Illinois basketball has another road Big Ten game just hours away, as Northwestern welcomes us into Evanston.
The Illini have had a ton of success against the Wildcats, but in the Big Ten, nothing is ever easy. Everything is earned. Illinois will experience that once again on Wednesday night.
With one of the best players in the Big Ten, Northwestern will look to knock off a top-15 program. Illinois has a target on our backs, but that is the price we pay for being so good.
There are a few questions that I will need answered throughout the game, too.
Here are three key questions for the Illinois basketball team vs. Northwestern
1. Can Illinois pull a Bennett Stirtz on Nick Martinelli?
I would argue Nick Martinelli is one of the best players in the Big Ten. He is by far the most talented Northwestern player since the pandemic.
Martinelli is tearing it up this season, averaging 24.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 52.6% from three-point range. These numbers include scoring at least 22 points in each of the past seven games, and in three of those contests, he went for over 30 points.
With that being said, can Illinois do to Martinelli what we just did to Iowa’s start Bennett Stirtz?
Stirtz is another player who is really good, but his team can let him down at times. He is averaging 17.6 points per game this season, but Illinois held him to just 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the field.
The long athletic play of the Illinois guards is what really did Stirtz in. Martinelli is a different animal, though. He is a forward who can stretch the floor. David Mirkovic is going to be key in stopping him. I would imagine Tomislav Ivisic could see some time on the Northwestern star, too.
If Illinois can hold Martinelli to his season average of 24 points, then I think we win this game going away. We just have to avoid the random 40-point game.
2. Will Zvonimir Ivisic keep being a game-changer for the Illini?
Illinois has a ton of talent on the team. I think if you took our bench, they could start for a vast majority of teams in the game today.
That is the luxury Illinois has right now. We can bring talent off the bench and not feel the pain of a replacement playing. One of those players is Zvonimir Ivisic. He has been huge for the Illini this season, and I want to see if he can dominate against Northwestern.
The Wildcats will have a hard enough time with Tomislav Ivisic starting for the Illini. He is a 7-foot-1 big man who can play back-to-the-basket or he can step out beyond the three-point arc. What is great for Illinois is the fact that when Ivisic slows down and needs a breather, he is replaced by Zvonimir Ivisic, who is taller, more athletic, and a better shooter than Tomislav.
I am going to answer my own question. Of course, Ivisic is going to be a game-changer for Illinois against Northwestern. For me, it is a matter of how big a game can this kid have?
Ivisic has come off the bench and averaged 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 38% from three-point range for the Illini. He is going to have fresh legs when Northwestern is tired. Let’s see the numbers he puts up. I would bet he might end up with a 10-point and 10-rebound night.
3. How few points does Illinois hold Northwestern to on Wednesday?
Ivisic is a key part of Illinois’ team, as he is coming off the bench with fresh legs. That is also a bench that is crucial in helping the Illini stay fresh on the court.
I want to see if we can run Northwestern out of the gym. Illinois doesn’t just have some scrubs coming off the bench; we have three talented players who are better than most of the Wildcats’ starters.
Moreover, I think the Illini bench can really lock Northwestern down. They have some talent on their team, but Illinois’ bench has the ability to play some incredible defense the entire night.
I don’t know how the Wildcats are going to score on Illinois’ multiple 7-foot-1 or taller players. They are going to need to be shooting from the outside, and that is not an easy task.
Illinois’ tall guards will then be waiting for the Wildcats. Wagler has proven to be a nightmare for opposing guards, and Boswell is a dog on defense. They are a ferocious duo.
Honestly, this game could get out of hand quickly. Illinois was able to suffocate a ranked Iowa team just days ago, and now an overmatched Northwestern team awaits. It is going to be interesting to see if the Wildcats can score on us.