Preview: #6 IUWBB vs #21 Illinois

#6 Indiana (16-1 / 6-1) will visit Champaign, Illinois on Wednesday evening to take on #21 Illinois (14-3 / 5-2). The action will begin at 8pm at the State Farm Center and can be watched on the Big Ten Plus Network.

IUWBB huddles while playing Butler on 12/21/22 (Photo by Jeremy Hogan)

Indiana and Illinois previously battled it out at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on December 11th, with the Hoosiers pulling out the nail-biter, 65-61 victory, but Junior Guard Makira Cook exploded for 33 points that night. Cook is averaging 18 ppg on the season while shooting 45% from the field.

Collectively, Illinois can shoot . . . very well! They average 47% from the field, 41% from the 3-point line, and 77% from the free-throw line. 4 Illinois players average double digit scoring on the year. They can also rebound, compiling a margin of +10 over their opponents so far this season. 

Illinois is successful with a quick paced game, as they produce great ball movement, finding a good look on almost each possession. They can also mix up their defensive stances, often applying a ¾ pressure in an effort to increase forced turnovers.

The Fighting Illini started the season unranked, but climbed into the top 25 after upsetting #10 Iowa on January 1st. This marks the first time Illinois has been ranked since 2013.

Chloe Moore-McNeil celebrates a late game basket against Illinois on 12/11/22

Illinois is off to a 15-3 start under first year head coach Shauna Green, one of the best starts in program history. Two of Illinois’ three losses came by a combined 10 points on the road at a pair of top-5 Big Ten foes.

With all of this being said, the Hoosiers find ways to win. Two All-Americans (Guard Grace Berger and Forward Mackenzie Holmes) coupled with a successful balance of inside/outside offense, has been a just part of the story this year. While Holmes is second in the country for shooting (69%), the unwritten story is IU’s defense.

Indiana is holding their opponents to less than 58 points per game. The reason for this is not a stand out statistic, rather solid all-around defensive play; out-rebounding, out-blocking, out-stealing, and out-hustling their opponents all throughout the season. The Hoosiers simply do not throw in the towel. Actually, the tighter the game is down the stretch, the more the defense seems to come alive, as we have witnessed specifically over their past several contests.

Look for Indiana to play tight perimeter man-to-man defense, hoping to shut down the early Illini long ball. Illinois will want to fire up the 3-ball from the gate, looking to get the crowd involved, and to force IU to play catch-up from beyond the arc, instead of dishing the ball into Holmes, repeatedly.

IUWBB Head Coach Teri Moren on 1/15/23 (Photo by Jeremy Hogan)

With these two talented teams in transition, turnovers could likely be the determining factor of this game. Whichever team is able to keep them under a dozen will likely win this contest.

The match-up is the first of three consecutive ranked opponents that the Hoosiers will face. Heading to Michigan after this, to face the #14 Wolverines, and then returning to Bloomington to host #2 Ohio State, Thursday the 26th.

Actually, 7 of their 11 remaining regular season games will be against ranked opponents, as they will face Michigan, Ohio State, and Iowa twice each.

Notable

  • Sophomore Forward Mona Zaric (#24) has been experiencing back trouble and it is unknown if she will be available to play against Illinois
  • Freshman Guard Yarden Garzon was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USWBA) Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week
  • Ninth year Head Coach Teri Moren picked up a record tying 188th career win on Sunday against Wisconsin. She ties Jim Izard’s 188 wins that he amassed over 12 seasons (1988-00).

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