Illinois vs. Rutgers: 5 storyline for matchup of top-25 Big Ten teams

Myles Johnson or Clifford Omoruyi?

Experience, body mass, and scoring prowess all favor Myles Johnson in comparison to starting center Clifford Omoruyi. Even if Johnson does not start Sunday, the 20 minutes per game each player is averaging will not be as even. The two years of experience, the 15 pounds, and the two points per game that Johnson has over Omoruyi will be pivotal when attempting to challenge the 7 foot, 295-pound Kofi Cockburn.

For the first five games, Coach Pikeill has opted to start freshman Clifford Omoruyi as junior Myles Johnson comes off the bench. Even though Johnson blocks almost two shots more per game and rebounds over two boards more, Omoruyi is used for his defensive contribution as the additional offense is not needed in the starting line-up with Ron Harper Jr. Johnson has been an attempt to create more of an offensive threat once players begin to be rotated.

This time around, however, Coach Pikiell should rely on Johnson for more than 20 minutes as he has the greater capability of keeping Cockburn occupied, instead of solely protecting the rim. The fact that Johnson averages over two points more than Omoruyi are not important, it is how Johnson is able to do it.

Omoruyi is shooting 72 percent from the field as he is a Big Ten caliber finisher at the rim, whereas Johnson can hit a step or two in from the elbow. Every step you can draw Cockburn away from the rim is better.