2. Continue the suffocating defense
Yes, Loyola-Chicago runs a ball-control offense that eats up the clock. This is dangerous against those smaller teams. While controlling the clock, the Ramblers are also really good at shooting the ball.
Loyola-Chicago doesn’t get a ton of shots up because there are so few possessions, but when they do shoot the ball, they have a good shot at converting. This season alone, the Ramblers are hitting 49.6-percent of their field goals, which ranks No. 6 in the nation. That is an impressive number.
While the Ramblers are only taking 19.6 three-pointers per game, they are also hitting their shots from distance at a clip of 35.9-percent, which ranks No. 73 in the nation. So, they are a pretty good shooting team.
On the other hand, Illinois displayed how well they can play defense against Drexel in the first round. Coming into the game against Loyola-Chicago, the Illini are only allowing their opponents to shoot 40.8-percent from the field, which ranks No. 38 in the nation. Their three-point defense isn’t bad either, as Illinois’ opponents are hitting their three-point shots at a clip of 32.8-percent, which ranks No. 114 in the nation.
So, we have a good shooting team in the Ramblers going up against a really good defense in the Illini. As long as Illinois plays the defense they played against Drexel a couple of days ago, this should be an easy win for the Orange and Blue. Don’t let up and let’s get a W.