The women's Illinois basketball team was on an absolute roll before their Christmas break, stringing together nine straight wins to close out their non-conference schedule.
The Illini have been a dominant force in the NCAA over the past number of weeks. As of writing this, Shauna Green's bunch is ranked top-50 in the country on both sides of the ball. They have been dominating teams left and right this season, with their most recent victory coming against the Jackson State Tigers by a score of 86-43.
It has been a season of riches for this once floundering program. But now, the Illini are about to face their biggest test. Illinois is about to take on a gauntlet of Quad 1 teams throughout their next five games, with three of those games coming against ranked opponents. But what are some key questions that we should be asking as they start this stretch on Sunday against the Purdue Boilermakers?
1. Can Illinois' offense match-up against a more well-rounded defense?
The Illini have been one of the most lethal teams in the country on the offensive side of the ball. This team is chock-full of scorers who can go off at any moment, led by Berry Wallace and Gretchen Dolan at 17.3 and 14.6 points per game, respectively.
They have been a problem for opposing teams, as they've been winning by an average of 25.5 points per contest. The problem with this, however, is the fact that they've been playing a cupcake schedule consisting of teams like Le Moyne and Bellarmine.
Sure, the Boilermakers are only 8-4 on the year, but their defense is better than what Illinois has been seeing, as they've only been giving up 62.4 points per contest. The Illini should still have a solid game, but don't be surprised if they get a proverbial punch in the mouth early on.
2. Will the Illini defense shut down a very undersized Purdue backcourt?
The Boilermakers are a very guard-heavy team when it comes to scoring. As of writing this, the only three players on their roster scoring double-digit points per game are guards Tara Daye (12.5 PPG), Kiki Smith (12.2 PPG), and Hila Karsh (10.4 PPG).
This team has plenty of options to go to in the backcourt, there's no disputing that. They aren't like the Indiana Hoosiers of the world, which only has one main scorer, Shay Ciezki, who does a majority of the work. But they are about to face off against a very defensive-minded head coach with a team that has a lot of length.
Purdue will get their points in the end, I'm sure of it. But the paint is going to be off-limits to these three, especially with Illinois' elite frontcourt of Berry Wallace and Cearah Parchment patrolling it. The Boilermakers will have to either rely on the outside shot or hope their own bigs find success inside.
3. How will Illinois defend the three-ball in West Lafayette?
Purdue's backcourt may have a tough time going inside on Sunday against the Illini, but that doesn't mean their long-range shot will be taken away from them. Purdue, which is ranked No. 36 in the country, shooting 36.3% from three-point range, has been absolutely deadly from deep.
The problem for them, however, is that they're facing an Illinois squad that's been elite at defending shots from behind the arc. This season, opposing teams have only been shooting 26.7% from behind the arc against the Illini, which ranks No. 50 in the country.
Obviously, this number could be a little skewed based on the level of competition that Illinois has faced. But regardless of that, it will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out at Purdue on Sunday.