Don’t forget, the Illinois basketball team does still play, and they tip off on Saturday night.
I know, I know, it seems like it has been years since the Illini have played a game. The memory of them actually playing is starting to fade into the distance. I have to start practicing pronouncing the names again since I am a little rusty.
Illinois is back in action against a tough and talented Tennessee team. This program has elite-level players who are just starting to get the speed of the college game down. Hopefully, Illinois will be ready for the talent that is about to take the court.
There are some big questions that I have for the Illini. These questions will be answered throughout the game, but I think they could be the difference between a win and a loss.
Here are three key questions for the Illinois basketball team against Tennessee
1. Will Illinois have any rust on Saturday night?
It has been way too long since Illinois has laced up the sneakers. The last time we saw the Illini was a struggle session against No. 5 UConn on Friday, November 28.
Illinois will once again play basketball. It is over a week later, but the Illini will finally take the floor against No. 13 Tennessee on Saturday. This is a massive game, but my biggest worry at this point is how much rust the Illini will have.
Not playing a game in over a week definitely has its benefits. Illinois has been injury-plagued, and this time off has surely helped with healing. I also think it is great that the Illini got some time to actually practice.
Mihailo Petrovic and Brandon Lee both dealt with injuries, and they haven’t had time to do much practicing before this time off. They were just thrown to the wolves in game situations. This little period between games has to help them.
But overall, there has to be some rust coming out of the gates on Saturday night. It wouldn’t shock me if Illinois starts slowly. The thing is, we have to break out of that quickly, because I don’t want to see a double-digit hole early on in the game. This is something I will be watching out for.
2. Can the Illinois big men hold Tennessee in check?
UConn and Tennessee are kind of similar programs. They both aren’t dropping bombs from deep on a consistent basis, but they are dangerous enough that it is a weapon.
Both programs also play inside a lot. Tennessee, in particular, is a big team. They have a ton of trees who can play back-to-the-basket style of basketball, and that is where Illinois’ big men come into play.
Can players like Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic hold the Volunteers’ big men to pedestrian games? This will be a massive challenge.
In the loss to Syracuse, the Volunteers started three players who were at least 6-foot-10. While those three guys combined to go 3-of-18 from the field, this was just an off-night. Tennessee also had a guy who was 6-foot-8 come off the bench who lit up the scoreboard for 22 points.
I think the Ivisics and David Mirkovic will have a huge challenge on their hands on both ends of the court. Defensively, at least they won’t have to play too much out on the perimeter. Tennessee will bring all of their force into the paint, and these three need to be ready around the rim.
On the offensive end of the court, I expect all three Illinois big men to be able to pull the Tennessee bigs out to the perimeter. Let’s not clog the lane so Kylan Boswell and Company can drive the lane and get to the bucket.
This will be a fun challenge to watch. Illinois has the horses to knock Tennessee off, but can we slow their big men down?
3. How big does the free throw line end up being?
Basketball is a funny sport. You can do so many different things on the court to impact the game.
Illinois could play incredible defense. We could knock down 40% from three-point range. And still, at the end of the game, the difference could be something as simple as can you make your free throws?
This is something I am going to be keeping an eye on. How big is the free throw line going to be against Tennessee?
In Tennessee’s last game against Syracuse, it was huge. Syracuse won the game, and they had a 22-15 advantage at the free throw line. Sadly, both teams shot poorly, as Syracuse hit 59% and Tennessee was just 53% from the charity stripe.
This is where I believe Illinois can win in the margins. If Illinois doesn’t get complacent and start jacking up three-pointers, then we can win this game. In the first half against UConn, that is what happened. In the second half, we started to get downhill and to the free throw line.
Illinois made 17-of-18, 94%, from the free throw line against the Huskies. I want to see a replica of that number against Tennessee. Let’s at least attempt 18 free throws. If we can make that happen and shoot at least 70%, then I believe we will come away with the victory.