Illinois guard Brandon Paul scored 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had six assists in an 81-72 win over Minnesota to open Big Ten play. Paul played 48 minutes, not because they played 12-minute quarters like the NBA, but because the Fighting Illini needed two overtime periods to pull out the win.
The biggest negative in Paul's game is his carelessness with the ball. He is averaging nearly three turnovers on the season and 5.0 over the past three games. Fortunately, Paul is contributing with scoring, rebounding, and passing.