The Illini (12-4, 2-3) are coming in hot off a win against the No. 23 Hawkeyes (12-5, 2-4). Both of Iowa’s previous conference losses were against ranked teams. Beating such a highly regarded team while missing key players was huge, allowing Illinois to fight back into the rankings with more wins.
As the conference season chugs along, Illinois will face four more ranked teams on its schedule: No. 20 Michigan State (13-3, 3-2) on Jan. 19, No. 8 Maryland (15-1, 5-1) on Feb. 2, No. 1 UCLA (16-0, 5-0) on Feb. 20 and No. 4 USC (15-1, 5-0) on Feb. 23.
First up, Michigan State
Illinois will first face Michigan State after its upcoming matchup against Indiana (12-4, 4-1). The Spartans fall lower on the AP Top 25 and lack powerhouse scorers and significant scoring margins.
However, they have held strong in this difficult conference. They started their season on a high note with 11 consecutive wins. Their first two losses were against No. 18 Alabama (15-2, 2-1) and Maryland.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Michigan State averages fewer rebounds per game and shoots worse at the free-throw line than Illinois. But the Spartans are better at capitalizing on turnovers, an area the Illini have struggled to contain. They also send teams to the line less often than the Illini would prefer.
Against the Hawkeyes, the Illini only made it to the free-throw line eight times compared to their 16.3 season average. Iowa had 17 chances but only converted eight.
Illinois is a consistent team when it comes to capitalizing on those free-point opportunities, which determined the final score against Iowa. If a similar situation occurs against the Spartans, the Illini are better positioned to capitalize at the charity stripe and push ahead.
Next, Maryland
The Terrapins kicked off their season strong with a 14-0 run before falling 79-74 to USC. Maryland defeated Iowa and Michigan State, 74-66 and 72-66, respectively, and boasts a higher overall scoring margin than Illinois — 22.2 versus 12.8.
Maryland is a higher-scoring team, averaging 83.1 points, while Illinois averages 72.2. These differences highlight some of the Illini’s scoring struggles, notably beyond the arc and in the mid-range. It’s not helped by the season-ending injuries recently announced for sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan and fifth-year guard Makira Cook.
Maryland’s strong offense will have to face Illinois’ defense, which has held teams to an average of 59.4 points per game. Shutting down those opportunities for its opponents may be simple. However, capitalizing on their defense and making something of turnovers has been an issue for the Illini so far.
Against the Hawkeyes, they slowed down the game to create more effective offensive opportunities. This is a potentially beneficial strategy against a similarly paced team like the Terrapins.
Then, off to California
Illinois will play its final two away games in California at the end of February. UCLA and USC will be two of the toughest teams Illinois will face in 2025.
UCLA stands undefeated against some of the best teams in the country, including No. 2 South Carolina (16-1, 4-0). This close matchup was the Bruins’ from the start, outscoring their opponent by 10 in the opening quarter. The opening lead proved too large to overcome. Even though South Carolina put up more points in the second half, UCLA won 77-62 against its first ranked team of the season.
Against ranked and Big Ten teams, the Bruins pulled away early on and then focused on defending their lead. Establishing early leads is a battle that Illinois has yet to win in conference play. While Illinois wasn’t on their back foot against Iowa, not having an early lead killed the team’s chances of winning against No. 9 Ohio State (16-0, 5-0) and Washington (12-5, 3-2).
Similarly, USC has risen in the ranks of collegiate women’s basketball due to its success in the 2023-24 postseason. The Trojans were the final Pac-12 conference champions and made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.
One player who has helped USC become the staple it is this season is sophomore guard Juju Watkins. She set the all-time national record for freshman scorers with 920 points last season and scored 30-plus points in 14 games. In her second year, she is No. 3 in scoring nationally, averaging 24.9 points per game.
USC is a well-rounded team, but shutting down Watkins must always come first for teams hoping to beat the Trojans. Only one team, Cal Poly (8-8, 3-3), has held Watkins under 20 points. Even still, USC won that game 90-35.
Illini to rely on
Their opponent’s strengths will challenge the Illini, who are running short on guards but maintain a reliable defense. Illinois’ key to winning these defensive efforts has been fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic.
She is tied No. 6 nationally for the number of double-doubles this season with 10, highlighting her efficiency on both ends of the court. Bostic averages 11.3 rebounds per game and has a 54.7% conversion rate on field goals. Her efficient shooting rate has saved Illinois in some close games when the guards can’t get their shots to fall.
Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant is the team’s highest-scoring guard. She leads the team to set up scoring drives and works hard on both ends of the court, highlighted by her 19 steals this season. Bryant works hard to drive to the basket, get points off in the paint and fight on the boards to win the ball back. She is indispensable for the Illini, averaging 14.4 points per game and leading her team with 46 assists.
Finally, in the absence of Cook, sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger has stepped up into her role as the second starting guard. While she averages fewer points, 9.8 to Cook’s 11.9, Brown-Hagger has the hustle to increase her scoring efficiency. Brown-Hagger had one of her most efficient outings against Ohio State. In that game, she attempted 13 shots and converted six.
Her three-point efficiency has been non-existent recently, and she struggles to secure rebounds. However, Brown-Haggerʼs ability to read opponents and her aggression when driving to the basket have been able to fill in those struggle areas so far. Going forward, she must become more efficient on both ends to help her team excel against its remaining conference opponents.
