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Indiana vs. Illinois Preview and Predictions
By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
Indiana will look to build on a narrow win at home when it travels Wednesday to face Illinois, which is winless in conference play despite some close calls. The Hoosiers edged Maryland to win for the fourth time in five games, while the Illini come off a loss to No. 6 Michigan State at home on Monday.
Junior forward Juwan Morgan has been the rock for coach Archie Miller this year, leading the team in scoring (14.8 points), rebounding (7.2 rebounds) and blocks (26) and tying for the team lead in steals (21). Guard Robert Johnson has also been a top offensive threat for the Hoosiers, hitting a team-best 36 3-pointers as part of his 14 points per game average. Illinois is looking for some offensive consistency, as it has scored over 75 points in just two conference games, both overtime setbacks. Freshman guard Trent Frazier has been hot of late, scoring in double figures in 10 of the last 11 games to raise his scoring average to 11.1 points, while sophomore forward Kipper Nichols showed his scoring capability with a career-best 27 points off the bench in the loss to Michigan State.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
ABOUT INDIANA (12-8, 5-3 Big Ten): If the Hoosiers are planning to make a run at a postseason berth, they'll need to show better when they hit the road, as Miller's squad has just a 1-5 mark in true road contests this season. A victory at Minnesota on Jan. 6 is the only time Indiana has come home victorious, though with the Illinois game, the Hoosiers have five of their final 10 games on the road -- with three of the home games coming against the top three teams in the conference, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State. The offense has struggled away from Bloomington, with the team's four lowest-scoring games of the season coming on the road, so either the Hoosiers need to improve their offensive execution and shooting or get better on defense if they hope to put together some road victories.
ABOUT ILLINOIS (10-11, 0-8): After his career-best performance against Michigan State, Nichols drew lots of praise, but he also heard about his lack of consistency from his coach, Brad Underwood, who tries to push the sophomore to become a more reliable scorer each game. Nichols is averaging 9.2 points but his 27-point effort came just one game after being shut out against Wisconsin and was only his fourth time scoring in double figures since the start of December. Part of it has to do with playing time, with Nichols scoring in double figures in three of his last five outings thanks to playing 22 minutes in each of those contests, but it's also a Catch 22, as Underwood can't afford to play Nichols -- and doesn't need to with such a big rotation -- if Nichols isn't shooting the ball well.
TIP-INS
1. Indiana leads the Big Ten in turnover margin (plus-4.0) in conference play and has a plus-26 turnover margin in its five league victories.
2. Illinois' current eight-game losing streak in conference play this season is the longest in program history since the 1906-07 team went winless in eight Big Ten games.
3. Hoosiers freshman F Justin Smith has averaged 10.2 points and shot a team-high 60 percent from the field in the five games he's started since replacing the injured De'Ron Davis in the starting lineup.
PREDICTION: Illinois 74, Indiana 70
By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
Indiana will look to build on a narrow win at home when it travels Wednesday to face Illinois, which is winless in conference play despite some close calls. The Hoosiers edged Maryland to win for the fourth time in five games, while the Illini come off a loss to No. 6 Michigan State at home on Monday.
Junior forward Juwan Morgan has been the rock for coach Archie Miller this year, leading the team in scoring (14.8 points), rebounding (7.2 rebounds) and blocks (26) and tying for the team lead in steals (21). Guard Robert Johnson has also been a top offensive threat for the Hoosiers, hitting a team-best 36 3-pointers as part of his 14 points per game average. Illinois is looking for some offensive consistency, as it has scored over 75 points in just two conference games, both overtime setbacks. Freshman guard Trent Frazier has been hot of late, scoring in double figures in 10 of the last 11 games to raise his scoring average to 11.1 points, while sophomore forward Kipper Nichols showed his scoring capability with a career-best 27 points off the bench in the loss to Michigan State.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
ABOUT INDIANA (12-8, 5-3 Big Ten): If the Hoosiers are planning to make a run at a postseason berth, they'll need to show better when they hit the road, as Miller's squad has just a 1-5 mark in true road contests this season. A victory at Minnesota on Jan. 6 is the only time Indiana has come home victorious, though with the Illinois game, the Hoosiers have five of their final 10 games on the road -- with three of the home games coming against the top three teams in the conference, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State. The offense has struggled away from Bloomington, with the team's four lowest-scoring games of the season coming on the road, so either the Hoosiers need to improve their offensive execution and shooting or get better on defense if they hope to put together some road victories.
ABOUT ILLINOIS (10-11, 0-8): After his career-best performance against Michigan State, Nichols drew lots of praise, but he also heard about his lack of consistency from his coach, Brad Underwood, who tries to push the sophomore to become a more reliable scorer each game. Nichols is averaging 9.2 points but his 27-point effort came just one game after being shut out against Wisconsin and was only his fourth time scoring in double figures since the start of December. Part of it has to do with playing time, with Nichols scoring in double figures in three of his last five outings thanks to playing 22 minutes in each of those contests, but it's also a Catch 22, as Underwood can't afford to play Nichols -- and doesn't need to with such a big rotation -- if Nichols isn't shooting the ball well.
TIP-INS
1. Indiana leads the Big Ten in turnover margin (plus-4.0) in conference play and has a plus-26 turnover margin in its five league victories.
2. Illinois' current eight-game losing streak in conference play this season is the longest in program history since the 1906-07 team went winless in eight Big Ten games.
3. Hoosiers freshman F Justin Smith has averaged 10.2 points and shot a team-high 60 percent from the field in the five games he's started since replacing the injured De'Ron Davis in the starting lineup.
PREDICTION: Illinois 74, Indiana 70
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