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Illinois Basketball: 3 ways the Illini can beat Minnesota

By Jalen Wilson

ANN ARBOR, MI - JANUARY 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood shouts instructions to his players during a regular season Big Ten Conference game between the Illinois Fighting Illini (21) and the Michigan Wolverines on January 25, 2020, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Illinois defeated Michigan 64-62. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - JANUARY 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood shouts instructions to his players during a regular season Big Ten Conference game between the Illinois Fighting Illini (21) and the Michigan Wolverines on January 25, 2020, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Illinois defeated Michigan 64-62. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 05: Illinois guard Trent Frazier (1) being introduced prior to a college basketball game between the Purdue Boilermakers and Illinois Fighting Illini on January 5, 2020 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Illinois is on a six-game winning streak in Big Ten play, and that winning streak will be put to the test when they face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday.

The Illini have started the season off with a 15-5 record overall and a 7-2 in Big Ten record. They are ranked No. 19 in the nation as well. Currently, we sit in a tie for first in the conference standings, but Michigan State currently holds the tie-breaker over us. This Illinois team has really gelled during this winning streak, but Minnesota is not a cakewalk team.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are currently 5-5 in Big Ten play and have an overall record of 11-9. They are 3-2 in their last five games with wins over No. 24 Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State.

Yes, this Gophers team has lost to programs that Illinois beat like Rutgers, Purdue and a recent thumping to Michigan State 70-52, but they have good quality wins. So, the Illini can’t overlook this tough Minnesota bunch.

Illinois has benefited from their guard play in the past games, but one of their best guards will not play against Minnesota. The Illini will be without their top bench scorer Alan Griffin, who is serving the final game of his two-game suspension.

While Griffin is a vital piece of this Illini team, we will have to find a way to win without him as they did against Michigan and most of the Purdue game.

Illinois will have to do a lot of things right if they want to beat this Gophers team. Here are three ways the Illini can beat Minnesota.

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