Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Championship Sunday
A pair of teams from the Big Ten take the floor in search of a victory on the hardwood in the Badger State. The Illinois Fighting Illini are on the road as they make the trip to face the Wisconsin Badgers Saturday afternoon. Illinois took down Ohio State 69-60 at home in their previous contest, covering the line as a four-point favorite Tuesday night. Wisconsin was drubbed 73-55 on the road by Maryland in their previous contest Wednesday night, failing to cover the line as a five-point underdog. In the all-time series between the teams, the Fighting Illini own a 79-55 advantage and have won the last five meetings. That includes a 79-69 home win in the first meeting this season back on January 7.
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Illinois won for the fifth time in their last six games as they took down Ohio State at home in their previous game. The Fighting Illini improved to 14-6 overall and stand tied for fifth in the Big Ten with a 5-4 mark in conference play. Against Ohio State, Illinois turned a two-point lead with under six minutes to play in the opening half to an eight-point advantage at intermission. The Fighting Illini opened the second half with a 14-5 run in the opening four-plus minutes to take a 48-31 lead and never let their lead drop below eight the rest of the way. Illinois shot 40.7% from the field, including five of 28 from three-point range, and controlled the boards by a 44-30 margin in the victory. Terrence Shannon Jr. led the way for the Fighting Illini with 17 points and seven rebounds in the win.
The Fighting Illini puts up an average of 75.8 points per game on the season, which puts them 83rd in the nation in scoring offense. Illinois collects 39.2 rebounds per contest (27th in the nation) while handing out 13.8 assists per game. The Fighting Illini is above average defensively, ranking 51st in the nation by allowing 64.3 points per game. Terrence Shannon Jr. leads the team with an average of 18 points plus 5.6 rebounds per contest and 3.2 assists per game this season. Coleman Hawkins (9.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists), Matthew Mayer (10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds) and Jayden Epps (9.6 points) each are good secondary scoring options. Dain Dainja (10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds), Skyy Clark, RJ Melendez, Sencire Harris and Ty Rodgers are other contributors for coach Brad Underwood. Illinois shoots 45.6% from the floor as a team. The Fighting Illini connects on 8.4 three-pointers a game while shooting 32.6% from long range. Illinois is struggling at the free throw line this season as they convert 66.4% of their opportunities.
C lark left the program after the game against Northwestern January 4, taking him out of the mix.