Just when No. 19 Illinois (12-4, 4-2) looked like it was rounding into form, the annual 11 a.m. home game came to haunt Champaign once again. Illinois has lost its last four conference home games scheduled at this hour, but fortunately for the now No. 19 team in the country, it has no more similar games this season.
The weekend defeat was also eerily reminiscent of Illinois’ disappointing loss to Maryland (13-4, 3-3) a year ago. Star guard Terrence Shannon Jr. was missing that game, as the Illini were without freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis on Saturday. The Illini would like their best player back in an important week of Big Ten hoops, but the Lithuanian stud remains day-to-day and a likely game-time decision for Indiana (13-4, 4-2).
Know the opponent
The Hoosiers enter with a similar record to the Illini but have played a lighter schedule. They entered the season as the preseason No. 2 team in the Big Ten after bringing a talented recruiting class to Bloomington.
Indiana’s strength is its size. The Hoosiers don’t shoot the three-ball well, ranking 267th in the nation, but that doesn’t stop them from causing damage inside. Their top three scorers are all listed at 6-foot-9 or taller and play physical basketball.
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Illinois has several connections with the Indiana roster, starting with redshirt senior center Oumar Ballo. The 7-footer spent two seasons at Arizona with Illinois junior guard Kylan Boswell, and the two formed a close bond. In more of a set offense, Ballo and Boswell executed plenty of pick-and-rolls and are very familiar with each other’s games.
Ballo has been Indiana’s best player so far. The big man nearly averages a double-double with 14 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting 68.3% from the field. He also averages 1.8 blocks and controls the paint on defense.
A familiar face for Illinois fans will be senior forward Luke Goode. After three years in Champaign, where the sharpshooter was part of multiple Big Ten championships and last year’s Elite Eight, Goode transferred back to his home state. The Indiana native is tied for the team lead in three-pointers made while shooting 37.3% from beyond the arc.
Indiana isn’t afraid to go deep on the bench to find a lineup that works each game. Nine guys average double-digit minutes per game, similar to how deep head coach Brad Underwood is willing to go with Illinois.
Keys to the game
Illinois was out-hustled and physically outmatched on Saturday against USC (10-6, 2-3), and the same could happen Tuesday night if it doesn’t come prepared for a fight. With most of Indiana’s scoring coming from the paint, Illinois must guard better and understand its assignments.
Most of that load falls on the shoulders of freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. and sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić. As the only real big men on the roster, Johnson and Ivišić will have the biggest task of the game: keeping Indiana out of the paint. Underwood has featured both of them together in lineups throughout the season, and he will likely try more of the same against Indiana.
Boswell will also play a big role. As a physical guard and the team’s best perimeter defender, the Champaign native needs to help his big men out and not allow easy paths to the lane. Indiana promises a slugfest, and a road victory for Illinois will require better focus and effort than its previous matchup.
Final notes
It’s a close all-time series, with Indiana leading 96-92, but Illinois had taken two of the last three in Bloomington. It won’t be easy, especially if Illinois is without Jakučionis, but losing two in a row would be detrimental to its Big Ten title hopes. Tipoff for this matchup is set for 6 p.m. at the famous Assembly Hall.
@benfader7
