PITTSBURGH — Watching Illinois go through its dunking drills before Friday’s game against Chattanooga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was a treat for the early-arriving crowd at PPG Paints Arena.
Fans pulled out their phones and took videos of the high-flying Illini players, oohing and aahing with each creative slam. Illinois clearly loved to put on a show, and it was fun to watch.
But when the Illini spent the first 28 minutes with an assortment of dunks and layups, some began to wonder whether the pregame dunking display had come at the expense of their outside shooting.
