Gonzaga vs. Illinois: Key storylines to watch for the Maui Invitational matchup

Youth vs. Experience

As mentioned earlier, Gonzaga has the edge in the frontcourt with the Illini not being fully equipped. And when it comes to the backcourt battle, the Bulldogs arguably have the edge too.
Senior point guard Josh Perkins is a four-year starter who just dished his 500th career assist last game. Joining him is grad transfer guard Geno Crandall, who averaged 18 ppg at North Dakota.

He’s the sixth man for the Bulldogs with a good stroke and great defensive skills. Then there’s the second-leader scorer Zach Norvell, a third year sophomore averaging 17.7 ppg. Combined, that’s 12 years of college playing experience between the trio.

Illinois isn’t able to match that, with four key guards all being underclassmen. Dosunmu is a freshman, while second-leading scorer Andres Feliz is in his first year in D-I after playing at the JUCO level. Senior guard Aaron Jordan is the only upperclassmen guard in the rotation.

But there is some good news for the Illini with Trent Frazier. After missing the Georgetown game with a concussion, the sophomore guard is traveling with the team to Maui and is likely to play on Monday. He was a double-digit scorer as a freshman and his passing ability allows Dosunmu to play off the ball. If Illinois is going to play small-ball anyways they might as well put the best offensive lineup that they can.

Illinois has some good perimeter depth and will need to clearly outplay the Bulldogs guards to have a real chance at the upset. But unless they find an answer for Hachimura in the frontcourt, it could be a tough opening round game for the underdogs to overcome.