It has been over a week since the Illinois basketball team laced up the sneakers, and the first game back is a big one.
The Illini hit the road to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. The rivalry has been a good one the past couple of years, with the two teams splitting the four games 2-2. Northwestern ended up taking the last contest in late January 2024.
Illinois is looking to make a statement as one of the best teams in the Big Ten. Taking down the Wildcats in impressive fashion on the road would go a long way in the eyes of many. But how can we take down a pesky Northwestern squad?
Here are four keys for the Illinois basketball team to beat Northwestern
1. Illinois paint domination
Coming into the game on Friday night, Illinois has one of the largest advantages over Northwestern, literally and figuratively.
Illini big man Tomislav Ivisic has been one of the most impressive players on the team, and I would argue, he has been the most impressive newcomer I have ever seen suit up for the Orange and Blue. Each time he takes the court, I am in awe of his abilities.
Northwestern has no answer for Ivisic. I believe that the Illini can dominate the Wildcats in the paint, and it will be a matter of how ugly this game could get with the dominance of Ivisic.
The biggest player size-wise for the Wildcats matches up with Ivisic. Northwestern’s Matthew Nicholson does register at 7-foot, but he isn’t much compared to Ivisic talent-wise. Nicholson averages just 4.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.
Nicholson also has a hard time staying on the floor, and when he is on the floor, he is very limited offensively. The only thing to keep an eye on is Nicholson’s defensive abilities. He can block shots. But the thing with Ivisic is that he can pull Nicholson out to the perimeter. If Nicholson doesn’t follow, Ivisic can rain threes down. This is a massive mismatch that I think Illinois exposes greatly on Friday night.