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ILLINOIS LINKS: GAME NOTES | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | BRACKET
Following a 77-74 comeback victory over Ohio State in the quarterfinals, No. 2 seed Illinois faces No. 3 seed Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament (BTT) semifinals on Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. CT, CBS).
Orange and Blue News previews the game, including probable starters, keys to the game, and a prediction.
SETTING THE STAGE
#13ap/14 Illinois // 24-8 Overall, 14-6 Big Ten
No. 2 Seed // 2024 Big Ten Tournament // Minneapolis, Minn. // Target Center
Semifinal vs. No. 3 Seed Nebraska (23-9, 12-8) // Saturday, March 16 // 2:30 p.m. CT
TV: CBS – Ian Eagle (Play-By-Play), Bill Raftery & Grant Hill (Analyst), Tracy Wolfson (Sideline)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas (Analyst)
National Radio: Compass Media Networks – Gregg Daniels (Play-By-Play), Doug Gottlieb (Analyst) // Satellite Radio: SiriusXM – 84
GAME NOTES
Illinois earned a spot in the BTT semifinals with a hard fought 77-74 win over Ohio State on Friday. Terrence Shannon Jr. led Illinois with 28 points. Dain Dainja scored 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.
Nebraska dismantled Indiana 93-66 on Friday night. Brice Williams and Keisei Tominago both scored 23 points to lead the Cornhuskers, who went 30-for-60 from the floor.
Illinois is making its 14th all-time BTT semifinals appearance and first since 2021, when it defeated No. 3 seed Iowa. After advancing to the semifinal round in 12 of the first 13 BTT, the Illini are appearing in the semis for just the second time in the last 14 years. Illinois is 7-6 all-time in the BTT semifinals.
The Illini earn their third top-2 seed in the last four years, and their fourth double-bye in the last five seasons, under head coach Brad Underwood.
Illinois is 22-8 in BTT games when it is the higher (better) seed.
Coleman Hawkins (3 games) and Luke Goode (2) are the only active Illini to have played more than one BTT tournament game in their careers, and they account for five of the 11 total BTT games played.
Hawkins is Illinois’ active BTT leader in points (35), rebounds (10), assists (4), blocks (2), and steals (3), in three-career tournament games.
Fifth-year Terrence Shannon Jr. is a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches, media, and AP.
Graduate student Marcus Domask is Big Ten Newcomer of the Year by AP and a first-team All-Big Ten pick by the coaches and AP, while garnering second-team accolades by the media.
Senior Coleman Hawkins (Sacramento, Calif.) is a second-team All-Big Ten pick by AP, third-team selection by the media, and honorable mention choice by the coaches.
PROJECTED STARTERS
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
G - TY RODGERS, 6-6, SOPH | 6.5 PPG | 5.2 RPG | 2.1 APG
G - TERRENCE SHANNON JR., 6-6, SR. | 21.6 PPG | 4.3 RPG | 2.2 APG
F - MACUS DOMASK, 6-6, SR. | 16.0 PPG | 4.9 RPG | 3.5 APG
F - QUINCY GUERRIER, 6-8, SR. | 10.4 PPG | 6.7 RPG | 0.3 APG
F - COLEMAN HAWKINS, 6-10, SR. | 12.9 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 2.7 APG
*****
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
G - KEISEI TOMINAGO, 6-2, SR. | 14.6 PPG | 2.3 RPG | 1.3 APG
G - BRICE WILLIAMS, 6-7, JR. | 12.4 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 2.5 APG
G - JOSIAH ALLICK, 6-3, JR. | 7/1 PPG | 5.1 RPG | 1.3 APG
F JUWAN GARY, 6-6, JR. | 11.9 PPG | 6.2 RPG | 1.2 APG
F - RIENK MAST, 6-10, JR. | 12.7 PPG | 7.8 RPG | 3.0 APG
KEYS TO THE GAME
BOUNCE BACK GAME FROM DOMASK
The Illini offensive isn't the same when Marcus Domask isn't scoring. He was 3-for-13 against Ohio State for just 7 points. Illinois got a lift inside from Dain Dainja but it will need a better overall offensive effort to knock off the Cornhuskers, who were clicking on all cylinders against Indiana.
BOMBS AWAY
Nebraska is going to let if fly from beyond the arc. It went 14-for-32 from 3-point range on Friday against Indiana. Tominagao went 4-for-7 and Williams went 4-for-6. Illinois will want to run them off the line and turn it into a more physical game. Mast will also stretch the the floor and make Coleman Hawkins defend the 3-pont line.
DOMINATE ON THE GLASS
Illinois is the superior rebounding team and it can make that a deciding factor on Friday, especially if it converts offensive rebounds into point. In its overtime win over Nebraska last month, the Illini won the battle on the boards 50-33 and had 17 offensive rebounds. The Illini have to keep Mast off of the defensive glass. He had defensive boards against Indiana.
PREDICTION
ILLINOIS 83 NEBRASKA 79
The Illinois offensive finds it groove after struggling against Ohio State and cruises to a win over the Cornhuskers to punch its ticket to the Big Ten Tournament championship game on Sunday.
