No. 8 Illinois (4-0) will face its second top 15 opponent of the season Wednesday, traveling to the United Center to take on No. 11 Alabama (2-1). While the Illini go into this matchup freshly off securing their fourth win of the season, the Crimson Tide are playing to get back on the winning track. Alabama suffered its first loss of the year Thursday to No. 1 Purdue, 87-80.
Continuing to play games against high-level talent early in the season will only benefit the Illini down the road. After defeating No. 15 Texas Tech early last week, Illinois took the first step to cement itself as one of the top teams in the nation. The Illini have another chance to compete and show improvements against the Crimson Tide.
“Playing this level of competition early in the season means a lot for a program like ours, where we’ve had some ups and downs throughout the summer,” said junior wing Andrej Stojaković. “You can’t control the injuries, but it helps a lot with our identity and what tools we have to use later on in the year.”
Contesting the three, protecting the paint
Both Illinois and Alabama have comparative depth and versatility on the offensive end. Similar to the Illini, the Crimson Tide has five players on their roster averaging double figures. Three of those players make up one of the most fast-paced, efficient scoring backcourts in the nation, while the other two are forwards who can stretch the floor.
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“Your natural instinct for bigs is for them to run back to the paint and theirs don’t,” said head coach Brad Underwood. “They’re going to run wide, and they’re very similar to what we do. They’re going to space the floor that way, which opens it up for those guards to find paint.”
Junior guard Aden Holloway came off the bench for most of his first year at Alabama but has stepped into a larger role this season. The junior is currently averaging 21 points per game while shooting 51.6% from the field. Holloway, alongside the other Alabama guards, is just as lethal from inside the paint as he is from three-point range. Containing his ability to drive will help the Illini defense limit his productivity.
The other Crimson Tide veteran guards, sophomore Labaron Philon Jr. and graduate student Latrell Wrightsell Jr., play similarly to Holloway offensively. Philon Jr. is averaging 18 points per game while Wrightsell Jr. averages 11.5 off the bench. Through the first few games, these three Alabama guards are all shooting over 30% from three. To limit them, applying pressure on the three-point line and contesting all attempts are key.
“They’ve played in that system,” Underwood said about Alabama’s backcourt. “They’re all guys who I fear off the bounce more than I do from three, and they’re all going to shoot threes. They do a great job of living in the paint.”
Alabama also has taller forwards who can play both on the perimeter and near the rim. Junior forward Taylor Bol Bowen is shooting 71.4% from the field to start the year and averaging 15 points per game. Sophomore forward Aiden Sherell averages 10.5 points per game on 57.1% shooting. Both players also shoot over 30% from three-point range.
Defending these forwards will be a test for junior center Zvonimir Ivišić and freshman forward David Mirković in playing both solid perimeter defense and protecting the rim. As almost all of Alabama’s shot attempts come from either the three-point line or inside the paint, Illinois needs both strong interior and perimeter defense.
“They got tremendous guard play,” Stojaković said. “Good wings. Good size. It’ll be an interesting matchup. I think we’ve done a great job of trying to replicate their style of play, practice playing against them.”
Rebounding advantage
One area of weakness for the Crimson Tide that the Illini can exploit is rebounding. In its recent loss to Purdue, Alabama lost the rebounding battle, getting outrebounded 52-28. However, against Colgate, Illinois kept itself in the game by grabbing offensive rebounds. It outrebounded Colgate 49-29.
Since the start of the season, Underwood emphasized rebounding as one of the ways the Illini can set themselves apart from their opponents. Friday’s win was an example of this. When Illinois struggled to find a way to score, its effort on the glass made all the difference. The Illini scored 13 points in the first half from their second chances on offensive rebounds.
Grabbing rebounds on both ends of the floor will be a difference maker in Wednesday’s matchup, especially from the guards. Freshman guard Keaton Wagler is second on the Illini roster in rebounds per game with 6.5. His desire to fight for boards against players stronger than him reflects his toughness and what he brings to Illinois beyond scoring.
“I grew a lot with my confidence in him in the Florida scrimmage simply because of the physicality,” Underwood said. “ … He was spectacular and now he’s gone out and he’s done that against (Texas) Tech. They’re known for their defense, and he just finds ways. I hope it’s helped him grow.”
Senior guard Kylan Boswell also rebounded well to start the season, averaging 5.3 rebounds per game. Both Boswell and Wagler average at least two more rebounds per game than Alabama’s guards. Taking advantage of their skill sets will keep the Crimson Tide from extra offensive possessions and give the Illini a couple more.
After a historic 20/20 game against Colgate, Mirković will also be a key contributor on the glass on Wednesday. Mirković averages more rebounds per game than anyone on their team, with 12.5 per game. The freshman struggled to rebound in Illinois’ win over Texas Tech but bounced back in a big way by grabbing 21 rebounds Friday. Although Mirković provides a lot for the Illini with his rebounding, it will be a team effort against the Crimson Tide.
“Obviously, we knew he was capable of such a thing, but we’re not going to put the pressure and expectation of him to do it every night,” Stojaković said about Mirković’s 20-20 game. “That’s what coach (Underwood) is harping on for everyone to crash the glass, everyone to rebound. We understand it’s going to be a different guy every night.”
Injury updates
Each practice, Illinois is one step closer to having its full roster available. Other than redshirt junior guard Ty Rodgers, no one is ruled out to play against Alabama.
Junior center Tomislav Ivišić is a game-time decision, and his day-to-day timetable is similar to the process Stojaković went through when he returned a few weeks ago. Freshman guard Brandon Lee is back in practice but still playing through some pain. Before Friday’s game, Lee warmed up with the team, signaling he’s starting to get healthier and isn’t a no-go for Wednesday. Lastly, sophomore guard Mihailo Petrović’s status will be given right before the game, but he went through a few good days of practice per Underwood.
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