Indiana vs Illinois: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Indiana and Illinois matchup in another important Big Ten clash; can the Hoosiers help build their at-large hopes or will the Illini score a fourth straight win?
TV schedule: Sunday, March 1, 2:00 pm ET. BTN
Arena: State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois
While not the most consistent team in the world, Indiana (18-10) is staying afloat in a jam-packed Big Ten, though they aren’t exactly near the top of the conference. Archie Miller’s squad is coming off a bitter loss on the road to rival Purdue and will look for a bounce-back performance in an equally difficult road environment. This team did just recently beat Iowa and Penn State, but those games were both in Bloomington.
The big name to watch for the Hoosiers is standout freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (13.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg). Jackson-Davis has had some electric moments this season, putting up a 27-point, 16-rebound effort against Minnesota just over a week ago. Senior guard Devonte Green (10.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg) led the way in the upset over Iowa with his 27 points. Junior forward Justin Smith (10.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and junior guard Aljami Durham (9.6 ppg, 2.5 apg) have been important cogs in the machine.
Indiana is currently 38th in KenPom and 56th in the NET rankings. The Hoosiers are certainly a bubble team that could still use a few wins to help their cause. They’re a top 50 rebounding team who make their free throws, but the offense has put up no more than 68 points in seven of their last eight games. Sure, being 32nd in defensive efficiency helps, but the defense can’t carry the team for the rest of the season.
After a tumultuous stretch, earlier this month, Illinois (19-9) returns to their home court hunting for a fourth straight win. Every Big Ten game is a challenge, and the Illini have shown for the most part that they are up to that challenge. Brad Underwood’s team has taken a major step forward in his third year at the helm, but can they land one of the coveted top four spots in the Big Ten?
They missed him during his brief injury struggles, but now sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu (16.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg) is back to being a force for Illinois. Freshman center Kofi Cockburn (13.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is one of the best young big men in the country, with 12 points and 14 rebounds against Northwestern on Thursday. Other names to watch include senior guard Andres Feliz (10.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and junior guard Trent Frazier (9.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg), who are both very capable shooters.
On the verge of their first NCAA Tournament in seven years, Illinois is 29th in KenPom and 36th in the NET rankings. The Illini are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the nation, though their long-range shooting has been hot and cold all year long. This team has played fantastic defense for stretches this season and have put themselves in a great position near the top of the conference standings.
For the Hoosiers, they’re going to need their offense to have a breakout performance. They aren’t going to keep holding teams to 57 points as they did against Purdue, though their defense has been playing fantastically in recent weeks. For the Illini, they need Cockburn to keep winning the battles down low. If they limit the Hoosiers’ ability to hit outside shots, then they can make this a long day for Indiana.
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Illinois has looked much better since Dosunmu’s return from injury and I expect them to take care of business for a fourth-straight game. However, this Indiana team is desperate to remain on the right side of the bubble and cannot be underestimated. These two programs have had some classic battles in recent years and I fully expect this to be another exciting affair.