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Illinois Basketball: Illini Non-Conference Predictions

By Rees Woodcock

Oct 13, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach John Groce speaks with the media during Big Ten media day at the Marriott Washington Wardman Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach John Groce speaks with the media during Big Ten media day at the Marriott Washington Wardman Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 10, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Malcolm Hill (21) celebrates with center Maverick Morgan (22) and forward Michael Finke (43) after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes during the Big Ten Conference tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Illinois defeats Iowa 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Malcolm Hill (21) celebrates with center Maverick Morgan (22) and forward Michael Finke (43) after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes during the Big Ten Conference tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Illinois defeats Iowa 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Florida State (L 79-74)

The next game for the Illini finishes off the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.  This game will either be against Florida State or Temple.

I think Illinois will win the previous game so they will play the winner of Florida State and Temple.  I think the Seminoles beat the Owls and advance on to play the Illini.

This is going to be one of the best games you will watch all season.  Illinois is matched up against an experienced team in Florida State.

The Seminoles return leading scorer Dwayne Bacon who averaged 15.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG last season.  That is huge for this team moving forward.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes is also back.  He averaged 11.8 PPG and 4.4 APG last season.

Illinois has their hands full with this Florida State team that went 20-14 last season and they are loaded up again.

Despite a great run for the Illini, I think they fall in this game 79-74.

North Carolina State (W 81-69)

Just four days later, the Illini welcome in the North Carolina State Wolfpack for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Last season, the Wolfpack finished with a 16-17 overall record.  They were competitive in a lot of games, though.

That team that finished under .500 last season is back again, but this time without their leading scorer Anthony Barber.  He averaged 23.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG last season.

Losing Barber is going to kill this team because he did so much.  But, North Carolina State still has some good players returning like Abdul-Malik Abu who averaged 12.9 PPG and 8.8 RPG last season.

Despite having a solid returning core, the Wolfpack fall to the Illini 81-69.

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