The Illinois basketball team enters the game tonight against the Northwestern Wildcats needing a victory.
Illinois just came off a loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday night. This game was filled with bonehead plays, missed shots and a foul disparity as big as the Grand Canyon. But, the Illini had every opportunity to win that game and they didn’t.
The Illini can’t afford to blow another game like that, especially to rival Northwestern. The Wildcats come into this game needing a win themselves. They are 4-3 so far this year after being ranked to start the season. Their fall has come as a bit of a surprise so far.
Northwestern’s offense hasn’t exactly been great this season. They are averaging 72.1 points per game and that ranks No. 190 in the nation. They are led by guard Bryant McIntosh.
McIntosh is averaging 15.7 PPG this season and is making his shots at a clip of 43-percent from the field. He is also 37.9-percent from the three-point line as well. Illinois needs to keep McIntosh in their crosshairs. He is also pulling down 4 rebounds per game and dishing out 5.7 assists per game in addition to his great point production.
One area that Northwestern struggles is on the boards. They are only averaging 31.7 RPG, which ranks No. 306 in the nation. This is an area the Illini can take advantage of the Wildcats. They pull down 38 RPG and that ranks No. 95 in the nation. The key is to keep Michael Finke on the floor. He leads the team in rebounds and will be needed to control the boards tonight.
Illinois also needs to do a better job at breaking the zone defense. This has been an issue so far this season, and it is because they back off and play a half-court offense at times. This is where things go off the rails.
The Illini aren’t a traditional half-court team. They have been taught to run the ball, so when the Wildcats go to a zone, the Illini need to be the aggressors. They need to push the ball and get it into the paint. This will cause Northwestern to either collapse, which will give Illinois and an easy three-pointer, or they won’t know what hit them and it will be an easy layup.
Next: Good, bad and ugly from Wake Forest loss
This Northwestern team is beatable. Illinois has the firepower and defense to come out and get a win. They just need to play their game and not to the opposing team. Do this and I think the Illini will win.