Two top 20 teams go head to head Friday as the 8th ranked UCLA Bruins take on the 19th ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. Illinois, of the Big Ten, is 3-0 while UCLA, of the Pac-12, is also 3-0. The matchup is part of the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas. These two powerhouses have not played one another in recent years. This should be a good one.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are listed as the visitors, but this is a neutral site game in Las Vegas, although it is closer to UCLA for sure. The Illini have not played anyone so far, as they have scored easy wins over Eastern Illinois, Missouri-Kansas City, and Monmouth. The average margin of victory was 35 points and Illinois was favored by more than 25.5 points in each of the games.
A not-so-quiet 30 for @sn1per_T last night.#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/GFeU4nt6Cr
— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 16, 2022
So there is not a whole lot to break down based on these games, given the level of competition. But there is a lot of hype around Illinois this year, as they have been ranked by multiple polls to finish first in the Big Ten this season. While they lost Kofi Cockburn, the Illini have a lot of talent coming back, including newcomer Terrance Shannon, who transferred from Texas Tech. Shannon has been picked as first team all-Big Ten in preseason polls. In a 103-65 win over Monmouth on Monday, Shannon had 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jayden Epps added 21 points while Dain Dainja added 15 points.