As Illinois (19-11, 11-8) gears up for its final regular season affair of the 2024-25 season, the sports team got together to talk about the final matchup. After discussing No. 18 Purdue (21-9, 13-6) and key players to look out for, here’s what the group had to say about Friday’s big-time matchup. 

Game prediction

Illinois (13) — 76.5%

Purdue (4) — 23.5%

Despite some close games over the years and Purdue having dominated the recent series, the sports staff is pretty confident in an Illinois win. The Boilermakers lack many serious scoring threats, which was a unanimous concern throughout the section. 

The few who picked Purdue cited a role player potentially stepping up and knocking down some big shots. Flashbacks of then-sophomore forward Trey Kaufman-Renn dropping 23 points last year while only averaging 6.4 throughout the season still linger in University students’ minds. Or when then-junior guard Brandon Newman scored a game-high 19 points in 2023 when he only averaged six points per game and transferred out following the season. 

Despite some of those role-player games, most of the sports section went with the Illini. Many voters had the same thought: If not now, then when? The Boilermakers have taken nine of the last 12 matchups in the series. However, after a long season, the Boilermakers had a four-game losing streak recently and are not playing their best ball. 

The Illini aren’t exactly “hot” right now, but they’ve won two in a row and have given fans a taste of their best basketball. So, maybe it’s more hoping than not, but the staff is confident in an Illinois win.

Impact player: Illinois

Will Riley (7) — 41.2%

Kylan Boswell (4) — 23.5%

Kasparas Jakučionis (4) — 23.5%

Tomislav Ivišić (1) — 5.9%

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (1) — 5.9%

Head coach Brad Underwood reinserted freshman forward Will Riley into the starting lineup two games ago, a desperate attempt to find the right spark moving forward. Despite shooting just 1-10 from deep, Riley has played solid basketball in every other area, catalyzing the two-game stretch for the Illini. Sports reporters at The Daily Illini are confident that if he puts in another good effort, Illinois can emerge victorious. 

Junior guard Kylan Boswell and freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis earned a well-deserved tie with four votes apiece. Boswell has stepped up as a leader recently, and Illinois needs him to continue paving the path for the inexperienced roster. He is also one of the best defenders in the Big Ten and will be crucial in slowing down Purdue junior guard Braden Smith.

Jakučionis’ offensive skills have been somewhat lost in the last month-plus since his injury, but he put together one of his best halves since December in the final 20 minutes against then-No. 15 Michigan (22-8, 14-5). A good showing on Friday would be two in a row from the Lithuanian. This is a rarity that would give fans confidence as March Madness looms. 

Sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić and sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn each earned a vote to round out the field. Ivišić is the lone big man on the roster and will be tasked with defending the paint from multiple Purdue players who almost exclusively shoot down low.

His fellow single-vote-getter, Gibbs-Lawhorn, may come as a surprise to some, as the guard struggles to receive consistent playing time. However, the lone Illini returner from a season ago was actually a Purdue commit at one point. Revenge is on the line for Gibbs-Lawhorn, who will likely be his uber-aggressive self in the finale.

Impact player: Purdue

Braden Smith (12) — 70.6% 

Fletcher Loyer (2) — 11.8% 

C.J. Cox (2) — 11.8%

Caleb Furst (1) — 5.9%

First things first, no Kaufman-Renn? After he took advantage of the Illini in the first matchup last season, the sports staff is still sleeping on the junior, although he leads the Boilermakers in points per game. Or the staff just has the mindset that his 19.4 points and 6.1 rebounds are a given and won’t be a key to the game.

Smith is pretty much the go-to guy here. Boswell will be the matchup, and if Smith can get buckets against Illinois’ elite defender, then Purdue might be in a good position.

Despite Illinois freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. not playing, nobody was very worried about the Purdue big men. The next two highest vote-getters were junior guard Fletcher Loyer and freshman guard C.J. Cox, likely filling the role of “not a top-two option but might torch Illinois” for the voters. 

The most unexpected vote of the day goes to senior forward Caleb Furst. It may be a single vote, but if Furst is the difference in the game, you can thank the sports staff for the warning.