Illinois (7-2) will take on the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers (9-0) on Saturday in one of the most high-profile, nonconference matchups to hit Champaign in the last few years.
The last time Illinois took on a No. 1 team at home was in 2013 against the Indiana Hoosiers, and it won that game on a buzzer-beating layup. The Illini have played No. 1 teams twice since then, but neither were at home. The sold-out State Farm Center will be as loud as ever for the first No. 1 team to travel to Champaign in over 10 years.
Tennessee: The team to beat
Tennessee has not lost a game this year, and it’s won every matchup by double digits. Its closest game was its last contest against Miami, which it won by 13. The Volunteers are on a roll, and it will be tough to curb their momentum.
The Volunteers have been doing everything well this season, especially on the offensive end. The team is shooting 52.1% from the field, the best in the country, including 37.7% from three. The Illini, comparatively, are shooting at a 44.4% clip and about 4% worse from long range.
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Defensively, Tennessee has also been strong. It has the No. 4 scoring defense in the nation. It will be a tough matchup on both sides of the ball for the Illini, and they’ll have to bring their A-game to have a shot at winning.
“They have earned the right to have their ranking, in my opinion,” said head coach Brad Underwood. “You’re just going to have to earn everything for 40 minutes.”
Backcourt battle
Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier has been deadly from deep, hitting 48.6% of his attempts and making 3.9 threes per game. Lanier is one of four Volunteers averaging double figures.
Lanier, along with senior guard Zakai Zeigler, will be a tough assignment for the Illinois backcourt duo of freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis and junior guard Kylan Boswell. Zeigler is only 5-foot-9, but he impacts both ends of the floor. He averages two steals and over eight assists per game to go along with 12.1 points. Zeigler’s ability to create for himself and his teammates and his pesky defensive tendencies make him dangerous.
Boswell and Jakučionis, however, are in form and will pose a challenge for the Tennessee backcourt. Boswell can match Zeigler’s defensive energy with his relentless on-ball pressure. Jakučionis has been shooting the lights out, which counters Lanier. Jakučionis has had four straight 20-point games and is averaging 44.2% from three this year, including going 15-27 from deep in his last four outings.
It will be an exciting battle to see two of the premier backcourts in college basketball face off and possibly provide a preview of what can be expected in the NCAA tournament at the end of the season.
Physical game on deck
Tennessee is a very physical, old team. In comparison, Illinois is very young and has relied more on its skill than physicality to win games. However, that will have to change for the Illini if they expect to make Saturday’s game competitive.
“They are a very good offensive rebounding team; they are very good defensively,” Jakučionis said. “We just have to play physical, play our game, box out better and play as a team.”
One player to watch will be freshman forward Will Riley. Riley’s lean, 195-pound frame will make it tough for him to attack the basket against 225-pound senior forward Igor Miličić Jr. and 235-pound junior forward Felix Okpara. Riley will likely have to operate more on the perimeter; however, he has struggled in the Illini’s last two games, shooting a combined 1-13 from deep.
“The thing I want Will to do is shoot open shots,” Underwood said. “For a lot of people, when he checks in the game, it impacts what their teams do. He’s missed some shots that he’s normally going to make, and I just don’t want him to be hesitant.”
Sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić will also have his hands full in the paint. Okpara is 6-foot-11 and averages 1.7 blocks and 2.3 offensive rebounds per game. Okpara isn’t a shooter, unlike the other top-tier players who have played inside and out against the Illini, such as Arkansas’ sophomore center Zvonimir Ivišić and Northwestern’s junior forward Nick Martinelli.
It will be a different look for Ivišić, who must handle Okpara’s physicality and athleticism in the paint while challenging his ability to step out and defend his quick three-point shot on the perimeter. Freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr., known for his physicality and rebounding, may also see an increased role against Tennessee.
Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. at State Farm Center and will be broadcast on FOX Sports.
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