We are just hours away from the Illinois basketball team starting the NCAA tournament.
The Illini tip off on Thursday, March 19, at 8:25 p.m. CT/9:25 p.m. ET. This is a great start time for anyone who has to work during the day. No calling off sick for most people.
Illinois has the horse to get deep into the NCAA tournament this season. The first couple of rounds could feature teams with injured players, but they still have some big-time talent. There are players who give me nightmares and could be headaches for the Illini.
Here are three players in the South Region who are giving Illinois fans nightmares
- TJ Power – Penn Quakers
Illinois’ first round matchup is a scary one, despite Penn only having 18 wins on the season. They also have their top player out with an injury.
Penn is still bringing some serious firepower to the game, and the one player I am eyeing is TJ Power. While he is a bit under the weather, it does sound like he will play on Thursday night.
Power is a 6-foot-9 forward who can do it all. He averaged 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game this season.
While those are good numbers, there are a couple of reasons to keep an eye on this kid. Power nearly single-handedly got Penn into the NCAA tournament. He dropped 44 points and 14 rebounds on Yale in the Ivy League Championship game. So, he has the ability to go off.
On top of his play-making ability, he is also shooting an eye-popping 43.3% from three-point range this season. To get to the weekend, the Illini will need to avoid a big game from Power.
- Henri Veesaar – North Carolina Tar Heels
While the Illini are getting a little lucky in the first two rounds with injuries, there is one player on North Carolina who gives me nightmares.
The Tar Heels are without leading scorer Caleb Wilson. In his absence, big man Henri Veesaar has stepped up. He has averaged 16.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game this season.
In the ACC Tournament, he was able to put up 28 points, 17 rebounds, two blocks, and two assists in a one-point losing effort against Clemson. Those are massive numbers, and they scare me a little bit.
One of the scariest things about Veesaar is the fact that he has great size and is a good rebounder. Illinois can slack in the rebounding department at times, and our 7-foot-1 and 7-foot-2 big men aren’t great rebounders. Veesaar could really tip the tables.
Illinois has to have our guards and forwards crash the glass to help make him less effective. That would be the strategy if we can get to the Tar Heels in the Round of 32.
- Emanuel Sharp – Houston Cougars
The bare minimum goal for Illinois this postseason is to get to the second weekend. If the result is anything short of the Sweet 16, it is a failed year.
If we can make the Sweet 16, the team that is likely waiting for Illinois is Houston. The Cougars have a ton of talent, and the player who gives me nightmares is Emanuel Sharp.
Sharp is a quick guard who averages 15.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game this season. He is also hitting three-pointers at a clip of 37.1%, which is an incredible number.
Houston has a couple of great guards, but why did I pick Sharp as the player who gives me nightmares?
Experience.
Kingston Flemings is a great player, but this is his first rodeo. He hasn’t had NCAA tournament experience. On the other hand, Sharp is in his fourth year, and this is his fourth NCAA tournament appearance.
That experience is so valuable. Sharp knows what to expect in the tournament and the level of intensity he needs to play with to get deep into the postseason. Illinois will hopefully have to defend Sharp in the Sweet 16, but he is one of the best players in the country. This will be a battle.