Another big game is on the schedule, as the Illinois basketball team takes on the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Monday afternoon.
The Illini are looking to build on their current three-game winning streak by taking down one of the bottom dwellers in the Big Ten. But, coming off a win on the road against Ohio State, Minnesota has other plans.
Here are three things to watch for in the Illinois basketball game against Minnesota.
1. Does Illinois win on the glass
This season, the Illinois basketball team has been pretty good when it comes to rebounding the basketball.
There have only been three games during the 2022-23 campaign where Illinois has lost the rebounding battle. We fell short against both UCLA and Virginia early on in the year. The third game was on Friday against Michigan State.
Illinois didn’t just lose the rebounding battle against the Spartans; we were dominated on the glass. Michigan State would out-rebound the Illini 42-30. Somehow, we still managed to come out with a nine-point win.
Against Minnesota, I am going to see if Illinois can win on the glass. I want to see if we can get back on the right side of a rebounding battle.
Illinois is averaging 39.1 rebounds per game this season, which ranks No. 27 in the country. So, we are good at pulling down the boards. On top of that fact, Minnesota is only averaging 34.8 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 163 in the nation.
The Golden Gophers do have some nice size with players like Dawson Garcia, but Illinois can throw multiple 6-foot-9 or taller players out on the floor. We also have guards who can rebound well.
I am going to be watching to see if Illinois can win the rebounding battle, and I believe we should against Minnesota.