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Illinois Basketball: What I will watch for against Michigan State

By Rees Woodcock

LINCOLN, NE - JANUARY 15: Illinois guard Trent Frazier (1) dribbles the ball down court against Nebraska during the second half of a college basketball game Monday, January 15th at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Illinois 64 to 63. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - JANUARY 15: Illinois guard Trent Frazier (1) dribbles the ball down court against Nebraska during the second half of a college basketball game Monday, January 15th at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Illinois 64 to 63. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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In the midst of a five-game losing streak, the last thing the Illinois basketball team needs right now is a game against arguably the best team in the nation.

Well, Illini fans, that is exactly what Illinois is getting. They get No. 9 ranked Michigan State tonight at home. It has been a rough season so far and it looks like it might get a little rougher in the next 24 hours. But, I have seen weirder things.

I usually write these articles about how the Illini can beat this team or that team. I give a few stats, show you some weaknesses and then predict Illinois will win. This one isn’t that, though. While I still think Illinois can win any game and I hope they do, I am going to lower my expectations and just look for certain progressions tonight.

I am curious what the starting lineup is going to look like. I assume Brad Underwood will keep it the same; Trent Frazier, Mark Smith, Mark Alstork, Leron Black and Michael Finke. This hasn’t been a terribly effective lineup this season, but it is what Underwood trusts right now.

I will be on Te’Jon Lucas watch tonight. He came back from his suspension last game but didn’t see a single minute on the floor. Illinois needs him coming off the bench moving forward. He provides depth and without depth, the Illini system doesn’t work too well.

The continued development of Greg Eboigbodin is fun to watch, and tonight is going to be his biggest test of the season. Michigan State has three bigs who can just tear into you. I will be interested to see how he does with whoever he is matched up against.

One of the final things I will be looking for is what the Illini can do on offense. They have been terrible the last two games on the offensive end of the court. This has to stop. Illinois has only had 17 assists in the last two games combined. The lack of ball movement is nauseating. Get the ball moving early on in the shot clock and this will enable more open shots. I am sick of the stale offense.

Next: 5 takeaways from the Illini loss to Wisconsin

I am going to be rooting for the Illini tonight because I am a fan. I hope they win but it is unlikely. So, I will be looking for certain things to improve from previous games. Hopefully, we can shock the world against Michigan State.

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