Coming off an impressive 75-62 victory over the Miami Hurricanes, Tennessee basketball will face the Fighting Illini of Illinois. Read more for a full Tennessee vs. Illinois prediction and preview.
If you like orange, this matchup is for you, as the Tennessee Volunteers face the Illinois Fighting Illini. On Tuesday, No. 1 Tennessee basketball defeated Miami 75-62 in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden, passing its first test as the nation’s new top team. The Vols will now travel to Illinois on Saturday afternoon.
The defenses of Illinois and Tennessee are among the strongest in the nation. According to KenPom, the Vols are ranked second in terms of adjusted defensive efficiency, which calculates the number of points given up per 100 possessions after accounting for opponents. Illinois comes in at number 17.
Last Matchup: Last December, in front of a crowd of 21,678 at Food City Center, Tennessee defeated Illinois 86-79.
General Information:
Teams: Tennessee (9-0) & Illinois (7-2)
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m. EST
Watch: FOX
Latest on Illinois basketball:
Illinois basketball is playing well, winning six of its first seven games this season, with the lone loss coming against No. 7 Alabama, 100-87, in Birmingham, and the run ending with a 90-77 win over Arkansas in Kansas City.
The Fighting Illini recruited a strong class of 2024 players, as four of Illinois’ best scorers are freshmen.
Illinois’ top scorer, Kasparas Jakucionis, averages 15.4 points and 6.0 assists per contest. His 3-point shooting percentage is 44.2%. According to Vols assistant coach Rod Clark, the 6-6 guard is a skilled shooter and imaginative with the ball. “I’ve been saying it all week, he’s like the closest thing college basketball has ever seen to Luka Doncic,” Clark stated.
7’1 forward from Croatia Tomislav Ivisic tallies 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. A 6’8 forward, Will Riley was ranked No. 14 in the 247Sports Composite, making him the class’s highest-rated prospect. He is hitting 40.9% from three-point range and scoring 13.9 points on average. Kylan Boswell, Illinois’ starting point guard, is averaging 10.1 points.
Latest on Tennessee basketball:
Tennessee basketball has climbed to #1 in the country as it has hit a hot streak that includes large wins over several major conference schools.
Defense is always a strength of Rick Barnes’s, and this Vols squad is among the best in the country right now. Surprisingly, the Vols have also had a top-10 offense, particularly since transfer guard Chaz Lanier’s shooting.
The trio of Chaz Lanier, Igor Milicic Jr., and Zakai Zeigler continue to be consistent for the Vols. Lanier averages 19.1 points per game, Milicic Jr. averages 12.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and Zeigler averages 12.1 points and 8.0 assists per game.
The Volunteers are embracing being the nation’s top-ranked team. While rated No. 1, senior point guard Zakai Zeigler stated Tuesday night that his team will be “ducking no smoke” and “ducking no competition.” No matter how big the bullseye is on their back, the Vols still want to compete.
The Vols will look to carry this momentum into their tenth game of the season.
Tennessee vs. Illinois Prediction: Vols by 7 (74-67)
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