Illinois basketball: Keys for the Illini to come out victorious against Texas

The Illinois basketball team has a chance to knock off the No. 2 team in the country tonight. Do the Orange and Blue have a legitimate shot at pulling off the upset?

No. 17 Illinois (6-2) takes on No. 2 Texas (6-0) in what could potentially be the toughest game of the season for the Illini.  Two of the Longhorns’ six wins have come against top 10 teams (No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 7 Creighton).

Meanwhile, the Illini are 1-2 against ranked opponents, defeating No. 8 UCLA while falling to No. 16 Virginia and, most recently, No. 22 Maryland.

What does the Illinois basketball team need to do to come out on top in game one of the Jimmy V Classic?

• Let Shannon cook

Terrence Shannon Jr. transferring to the Illini was head coach Brad Underwood’s greatest gift this past offseason – Skyy Clark’s commitment being a close second.

The senior guard has undoubtedly been Illinois’ key player this season, averaging a team-high 19.8 points per game thus far.  Shannon also adds 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting an impressive 48.5% from the floor.

A sniper, Shannon can score from any level of the floor, especially from three-point range.  He went 8-of-9 from behind the three-point arc in Illinois’ November 18 win over UCLA. Shannon is also shooting a career-high 38.9% from distance this season.

If Shannon can take control of the game and score at least 25 points, the Illini will be in good shape.

• Hit your darn free throws

What is, arguably, the biggest problem for Illinois this season?  Making free-throws.

The Illini rank No. 278 of 363 Division 1 schools, hitting just 66.2% of their free throws through their first eight games.  The Orange and Blue shot an abysmal 44% from the charity stripe in the November 20 loss to Virginia.

This is not ideal for a team who hopes to contend for a national title and will certainly not help against a team like Texas.

• Shut down Hunter

Sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter has been the Longhorns’ go-to player this season, leading the team with 16.0 points per game and shooting nearly 55% from the floor.

The sophomore has been Texas’ most consistent player, scoring double-digit points in each game this season.  Hunter can score from anywhere on the court and, unlike the Illini, he is nearly automatic from the stripe, hitting 92% of his free throws.

Shannon will likely be matched up against Hunter for the majority of the game, making for an intriguing matchup between two of the top players in the country.

• Get Skyy going

As I mentioned earlier, Skyy Clark’s commitment this past offseason was a crucial moment for the program, given all the losses at the guard position after last season, which included; Trent Frazier, Da’Monte Williams, Alfonso Plummer, Jacob Grandison, Andre Curbelo, Brandin Podziemski, and even the injury of Luke Goode.

The highly touted four-star recruit chose the Illini over other big-time programs such as Kentucky, Indiana, Auburn, Michigan, and North Carolina, among others. Clark hasn’t gotten off to the most attractive start, though, averaging just 8.1 PPG.

Going against the nation’s No. 9 team in points allowed won’t be the easiest task, but Clark is far capable of contributing the same way he did in his 19-point performance vs. Lindenwood.

• The Prediction

Obviously, everybody needs to be on their A-game, but if Shannon takes control and Clark shows the flashes he did as a recruit, I really like the Illini’s chances of walking out of Madison Square Garden with a victory.

If those two show out, and the Illini hit at least 75% of their free throws, I see Illinois pulling it off. Do I think that will happen, though?

Yes.  Illinois wins in a great low-scoring defensive battle that goes down to the wire. The score: Illinois 63, Texas 60