
Illinois basketball hasn’t won back-to-back games since November, so the matchup against Northwestern on Wednesday night has become extremely important.
The Illini need to get back to winning basketball. I was worried about what I was seeing on the court a couple of weeks ago, but a nice cohesive win over Bethune-Cookman put a lot of those worries to bed.
I think a win over Northwestern is needed, though. We need to see the Illini get another victory and start putting together a defense of the Big Ten regular-season title.
Here are three things to watch for in the Illinois basketball game against Northwestern.
1. Is Illinois going to continue using Dain Dainja
Just about a week ago, the Illini rounded out 2022 with a win over Bethune-Cookman. This wasn’t a game from the jump, as Illinois dominated in just about every facet.
Something that changed in this last game against the Wildcats was the starting lineup. Brad Underwood inserted big man Dain Dainja at the No. 5 spot.
This is the third different lineup Underwood has gone with, and when he does give Dainja the ball, the big man can hold his own in the paint. He would finish the Bethune-Cookman game with 22 points, six rebounds, four steals, four blocks, and two assists in 26 minutes of action.
On Wednesday night against Northwestern, I am going to see if Underwood trusts Dainja a little more. I also want to see if he continues to start for the Orange and Blue.
The 26 minutes, 22 points, four steals, and two assists were all season-highs for Dainja. I think he can average 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks this season if he was given more minutes. He has great athletic ability, and his touch around the hoop is impressive. If Illinois can establish a big-man presence on the inside, then our three-point shooters will have more open shots.
I am hoping Underwood keeps Dainja in the starting lineup so we can see if the Bethune-Cookman game was just him putting up good numbers against a bad team or if he really has the ability to dominate on the inside.