The women's Illinois basketball team is about to walk into the lion's den as they prepare to face No. 2 Vanderbilt on their home court in Nashville, Tennessee.
It will certainly be a 'David vs. Goliath' type of storyline for the Illini, as they look to vanquish a Commodores squad that is 17-0 at home this year. Illinois will also have the tall task of stopping sophomore phenom Mikayla Blakes, who currently leads the NCAA with 27.1 points per game.
This will certainly be an uphill climb on paper for the Orange and Blue, as they look to pull off the upset as a 12.5-point underdog. But before we get to the 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. EST tipoff, what are some questions that we should be asking ourselves about this highly anticipated matchup?
Can the Illini slow down the incomparable Mikayla Blakes of Vanderbilt?
The Illini are a very defensive-minded team, led by the likes of junior Jasmine Brown-Hagger along the wings. But tonight, they will have to deal with the most dynamic scorer in the country.
Blakes, a product of Somerset, New Jersey, is currently leading the entire country in scoring with 27.1 points per game. She has easily been the primary catalyst for Vanderbilt's success, as she has scored 20+ points in her last 13 games, and 30+ in eight of her last 10.
If the Illini want to have any chance of winning this game, they will need to figure out a way to slow down the two-time AP All-American. If not, Blakes' elite scoring ability will open up the floor for her teammates early, and the amount of points they will pour on may be too much to come back from.
Will Illinois continue to be a top-tier team when it comes to taking care of the basketball?
For months, Illinois has been one of the best teams in the country when it comes to taking care of the basketball. As of writing this, the Ilini are ranked No. 13 in the entire country with an average of 12.5 turnovers per game
The problem they will face, however, is that Illinois will be taking on a Vanderbilt squad that has very sticky hands on defense. Their lockdown defense has been an absolute problem for opposing teams all season, giving up an average of 65.4 points per game.
This relatively older Vanderbilt squad is going to try to get to the youth of the Illini early and often, but Shauna Green's crew can't take the bait. They need to continue to be slow and methodical on offense and not allow the Commodores to dictate their pace. If they don't, then they're just going to give Vanderbilt more opportunities they certainly do not need.