Who should Illinois be concerned about in the Elite 8

Illinois basketball is going up against one of the best teams we have seen this decade in UConn.

Winning on Saturday in the Elite 8 is going to be a tough test for the Illini. While we just took down No. 2 Iowa State in impressive fashion, the Huskies are a different animal. They pounded San Diego State and are looking for back-to-back national titles.

UConn has a great team. Illinois needs to be ready. We should be concerned about all UConn players, but here are three who are the most concerning.

Donovan Clingan

Illinois has struggled with big men in the past. Once the player gets over 7-foot, we tend to have a hard time stopping them.

UConn trots out a 7-foot-2, 280-pound center in Donovan Clingan. While he isn’t Zach Edey’s 7-foot-4, 300-pound size, he is darn near it.

Illinois has always struggled against Edey, and it worries me a little that Clingan could do the same on Saturday. He is going to draw so much attention, which could leave some UConn shooters wide-open on the three-point arc. Clingan averages 12.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 1.6 assists per game this season.

In the game against San Diego State, Clingan had 16 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists. He is a monster to deal with.

Cam Spencer

Three-point shooters are always dangerous, and when they are as good as Cam Spencer, you need to constantly be on your toes.

Spencer averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season. In the game against the Aztecs, Spencer went for 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range.

That type of three-point shooting isn’t out of the norm for Spencer either. For the season, he averages 44.1% from three-point range. That is up slightly from last season when he hit 43.4% from distance.

Spencer is a fifth-year senior, so he has the experience too. In four out of the five seasons he has played, Spencer has averaged at least 43.4% from three-point range. Illinois can’t let him get loose, or it could be a long night. Trying to defend a 7-foot-2 big man is tough enough, but then you add an ace three-point shooter to the mix. That is a tough matchup.

Hassan Diarra

UConn will send a lot of talent at Illinois in the starting lineup, but much like the Illini, the Huskies also have some talent off the bench.

It is so valuable to have a good player coming from the reserves, let alone a player with experience. UConn has Hassan Diarra as one of their best players coming off the bench. He is a senior in the program, and he will provide energy and a spark when the Huskies need it.

For the season, Diarra averaged 6.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He is a sparkplug for the program, and that is always dangerous. Having fresh legs is scary, especially when they are talented offensively.

In the game against San Diego State, Diarra dropped 10 points, four rebounds, and four assists in 20 minutes of action. He was also 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range. UConn has weapons throughout their roster, and this team is going to be tough to take down.