Coming off a tough loss to Virginia, the Illinois basketball team is back in action on Friday night.
This should be a game the Illini can figure some things out and continue to get better. Lindenwood is in their first season as a DI basketball team, so Illinois should not have any issues taking a big lead early and putting them away.
But there will be a few things I am going to be keeping an eye on in this contest. I want to see if the Illini can tighten up a couple of things and improve as a team.
Here are three things to watch for in the Illinois basketball game against Lindenwood.
1. Can Illinois make the drought a rare occasion
It happens to every team in every sport. The dreaded drought pops up that can cost you a game. Well, on Sunday night against Virginia, the drought snatched victory away from the Illini.
Illinois was able to grab a 58-56 lead over the Cavaliers with just 3:27 to go in the game. The Illini were able to get this lead with a Dain Dainja free throw. But that would be the last time Illinois would score for a while.
Over the next 3:06, Virginia would start scoring at a high clip while the Illini couldn’t put the ball in the hoop. They would score 13 unanswered points to take a 69-58 lead and end all hope of Illinois winning the game. We would finally score with 15 seconds left on the clock.
This drought killed Illinois, but it is the first time this season that it has happened to this team. On Friday night, I am going to be watching to see if this drought is going to be a rare occasion or if this is something that I might have to get used to.
I believe Illinois has the depth to avoid the drought most of the time. We have too many scorers to stay off the board for too long. That is why I am a little surprised by what happened against Virginia. I don’t believe this will become a trend, but it is something to keep an eye on against Lindenwood.