Illinois Basketball: 4 keys for the Illini to beat Penn State
By Collin Allen
3. Bounce back defensively
The problems in Illinois’ loss at Rutgers did not come offensively, as the Illini scored 88 points while shooting 54-percent from the field and 60-percent from beyond the arc.
The majority of the problems Sunday came defensively. Illinois seemingly could not stop the red-hot Rutgers offense, allowing the Scarlet Knights to rack up 91 points while shooting nearly 50-percent from the field in the contest.
The Fighting Illini struggled in a few more aspects defensively, as they also struggled to rebound, allowing the Scarlet Knights to haul in 15 offensive rebounds on the day. The Orange and Blue additionally failed to block a single shot and only came away with four steals in the contest.
Illinois will need to step up on the defensive end Wednesday, given that they will be facing a sufficient Penn State offense. The Nittany Lions are scoring 76.6 points per contest and average 10.4 three-point field goals made per game, which ranks No. 22 in the country.
The Orange and Blue will need to do a much better job of putting a body on a body, boxing out, and grabbing defensive boards, as the Nittany Lions have proven they are more than capable of coming up with second-chance opportunities. Penn State is averaging 12.2 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks No. 81 in the nation.
Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn will need to play a major role in the rebounding battle, as he leads the Illini with 9.8 rebounds per contest. Cockburn will primarily be competing with Penn State’s 6-foot-9 big man John Harrar for rebounds in the paint. The Illini should have the advantage in this battle, given that Cockburn has the size advantage by three inches and is out-rebounding Harrar by 2.8 boards per game.