Iowa vs Illinois: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

TV schedule: Friday, January 29, 9 pm ET, FS1

Arena: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois

Usually, we have to wait until Saturday for the top matchups on the weekend, but this week we get to start a day earlier in a Friday night prime time slot. Order some food after work, and grab a seat on the couch as the seventh-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (12-3, 6-2 Big Ten) hit the road to take on the nineteenth ranked Illinois Fighting Illini (10-5, 6-3 Big Ten) in this top 25 conference matchup.

Iowa comes into this game looking to get back on track after a home loss last Thursday to the Indiana Hoosiers 81-69. The loss to Indiana was the Hawkeyes’ first home loss of the season. Illinois will be coming off an extended layoff after their game last Saturday against Michigan State was postponed due to Covid-19 cases in the Spartans program. Illinois last played on January 19th at home when they beat Penn State 79-65.

The main headline in this matchup is between two very talented big men. Iowa is led by their All-American candidate and defending Big Ten player of the year in Luka Garza. Unless something dramatically changes Garza should be adding another Big Ten Player of the Year award to his trophy case in a few weeks. The senior forward comes into this matchup averaging 26.9 points per game, and 8.9 rebounds per game. Garza in fifteen games this year has recorded seven double-doubles.

The Illini have a big man of their own they really like in Kofi Cockburn. The sophomore center and the defending Big Ten Freshman of the Year is averaging 17.4 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game. Cockburn has come a long way this year with his game overall.

Last year Kofi Cockburn had a very good year. You do not just get handed the Freshman of the Year award in a conference like the Big Ten, but Cockburn was very raw. Kofi Cockburn’s all-around game just looks more natural in his sophomore campaign. It will not be long until he is playing at the next level in the NBA.

Hopefully, both of these stars can stay out of foul trouble, so everybody can watch these two battle against each other in the post for the majority of the game.

This game does not just feature talented forwards, it has some really good guards as well. Like Iowa, Illinois has an All American candidate of their own in guard Ayo Dosunmu. Illinois guards Adam Miller, Trent Frazier, and Ayo Dosunmu can really hurt you from beyond the three-point line. All three are shooting at least 36% from downtown.

The Hawkeyes also have some really good guards too. Senior guard Jordan Bohannon and junior guard Joe Wieskamp help make up one of the best backcourts in the nation. Guard CJ Fredrick has played major minutes and has played well this season so far for Iowa. Jordan Bohannon is looking to bounce back from his worst game in a Hawkeyes uniform. Against Indiana, Bohannon had zero points on 0-9 shooting (0-8 from 3) in 33 minutes.

This game has major implications in the Big Ten standings. Friday night’s game is the lone meeting of the season between these two teams in the regular season. An Iowa win and they stay one game back in the loss column of Michigan and knock Illinois most likely out of any chance at a Big Ten title. While an Illinois win would keep them two games back in the loss column behind Michigan, but also gives Illinois the tiebreaker over Iowa if they were to end the season with the same conference record.

These two teams have had some great battles over the years, and not just on the floor between the lines either. With COVID protocols this season it will not happen, but last year after the first matchup there were some words said after the game in the handshake line between both teams. No punches were thrown, or anything like that, but these teams do not like each other.

Iowa has won four of the last five meetings in this rivalry. Illinois won the latest matchup, 78-76 against Iowa at the State Farm Center last year. The Illini will add onto that number as they extend their winning streak to two in a row over Iowa Friday night. Illinois gets the win to stay in the crowded Big Ten Championship race.

Prediction: Illinois 83, Iowa 82