Coming off yet another upset loss at Rutgers on Thursday, No. 23 Illinois (15-8, 7-6) heads to the twin cities on Saturday to play Minnesota (12-11, 4-8). The Illini have lost five of their last eight games, so every upcoming matchup is a must-win if the team hopes to reverse its downward momentum.

Ill, injured Illini

Bad luck keeps hitting Illinois’ personnel. Since the start of the new year, players have moved in and out of the lineup. Junior guard Tre White practiced on Friday after not playing against Rutgers due to illness. His chances of returning to game action on Saturday seem solid.

However, sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, a recent addition to the starting lineup, has the flu. He did not practice on Friday, and his status for Saturday is severely in doubt. Sickness has been running through this team recently, with a new player becoming ill before every game.

Sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić’s status is also up in the air. Ivišić rolled his ankle badly against Rutgers, and head coach Brad Underwood told the media on Friday that Ivišić’s ankle was swollen. Ivišić tried reentering the game on Thursday, but he could only play a few minutes before pulling the plug for the rest of the night. He will likely make a game-time decision on Saturday.

Both Gibbs-Lawhorn and Ivišić have been key players for the Illini. Without them, Illinois loses two starters — one of the team’s best pure scorers and a big man who spaces the floor and allows the offense to flow with his facilitating skills.

Minnesota matchup

Minnesota stands at No. 16 in the conference, making it one of the bottom-tier teams in the Big Ten. The Gophers are inconsistent, but the Illini have been as well.

Wins over then-No. 20 Michigan and No. 15 Oregon show that Illinois can beat strong opponents, just like most other Big Ten teams. However, Illinois has also shown it is not immune to upset losses after losing five unranked Big Ten games this season. With multiple starters potentially out for the Illini, this game may not be an easy win.

Minnesota is led by senior forward Dawson Garcia, who has averaged 20.1 points and 7.4 rebounds this season. At 6-foot-11, Garcia can shoot the ball — he’s hit 37.4% of his three-point attempts on almost four attempts per game. He was also recently named a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the best center in college basketball.

Having Ivišić back to handle a fellow stretch big man would be ideal. However, if he’s out, expect freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. to take over the defensive assignment.

Johnson’s athleticism and speed have been on display all year, so a matchup with Garcia should be competitive. However, if Johnson finds himself in early foul trouble, as he often does, Garcia could pose a massive threat to the smaller Illini defense.

Outside of Garcia, the Gophers have a threat in senior guard Mike Mitchell Jr., who shoots 36.1% from deep on high volume.

Minnesota is a much older team than Illinois, with 10 seniors on its roster. The younger Illini will not have it easy, especially with multiple starters potentially out. Freshman forward Will Riley must continue to step up in dire moments, and freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis needs to find a way out of his recent slump.

Tip-off

The second road game of the week is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The game will air on the Big Ten Network.

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