into an already busy time for teams still playing in postseason tournaments.
Will further changes be made? A shorter window? A different start date?
"I think it's way deeper than me," Underwood said. "You've got schools with different academic calendars that factor in. You've got the NBA draft. That's a really deep question that I don't have an answer to. I'm sure they kept it there for a reason, but it's open and we're dealing with it. We've got people who are living with it every waking moment almost."
Scott Richey
