Rutgers Basketball is looking to win back to back Big Ten Conference games for the first time this year.
After beating Nebraska in overtime on Wednesday night, the Scarlet Knights squad shifts their focus to nationally ranked Illinois for a Sunday afternoon matchup.
OFFENSE....
The Fighting Illini have been a perennial tournament team since Brad Underwood took over back in 2017. They have made the tournament the last three seasons after not dancing in March for nearly a decade. Underwood’s teams have also been consistent in contending for the Big Ten title every year. They’re currently ranked number 14 in the country and are number three in the Big Ten standings behind Purdue and Wisconsin.
Brad Underwood's Illinois squad has one of the most efficient offenses in the country. They thrive by getting 2nd chance rebounds and they’re one the best rebounding teams in the country getting 42.9 rebounds per game which ranks 5th in the nation. They score 82.1 points per game which ranks 25th in the country. They also can shoot the three pointer effectively which adds another element to this already dangerous offense making 8.5 shots behind the arc per game.
Illinois runs an eight man rotation where key players have to play important minutes. Underwood has three of his most important players playing 30 or more minutes per game so he certainly isn’t shy about overusing his star power. Every man on this rotation also is over 6-foot-4 so there’s a definite height advantage which is why they're such a great rebounding team.
Leading the way offensively for Illinois is Senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr who is averaging 21.7 points per game. Fellow Senior Marcus Domask is the second leading scorer averaging 14.9 points per game. Quincy Gurrier is another senior leader on this team and he leads in rebounds averaging 7.7 per game. Coleman Hawkins and Luke Goode complete this lineup with their athleticism and three point shot ability.
DEFENSE...
Illinois has a very “in your face” mentality on the defensive side of the ball. They’re very aggressive and they hold their opponents to a pitiful 44% shooting from the field which is good for the sixth lowest in the country.
The fighting Illini have the 76th ranked total defense in the country allowing their opponent to score 67.8 points per game. They defend the basket very well as they only allow a 39% field goal percentage for two pointers. They also only allow 5.9 threes per game which is 42nd in the country.
For Rutgers to have a chance to win this game they need to be aggressive and out rebound Illinois. They can’t allow the fighting Illini to have too many 2nd chance baskets and own them in the paint.
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