Illinois basketball will have a pretty big matchup on Sunday against a tough Iowa program.
The Illini haven’t played a ranked opponent since the heartbreaking three-point loss to Nebraska back in mid-December. Since that loss, Illinois has rattled off four straight victories.
Iowa is a different animal, though. They are good and can hit from long range. Illinois is going to have a fight on our hands on Sunday.
Here is the Illinois basketball vs Iowa how to watch, series history, and players to watch
- Illinois basketball vs Iowa – How to watch
Illinois looks to continue its winning ways on Sunday, January 11 at 11:00 a.m. CT/12:00 p.m. ET, as we travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. This game will be televised on FOX, and you can also view it with FuboTV by clicking this link.
- Illinois basketball vs Iowa – Series history
Historically, Illinois has controlled the series with Iowa. We have a 94-77 lead over the Hawkeyes, and this has come with recent dominance of winning four-straight.
The most recent matchup between the two programs was last season when Illinois put up triple-digits, winning the game 106-94. You have to go back to 1908 to find the first game between Illinois and Iowa in which the Hawkeyes got the best of the Illini, 46-36 in Iowa City.
I think we all remember that game…
- Illinois basketball vs Iowa – Players to watch
Iowa is a shockingly good team this season despite so many offseason departures. They have the ability to score throughout the roster, but the main focus is on Bennett Stirtz.
Stirtz is averaging nearly double the amount of points as the second-leading scorer on the Hawkeyes’ team, as he is at 18.0 points per game. His three-point shooting is off the charts, too, hitting 40.7% from deep.
The size is there with Stirtz at 6-foot-4, so he is going to be a tough guard. I will be curious to see if Kylan Boswell gets matched up on defense against him or if Illinois goes with Keaton Wagler, who has more size.
What Illinois is going to have to keep an eye on is Iowa pulling our big men out to the perimeter. They can shoot from three-point range, so communication between the big men of Illinois is going to be crucial.
I think Jake Davis is going to be a player to watch for Illinois. Iowa can rotate in quite a few players, so Illinois is going to need fresh legs, too. Davis and his three-point shooting will be crucial.
Zvonimir Ivisic, off the bench, is another player to keep an eye on. Iowa can’t match Illinois’ size, and when we bring in a fresh 7-foot-2 player, how will the Hawkeyes react? That is going to be a big advantage for Illinois.