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5 key questions for the Illinois basketball team against Nebraska

Illinois basketball gets the job of trying to defend against a powerful Nebraska offense on Saturday afternoon in the Big Ten Tournament.

By Rees Woodcock

Feb 4, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Justin Harmon (4) holds head
Feb 4, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Justin Harmon (4) holds head / Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
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Illinois basketball had a huge win over Ohio State on Friday, and the prize for winning that game is a hot Nebraska team the very next day.

The Illini didn't look great against the Buckeyes, but the only thing that matters is that victory. I would take an ugly win over a pretty loss 10 out of 10 times.

Illinois now faces a Nebraska squad that manhandled Indiana on Friday night. The Cornhuskers are playing some great basketball right now, but can Illinois slow them down? There are a few questions I have entering this game on Saturday.

Here are five key questions for the Illinois basketball team against Nebraska

1. Do The Monstars give Marcus Domask his skill back?

Marcus Domask is easily one of the best players on the Illinois basketball team and in the Big Ten. He is fun to watch, but on Friday night, he looked terrible against the Buckeyes.

In the movie Space Jam, The Monstars come down and steal the talent from NBA players like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, etc. I firmly believe that is what happened to Domask against the Buckeyes. The Monstars took his talent for the night.

So, the big question is, did The Monstars give Domask his skills back? Illinois needs him to play well against Nebraska, so we need this to be the case.

Everything that could go wrong for Domask did go wrong against Ohio State. He finished the game with seven points, four assists, and two rebounds while shooting 3-of-16 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range. He also had four turnovers in the game.

The last time Domask failed to score double-digit points was against Iowa on February 24. The next game, he dropped 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting against Minnesota.

Domask has seen success against Nebraska too. In the lone game this season, he dropped 19 points, five assists, three rebounds, and one block on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor and 1-of-4 from three-point range.

Illinois needs Domask to get his powers back so we can secure victory on Saturday. Nebraska is a tough team, but with Domask playing well, we can take down the Cornhuskers.

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