3. Get to that 42-rebound mark
I try to look for numbers that can tell a story. There are a lot of numbers that stand out, but there aren’t many that you can point to and say, if we go over this mark, we are usually going to win the game.
For the season, Illinois has been one of the best rebounding teams in the country. Last year’s team had great rebounding guards. The 2024-25 rendition is more traditional, as the Illini have a couple of big men who can clean up the glass.
On Saturday, to beat Michigan State, Illinois is going to have to rebound well. We are going to need to outrebound the Spartans because we need as many chances as possible to score the basketball.
Coming into the game against Michigan State, Illinois averages 44.6 rebounds per game, which leads the country. That is an impressive number, and most of the teams just behind the Illini are some of the top teams in the nation.
One of those teams behind Illinois is Michigan State. The Spartans pull down 40.5 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 8 in the country.
In the first game, Illinois managed to clip the Spartans 41-40 in the rebounding department. These were two of the best teams in the country when it comes to crashing the glass. If Illinois had just had one more rebound, we could have potentially won the game.
When Illinois pulls down 42 or more rebounds in a game this season, we are 12-3 overall. When we snag 41 or fewer rebounds in a game, the program is just 5-5. That is a big marker for what rebounding total Illinois needs to hit to beat the Spartans.
Honestly, at the end of the day, rebounding is a team effort. If we are active and moving around the court, there is no doubt Illinois gets to that 42-rebound mark. Look for Tomislav Ivisic and Morez Johnson Jr. to have big games on the glass as well.