Illinois Basketball: 4 keys for the Illini to beat the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

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Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Drexel Dragons guard Matey Juric (15) is defended by Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) during the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports /

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.

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