Big Ten Basketball: Buy or sell Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Purdue and Wisconsin?

Illinois Fighting Illini – 12-3 (3-3)

There’s no team in Big Ten Basketball that’s had bigger ups and downs than Illinois, who has arguably the two best wins from the entire non-conference in Texas and UCLA. But a 4-4 stretch that included an 0-3 start in league play.

Making matters more interesting, Skyy Clark, the team’s starting point guard that averaged 7.0 ppg, recently left the team and isn’t likely to come back this season. The ball-handling has been an issue with the freshmen running the offense but Jayden Epps has been solid in the past few games.

What makes this team so appealing is the offensive potential, with five double-digit scorers. Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon leads the team with over 18 ppg, while Matthew Mayer is averaging over 15 ppg in the last nine games after a brutal start to the season. Bigs Coleman Hawkins and Dain Dainja have been inconsistent at times but can have huge games at any time.

The athleticism of this team makes them dangerous on both ends and with both Shannon and Meyer playing at a high level, they can be a threat to beat anyone. A three-game win streak without Clark means that they can be okay with Epps running point.

This was a hard decision to make but I don’t see how a team without a clear direction at point guard can win much in March. They can beat anyone but also lose to anyone as well and that’s not a team I want to pick in my bracket.

Sell