Now that Josh Whitman has favorably resolved the head coaching situation, it’s time to focus on the fact that the Illini have a basketball game tonight.
No doubt that all eyes and ears in Illini Nation will be tuned into the noon press conference today where the University of Illinois will officially introduce Brad Underwood as the new head coach of men’s basketball.
In short, this is a great hire. I never had Underwood on my radar simply because of the success he was having at OSU after just one year. But he is easily on par with the other coaching candidates that were serious contenders (and I don’t include Tony Bennett or Monty Williams on that list of “serious” contenders). As I indicated in a previous post, my first criterion was that the Illini hire an excellent coach. Underwood fits the bill.
However, the understandable excitement surrounding the Illini’s new coach is not the only news. The current Illini basketball team has a golden opportunity tonight to advance in the NIT. If the Illini win tonight, it’s either a matchup against the UCF Knights or the Illinois State Redbirds. But first, the Illini need to beat Boise State.
The Broncos of Boise State play in the Mountain West. The Broncos are a true mid-major in the sense that there is nothing special about this conference. And the team, while good, is no Wichita State. The school is well known for its football program (you might be aware of that odd, blue field they play on), but basketball… not so much.
Boise State finished conference play with an overall record of 19-10. Their conference record was 12-6, which earned them a three seed and a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Despite that advantage, they lost to six-seed San Diego State by a score of 87 to 68.
The Broncos beat SMU by 11 last November. And just before that, they only lost to Oregon by five. Other than those games, there isn’t much to note about their non-conference schedule. Unquestionably those two showings were very good for the Broncos, especially the win over SMU.
The Broncos kenpom ranking is 89 (Illinois sits at 65). They have a good offense, ranking No. 77 in adjusted efficiency. They sit at No. 119 on the defensive side of that stat. The Illini are at No. 112 and No. 44, respectively.
Leading the way for the Broncos on offense is 6-foot-7 junior small forward, Chandler Hutchison. He dropped 34 on Utah in the first round of the NIT. He averages 17.4 ppg and almost eight rebounds. Nick Duncan is a 6-foot-8, 265-pound power forward. He averages just shy of 10 points and four rebounds per game.
The Broncos also have a couple alternating sophomore centers. David Wacker is 6-foot-10, 239-pounds, and averages about four rebounds per game. Zach Haney is 6-foot-11, 242 pounds and averages the same. Neither scores much, but combining this rebounding with that of Hutchison presents some real problems for an Illini team that has struggled in that category.
As for guard play, senior James Reid drops about 10 ppg. Coupled, as he frequently is, with Paris Austin who averages 12.5 ppg, this can be a dangerous backcourt. Especially when combined with the rebound hogging front court.
The Broncos average a little over 75 points per game. But it should be noted that they frequently scored 80 or more, and topped 90 three times.
Based on what I see, Jamall Walker’s game plan should be pretty simple. The first, and last, order of business is defense. The Illini need to isolate Chandler Hutchison and not allow him to embarrass them the way he did Utah. Second, the Illini need to get rebounds. That means Maverick Morgan and Leron Black need to step it up, especially with Michael Finke out for the rest of the tournament. We’ll also need to see some aggression on the boards from Kipper Nichols and Malcolm Hill.
If the Illini can accomplish a solid defensive outing, I think their offense will be enough to put them over the top. But they cannot take the Broncos for granted. This is a team that beat SMU, after all. But lock them down defensively, and the Illini should cruise to victory.
Next: 5 reasons to be excited about Brad Underwood
Then it’s off to another big game and potentially a Land of Lincoln battle.