Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Wildcard Edition
Illinois will be looking to extend its three-game winning streak when it travels to Minnesota on Monday night. The Fighting Illini are coming off wins against Nebraska and Michigan State last week, winning both games by nine-plus points. Minnesota snapped a two-game losing streak with a 70-67 win against Ohio State on Thursday.
Illinois got off to a strong start this season with a four-game winning streak that included a win against then-No. 8 UCLA. The Fighting Illini have struggled with consistency since then, losing their first three games of conference play. They also suffered a 93-71 blowout loss to Missouri in a rivalry game before Christmas, leaving a bad taste in their mouths. Illinois has bounced back from its 0-3 start to Big Ten play with three straight wins, beating then-No. 14 Wisconsin, Nebraska and Michigan State. The Fighting Illini won all three of those games by at least nine points, winning by a combined margin of 45 points.
Business as usual.#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/MJcmrdiL9S
— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 15, 2023
Dain Dainja scored 20 points to lead Illinois in its win over Michigan State. He is a native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., so this is a homecoming game for him. The Fighting Illini have been a solid offensive team this season, ranked No. 49 in effective field goal percentage (53.5) and No. 44 in offensive rebounding rate. They are No. 14 in 2-point percentage (56.4) and are shooting just 33.2% from beyond the arc. Illinois is facing a Minnesota defense that is No. 152 in adjusted efficiency. Senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. leads Illinois with 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Senior guard Matthew Mayer (10.6), Dainja (10.4) and junior forward Coleman Hawkins (10.1) are each scoring in double digits as well.