The Illinois basketball team is back in action on Saturday night, as we head to Penn State.
The Nittany Lions are 9-4 on the season but have hit a rough patch of late, as they have lost three out of their last four games. With that being said, the Illini can’t take this game lightly.
Illinois has struggled against Penn State in the past. We need to come out firing and not let this young Nittany Lions squad get confidence.
Here is the Illinois basketball vs Penn State how to watch, series history, and players to watch
- Illinois basketball vs Penn State – How to watch
Illinois is on the road in the Big Ten on Saturday, January 3, to take on Penn State. This game is set to start at 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network. You can also find this game on FuboTV by clicking this link.
- Illinois basketball vs Penn State – Series history
For being a basketball school, Illinois hasn’t dominated the Penn State matchup that much. We are 33-23 all-time against the Nittany Lions. In fact, Penn State had our number over recent years, winning four in a row before the Illini beat the Nittany Lions last season by 39 points.
The first matchup between the two programs came in 1942 when Penn State bested the Orange and Blue by a score of 41-34 in a barnburner in Louisiana, of all places.
- Illinois basketball vs Penn State – Players to watch
Penn State has a good team this season, led by freshman sensation Kayden Mingo. He is averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game.
I am excited to see the matchup between a young, peppy freshman and the experience of Kylan Boswell guarding him. It will be an interesting back-and-forth all game long.
Illinois should definitely have a massive advantage in the rebounding department on Saturday, too. Penn State’s big man Ivan Juric is logging 24.2 minutes per game but is only pulling down 3.8 rebounds in each contest.
I look for the trio of Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and David Mirkovic to all be around 10 rebounds against Penn State. That shouldn’t be too tough a mark to hit.
It will be an interesting matchup at the No. 2 guard, too. Illinois has Keaton Wagler having a great season, but Penn State can throw some size at him with two guards who are both 6-foot-5. Let’s see how the freshman reacts to big guards.