The last few weeks have been tough for Illinois (17-10, 9-8), and Saturday will present the biggest challenge yet. No. 3 Duke (23-3, 15-1) is an unusual opponent this late in the season but only adds to the strength of a schedule that head coach Brad Underwood set up for his program.
A nonconference game in late February is uncharacteristic, but the high-profile matchup on FOX won’t exactly turn fans away. Any matchup against the Blue Devils brings national attention, and the location is somewhat familiar to the Illini.
The Garden
Bright lights will be on the Illini for this matchup as they visit the home of the New York Knicks. Saturday marks the third consecutive year with a game in one of the most famous arenas in the world for Illinois.
The Illini won both matchups in the last two seasons, proving they could show up on the biggest stage. While victories over then-No. 2 Texas and No. 11 FAU were impressive, this 2025 Duke team is loaded and a serious end-of-season championship contender. Add in the fact that Illinois is struggling with limited player availability, and Saturday is primed to be the toughest game they’ve ever played at The Garden.
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Know the foe
This is one of the best Duke teams in recent memory. The last time the Blue Devils had a 23-3 start or better was 2018-19, behind the legendary recruiting class of Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish.
While both classes were No. 1 in the nation, the current freshmen class brought in more five stars via the composite rankings. Freshman forward Cooper Flagg leads the Blue Devils after being the No. 1 overall recruit in the country.
The Flagg hype began before the season started, as the young phenom practiced with the Olympic team over the summer. He is almost unanimously predicted to go first overall in the upcoming NBA draft. Flagg has been so good that one analyst even suggested that the Oklahoma City Thunder trade a whopping eight first-round picks for the 18-year-old.
“I would love to personally see (Flagg) stay in (college) basketball for another year,” Underwood said. “I would work any NIL deal you could possibly work to keep that young man in college basketball. I think he’s great for the game.”
At 6-foot-9, the forward can score at all three levels and is pretty good defensively for his age. Still, while Flagg’s 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, four assists and 2.8 stocks (steals and blocks) per game are impressive, he has plenty of help.
With freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. still out, the paint was wide open for Wisconsin (21-5, 11-4) on Tuesday. Duke will have that same opportunity to attack the Illini’s thin frontcourt on Saturday. Flagg and company can control the inside game, especially with fellow five-star freshman center Khaman Maluach.
The 7-foot-2 South Sudan native has been a force in his first season, shooting 71.8% from the field. Keeping Maluach out of the paint will be tough with limited bodies, but Illinois must also keep track of Duke’s guards.
Freshman guards Kon Knueppel and Isaiah Evans, along with junior guard Tyrese Proctor, are all elite shooters. Knueppel joins Maluach and Flagg as projected first-round picks, labeled as the most elite shooter in the draft class. He’s knocked down around 38% of his triples this season while he’s taken nearly six a game.
The final Blue Devil of note is a familiar face for Illini fans. Graduate student forward Mason Gillis spent four years with Purdue but transferred to Duke this season. He comes off the bench in a veteran forward role but can still contribute as a contender. Gillis hit multiple three-pointers in both games against the Illini a year ago, coming off the bench for the rival Boilermakers.
Illinois notes
Without Johnson down low, Illinois is missing its main point enforcer. All eyes will be on the defense Saturday, which allowed 95 points last time out. Underwood noted that he didn’t think the defense was that bad, and the Badgers just played better offense, but giving up 95 points before playing the Blue Devils does not bode well for the Illini.
“Thought we did some really, really good things,” Underwood said. “We were challenged a little bit with some lineups and having to do some different things, but all in all, I thought we fought.”
One of the biggest fighters on the team is sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. The returning guard now receives one of the biggest cheers of approval when entering games at home due to his hustle on the court. Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 17 points on Tuesday after a few games with low playing time and could play a big role in getting to the rim against the Blue Devils.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “Especially for how we’ve been doing right now, you know. I feel like it’s a good chance for us to (send) a message.”
The game begins at 7 p.m. in New York City. It will be broadcast on FOX as Illinois tries to return to its November-December form with few games remaining before the postseason.
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