Through four conference contests, No. 10 Illinois men’s basketball sits at second in the Big Ten. Illinois’ 3-1 mark only trails a red hot 5-0 start from Wisconsin, which is much better than the team next up on the schedule. Tipping off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Illinois will be opposite a Maryland squad that has already suffered three conference losses.
Despite the Illini having a more successful season so far, they have struggled against the Terrapins in the past. Maryland owns a 14-7 split in the all-time series and has claimed victory in nine of the programs’ 11 games against each other since 2016.
Senior forward Coleman Hawkins is the only Illinois starter from their last meeting that will play on Sunday. In total, there are just two other current Illini who saw the floor against Maryland last year: redshirt junior forward Dain Dainja and sophomore guard Ty Rodgers. Hawkins (16p/7r/4b) and Dainja (8p/5r) had positive performances while Rodgers played just nine minutes.
The Terrapins’ 2-3 start in the Big Ten is far from a death sentence, but the results are not encouraging. As it stands, Maryland has only beaten Michigan (1-4) and Penn State (2-4) while falling short against more formidable opponents such as Indiana (4-2), No. 1 Purdue (4-2) and Minnesota (3-2). While the historical barrier may prove difficult for the Illini to surmount, the scoreboard always starts with a blank slate and they have looked like the superior team so far.
Illinois’ most recent game was a conference victory over Michigan State just three days prior. It ended up coming down to the wire despite the Illini holding a double-digit lead at numerous points in the game. Several Illini were instrumental in the 71-68 victory, with there being a three-way tie for leading scorer (15) and Hawkins having a ridiculous performance on the defensive end.
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Thursday night also saw the continuation of Illinois running a very tight lineup. Five players were on the floor for 30 or more minutes and senior guard Justin Harmon was the only one who saw significant time off of the bench. Head coach Brad Underwood is not concerned about the fatigue and trusts that his players’ conditioning is up to the task.
“We have the absolute best strength and conditioning coach and trainer in the country,” Underwood emphasized. “Paul Schmidt is up here all hours of the day. Adam Fletcher, the job he’s doing and then when you put our facility … the recovery that they’re doing is remarkable. It is helping. I don’t see a drop.”
In terms of health, Illinois will see the return of redshirt freshman guard Niccolo Moretti who has been sidelined by a foot injury since Nov. 19. Freshman forward Amani Hansberry will remain out as he works to get back on the court.
“Nico has been cleared so he’ll be in uniform on Sunday,” Underwood said. “Amani’s still fighting some of his spasms but is getting better. He’s day-to-day.”
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