Illinois (5-2) takes a break in its nonconference schedule for a familiar matchup with a Big Ten opponent in the Michigan Wolverines (7-2). The Illini look to ride their home crowd and three-game winning streak as they attempt to take down Wolverines for the first time in their last eight tries. It could not be a better time for Illinois as Michigan enters off of a blowout loss to Toledo on Wednesday.

Illinois has a tough little stretch in its next three games where it will take on Michigan, Missouri and Arkansas, all Power Six conference opponents. Is it a bit of a litmus test for the Illini? Head coach Shauna Green thinks that could be the case.

“We’ll know a lot in a couple weeks, right?” Green said. “We wanna win them all, but even if it’s like the Notre Dame and Marquette games, we learn a lot from them … so I think it’s going to be good for us.”

Illinois once again comes in at a perceived full strength which it had yet to be when facing a high major foe this season. The usual leaders so far this season — senior guard Genesis Bryant, senior forward Kendall Bosticand junior guard Adalia McKenzie — have been remarkably consistent for the most part through the first seven games. Junior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill had a bit of a career night Wednesday and senior guard Makira Cook looked a lot more like herself in the Illini’s last couple games.

The real X-factor for Illinois, as of right now, against Power Six and Big Ten conference opponents is its bench production. For many parts, if not most, of the Marquette and Notre Dame games, Green was forced to run the starters to exhaustion just to stay competitive. It will remain super important that the Illini keep improving the comfortability of transfers fifth-year center Camille Hobby and sophomore forward Shay Bollin while defining the roles of fifth-year guard Jada Peebles and freshman guard Gretchen Dolan.

Green has continually preached this message throughout the nonconference schedule and just how important it is to get the confidence up in this bench unit.

“I was very intentional with giving everyone an opportunity to play,” Green said. “We need our bench. We need them. We need them to be ready to rise to the occasion and contribute when their name is called.”

Michigan and head coach Kim Barnes Arico are coming into Champaign for the first time since the 2019-20 season. The Wolverines are a defense-heavy team so far this season as they are near the top of the nation in defensive rating, opponent field goal percentage and blocks. This should make for an interesting battle for an Illini team that has been offense-first in their first seven games despite their perceived defensive-mindedness.

Junior guard Laila Phelia, former high school teammate of Illinois’ Makira Cook at Mount Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati, has been the far and away leading scorer for Michigan this season. Phelia and fifth-year guard Lauren Hanson combine for over a third of the team’s points per game on their own. Despite their raw total numbers, though, Hanson and especially Phelia have been woefully inefficient from the field, which could make for a rough afternoon for the Wolverines if those two aren’t on.

This is not a trickle-down to the rest of the team, though, as Arico has surrounded Phelia and Hanson with solid “bigs” like senior forward Cameron Williams and sharpshooters like junior guard Greta Kampschroeder, senior guard Elissa Brett and junior guard Jordan Hobbs.

It’ll be a battle of strengths as the Illinois offense takes on the Michigan defense, but the real question is whether the Illini defense will hold strong or can the Wolverines muster up the shots to outgun them. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. as the Illini take on the Michigan Wolverines at the State Farm Center.

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