No. 2 Illinois (1-1, 1-0) is gearing up for its home-opener dual meet against No. 4 Nebraska (0-0). This is an important matchup for both teams since the Illini are looking to advance their conference record while the Cornhuskers search for their first Big Ten win.

Big fish in a small sea

For collegiate men’s gymnastics, the pool of competitors is extremely small. With a total of 15 teams, five of which are Big Ten contenders, the opportunity for competition is limited.  

Given the small chance for victory in every meet, specifically conference meets, it is essential to better a team’s event and overall rankings. The Cornhuskers have yet to compete in a conference matchup. The Illini, on the other hand, defeated the reigning Big Ten champions earlier this month. 

Versatility plays another key aspect. The more teams you compete against, the more a team is exposed to. This leads teams to be better prepared for various types of competitors and environments. The Cornhuskers competed in the Rocky Mountain Open, facing off against roughly half of the collegiate teams. The Illini, however, have had a season of dual meets, only facing off against two other teams. 

Saturday presents an excellent opportunity for either team to climb the rankings following a win.  

Reaching for the high bar

Another key element of men’s gymnastics is the range of skills a team can showcase within the six events. Illinois is ranked in the top three in four of the six events and the top 10 for all six events. Nebraska follows a similar pattern in its event rankings. Half of its events are in the top three, and the remaining events all fall within the top 10. 

There’s no doubt that the Illini are a powerhouse on the pommel horse, thanks to sophomore Brandon Dang’s record on the apparatus. The Cornhuskers need to focus on the pommel horse, considering the Illini hold the No. 1 spot for the event. Coincidentally, one of Cornhuskers’ best events is the Illini’s worst event, the parallel bars. 

However, team rankings can be misleading due to the level of talent on a team. Nebraska’s graduate Taylor Christopulos took home first place at the Rocky Mountain Open with a new career high of 14.10.

Illinois also has its fair share of misleading rankings. At first glance, Illinois is ranked No. 3 on the still rings. But, when comparing that ranking to its most recent performance, all four Oklahoma athletes placed higher than the Illinois lineup. However, anything can happen in a meet with such close competition.

With a small pool of teams, various rankings and potentially biased judging, it might be difficult to truly compare two varying teams before seeing their performances. 

Friend or foe

With Nebraska’s upcoming visit to Illinois, redshirt fifth-year Sam Phillips will be welcomed by his former teammates.  

Phillips is no stranger to competing against former allies. Shortly after he announced his commitment to Illinois at the end of the 2024 season, he spoke about his former club teammate, sophomore Vahe Petrosyan. 

“I am really excited to be teammates with him again,” Phillips said. “His freshman year was kind of tough because of injuries, but when he is healthy, he is a force to be reckoned with.”

Besides Phillips, many men’s gymnasts in the United States and worldwide are more friends than teammates. While many will say, “May the best man win,” for men’s gymnastics, your competitor is like a brother. 

The match is set to begin at 6 p.m. in Huff Hall to close out the month of January.

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