Illinois Basketball: 4 keys for the Illini to beat Penn State

1 of 4

Dec 20, 2020; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Montez Mathis (10) shoots the ball against Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) during the second half at Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC). Mandatory Credit: Catalina Fragoso-USA TODAY Sports /

The Illinois basketball team is on the road for its second-straight game, as they travel to State College, Pennsylvania to face Penn State on Wednesday.

The Illinois Fighting Illini will look to bounce back at Penn State after Sunday’s road loss to then-No. 19 ranked Rutgers.

Here are four keys for the Illini to defeat Penn State and improve to 2-1 in Big Ten play.

1. Continue to feed Kofi Cockburn

Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn has been one of the most important pieces for this Illini team, as he is averaging a team-high of 9.8 rebounds per game. The big man is also averaging 16.8 points per contest while shooting 64.9-percent from the field.

Cockburn’s presence has been felt, especially during the Illini’s last four games, as he’s averaged 20.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks during those four contests. This includes the Minnesota win where he absolutely dominated, scoring 33 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and recording 2 blocks on the night.

If Illinois can get the same sort of production this evening that Cockburn has provided during his last four games, the Nittany Lions will have a hard time being successful under the basket.

Home/Illinois Basketball