Illinois Basketball: 4 keys for the Illini to beat the Iowa Hawkeyes
By Collin Allen
3. Contain the big man
It is no secret that junior big man Luka Garza is Iowa’s go-to player, as he’s led the Hawkeyes in the scoring and rebounding categories for the past two years.
The front-runner for college basketball’s National Player of the Year award leads the nation in scoring with 26.9 points per game. Garza is doing this by shooting an outstanding 61-percent from the floor on the year. He is additionally averaging 8.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Illinois star big man Kofi Cockburn will most certainly have his hands full while trying to contain Garza Friday night.
In the first matchup between the two during the 2019-20 season, Garza led the Hawkeyes to a 72-65 win, recording a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Cockburn struggled to get anything going, only recording 6 points and 6 boards in the matchup.
The second matchup of that season went a little better. Cockburn would score in the double-digits in this one, recording 12 points and 8 rebounds. Garza still was able to manage 28 points and 8 rebounds, however. Despite Garza’s stellar performance, the Illini were able to come out with the 78-76 win, thanks to Cockburn’s last-second block on Garza.
Cockburn’s elevated performance was a major key as to why the Illini were able to secure a victory versus the Hawkeyes in their second matchup. If he is able to produce in both the scoring and rebounding categories, while limiting Garza, the Orange and Blue could very well walk out of the State Farm Center with a victory over their rival.