Observations and opinions from a Saturday at the Hall:

--The crowd (7,052) for the free-ticket giveaway seemed reasonable to me. The UI wasn't sure how many people to expect, but I would have been surprised if it had been more than 8,000. Most important, the fans were enthusiastic from the opening tip, and their energy spilled into the players. It would be great if this turned into an annual thing, but I wouldn't expect it. 

--In four Big Ten games, the Illini have scored 48, 51, 42 and 38 points. To survive offensive offense like that, your defense has to be incredibly good. I know Jolette Law's system is predicated on defense, but it's clear that defense isn't Illinois' problem, no matter what you might hear. A dysfunctional offense draws the biggest blame, and it's fair to wonder when the problems will be solved. 

Illinois' offensive woes began last year, and they've only grown worse. The Illini have one consistent scoring option in Jenna Smith. Lacey Simpson, while a tenacious defender who leads the Big Ten in steals, can be a dynamic player on the defensive end, she's not aggressive in looking for her offense. On Saturday, she took three shots, and Illinois won't win with Simpson taking three shots.

I asked Smith afterward if Simpson sometimes pigeonholes herself during a game into a certain area like rebounding or assist-making, doing so at the expense of her scoring. Smith said Simpson prefers to take what the defense gives her, and if that means she becomes a distributor, that's what she'll do. I can appreciate that, and it would be a tremendously important approach on a team that has multiple scoring options. Illinois doesn't have that luxury. When Simpson doesn't look to score, Illinois' offense is too one-dimensional and easily defended.

--Two plays in the final two minutes were prime examples of the type of struggles a young team like Illinois endures. With 1:38 left, Minnesota's Kiara Buford drove into the lane and UI freshman Fabiola Josil, in position to slide over and take a charge, let Buford slip past her for the bucket. That was only moments after Josil had confidently knocked down a jumper that put Illinois ahead by a point. 

Ups and downs. Such is the life of a freshman. 

--CBS' broadcast was OK, but marked by a few missteps. Analyst Mary Murphy, normally a solid listen, had a rough afternoon with Macie Blinn, twice referring to the Ohio product as being from the "Hoosier state." And play-by-play man Craig Bolerjack exceeded expectations aside from a propensity to refer to Smith as "Jeanie" or "Jeana" or something like that. Otherwise, not bad. 

--The Jolette Law Show returned Sunday night. The first episode reviewed the first four Big Ten games, including the Wisconsin debacle on Thursday, when Illinois scored 38 points. The Illiini had 13 field goals in that game -- and 11 of them were shown during the show's highlight section. 

--With Northwestern's victory against Wisconsin on Sunday, Illinois (0-4) is all alone in the Big Ten cellar. Might be tough to climb out, too, considering the upcoming schedule is at Michigan and Ohio State at home. A win in either game would be a huge upset. After that, if the Illini can keep their heads up, is a winnable home game against Iowa. If Illinois loses that, look out ... an 0-9 start would be looming.