5 massive questions for the Illinois basketball team against Morehead State

4. Can the Illini get going downhill early?

A first-round game of the NCAA tournament is always dangerous, especially when you are one of the top seeds. Teams tend to overlook the lower seeds, and those lower seeds are giving everything they have. That is a recipe for disaster.

Illinois can’t overlook Morehead State on Thursday. This is a dangerous team with a lot of talent. They can knock us off because it is the NCAA tournament. Anything can happen.

I want to see if Illinois can take control of this game early. Can Illinois get going downhill and really show Morehead State the strength of the Orange and Blue?

When the Illini are playing downhill, we can beat any team in the country. That is when Terrence Shannon Jr. is dribbling up the court and waiting for his moment. He then pounces with a tenacious drive through the lane.

Playing downhill is when Marcus Domask bodies up his man and starts backing him down, which ends up leading to some type of bucket. This downhill play is when Quincy Guerrier and Ty Rodgers are slashing to the rim.

That is the style I want to see out of the gate on Thursday. The main reason I want to see this style from the jump is that it sets a tone. Getting an early Shannon runout and dunk or an And 1 would be huge for momentum. Points also settle Illinois down. Let’s take control of the game early on and don’t let Morehead State get the idea they can compete with us.