After an embarrassing loss on the road to Iowa, Indiana looks to recover as they host No. 19 Illinois. Read more for a full Indiana vs. Illinois prediction and preview.
Game Information:
Teams: Indiana (13-4), 4-2) and Illinois (12-4), 4-2)
Tip-off: 7 p.m. EST
Watch: Peacock
Listen: 105.1 FM in Bloomington, 93.1 FM in Indianapolis
Latest on Illinois basketball:
Just as the Hoosiers failed to reach a six-game winning streak, the Fighting Illini also failed to do so with their 82-72 home loss to USC.
For the past two games, 6-foot-6 freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis has been on the bench due to a forearm injury. This is noteworthy as he averages 16.4 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. From the stripe, Jakucionis is 87.5%.
Arizona transfer Kylan Boswell will play in the backcourt. He was Ballo’s teammate and played with him for his first two seasons. Boswell is a standout defensively. He has stolen the ball eight times in the past two games, which ranks him eighth in the league for steals.
Illinois has a strong team, but it has inconsistencies. For example, it allowed USC to shoot 52.3% from the field while it only shot 37.1%.
With issues on defense last game and heading to Bloomington, where the Hoosiers have yet to lose a home game for their previous eight-night games, the Fighting Illini will have to make some adjustments. They can put up a superb defensive performance. It has been seen all season as they are ranked fifth in defensive rebounding. Just as Indiana’s last game seemed to be a fluke compared to their most recent results, Illinois has likely found itself in a similar situation.
Latest on Indiana Basketball:
Indiana was playing with much confidence and composure—that is, until the Hawkeyes ended their five-game win streak on Jan. 11. With a final score of 85-60, the Hoosiers had an underwhelming performance. Whether it was the lack of energy, the significant turnover rate, or the poor sense of urgency both offensively and defensively, it was evident that Indiana was playing a game of catchup right from the opening minutes.
The Hoosiers lost by 25 points. An unsettling statistic is that 24 of Iowa’s points resulted from Indiana turning over the ball. They simply couldn’t take care of the basketball. Heading into the locker room at halftime, Indiana recorded 12 turnovers. Oumar Ballo and Trey Galloway gave the ball away 4 times each, while Myles Rice did so 3 times. Ballo was also coming off of arguably his best games of the season. He had at least 23 points for 3 continuous games as he stepped onto the court to face the Hawkeyes.
Senior Luke Goode has recently been a solid starter for Indiana. He is a key 3-point shooter and offensive player for the Hoosiers. Goode played at Illinois for three seasons and committed to Indiana in April, so it should be an interesting game for him as he will play against his former team.
Key scorer Malik Reneau has been out with a right knee injury for the past three games. However, the injury doesn’t seem to be season-ending, so he is expected to return.
So far this season, there has yet to be a losing streak of two in the Big Ten. It will be a high-energy game in Bloomington as the teams compete for the victory.