The Illinois men’s basketball team’s first matchup with Indiana on New Year’s Eve was essentially a battle between two players. Rayvonte Rice of Illinois and Yogi Ferrell of Indiana combined to score 59 points in an 83-80 overtime victory for the Illini. Although Ferrell is still the engine that runs Indiana, Rice has since become Illinois’ third-most important player.

I’m not trying to diss Rice or ignore his value to this team, but when Illinois faces Indiana on Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, Kendrick Nunn and Nnanna Egwu — not Rice — will be the most important players for the Illini.

Numbers never lie. Nothing strengthens an argument more than the unbiased, unadulterated, Player A vs. Player B comparison. Here’s a look at two Illinois players’ statistics since the Feb. 9 win over Penn State:

Player A: 12.1 points per game, 53.7 field goal percentage, 19 3-pointers, 52.7 3-point percentage

Player B: 12.5 points per game, 36.8 FG percentage, eight 3-pointers, 30.7 3-point percentage

Player A has clearly been the better player over Illinois’ last eight games. Player B has the edge in points per game, but with a much worse field-goal percentage. The 3-pointers might’ve been a dead giveaway, Nunn is A while Rice is B. The significance of the Penn State game is that Nunn was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time on that day. He scored a career-high 19 points in the game and has outplayed Rice ever since.

Rice, who was a consensus Big Ten honorable mention selection, is averaging 15.7 points per game on the season compared with Nunn’s 6.2, but Nunn has heated up as of late. The Big Ten All-Freshman selection plays well beyond his years, showing an efficiency that is remarkable for anyone. Nunn is shooting a ridiculous 54.1 percent from the field in his last 10 games thanks to his uncanny shot selection.

Nunn shot 4-for-4 from the field last time out against Iowa, proving how selective the lefty can be at times. He will need to be more prolific against Indiana. There’s no guarantee three other Illini will score in double figures like they did in Nunn’s support against Iowa on Saturday. Nunn needs to take over and embrace the big stage.

Nunn can also learn a thing or two from the way Ferrell leads the Hoosiers. The pint-sized guard can fill it up. The consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection is averaging 17.4 points and 2.8 3-pointers per game this season after averaging just 7.6 points and 0.6 3-pointers per game during his freshman campaign. Ferrell, who has scored 47 points against Illinois this season, hasn’t seen much of Nunn. That will change Thursday.

Groce has praised Nunn’s developments defensively throughout the season, so expect him to crack at Ferrell defensively. Nunn’s quick feet and improved fundamentals bode well in a matchup with Ferrell. And if he struggles to stay in front of Ferrell, Egwu will be there, waiting to disturb any shot in his vicinity.

Egwu is the defensive anchor of Illinois’ 16th ranked defense, according to defensive efficiency. For a player who has struggled to stay on the floor due to foul trouble, Egwu has made serious strides in becoming a game-changing defender. Egwu’s 2.1 blocks per game are a testament to his rim-protecting abilities, but many of the junior’s defensive contributions don’t show up in the box score. His ability to alter shots at the rim, disrupt pick-and-rolls and clear out the paint has made Egwu invaluable to Illinois.

Groce was “shocked” at Egwu’s absence from the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team, and I can’t blame him. Illinois’ defense wouldn’t be one of the best in the country without the presence of Egwu down low, but his value will be on full display when he is challenged with stopping Big Ten Freshman of the Year Noah Vonleh.

Vonleh is averaging 11.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, but his most impressive statistic is 51.6 percent shooting from downtown. He has made just 16 3-pointers on the season, but even the threat of a jump shot makes defending his drive that much harder. Vonleh loves creating contact and playing physical in the paint in addition to his shooting prowess. Egwu shut down Vonleh on Jan. 26, holding him to just four points on 2-for-6 shooting from the field. Illinois will need Egwu to replicate that performance once again.

Illinois is a different team than it was when it last met Indiana in January. As Groce said, “We’re playing the best that we’ve played all year.” And with Nunn and Egwu at the forefront of their attack, I like Illinois’ chances.

Michael is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @The_MDubb.