Game 18 preview: Northwestern at No. 24 Illinois, 4 p.m., Saturday - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

Lineups

No. 24 Illinois (12-5, 4-2 Big Ten)

Starters

P Name Yr. Ht. PPG

G Trent Frazier Jr. 6-2 8.9

G Ayo Dosunmu So. 6-5 15.5

G Da’Monte Williams Jr. 6-3 2.8

F Giorgi Bezhanishvili So. 6-9 8.3

C Kofi Cockburn Fr. 7-0 14.8

FYI: Only two other Big Ten big men have converted a higher percentage of dunks this season (based on 20 or more attempts) than Cockburn, who’s 23 of 25 (92 percent) in his freshman year. Both Rutgers center Myles Johnson and Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis are 29 of 30 (96.7 percent).

Off the bench

G Andres Feliz Sr. 6-2 10.6

G Alan Griffin So. 6-5 9.3

F Kipper Nichols R-Sr. 6-6 3.7

Northwestern (6-10, 1-5 Big Ten)

Starters

P Name Yr. Ht. PPG

G Pat Spencer Gr. 6-3 10.0

F Miller Kopp So. 6-7 12.3

F Robbie Beran Fr. 6-9 7.5

F Pete Nance So. 6-10 9.3

C Ryan Young R-Fr. 6-10 6.5

FYI: The Wildcats have essentially been forced to go with a bigger lineup with junior guard Anthony Gaines out for the season with a shoulder injury he suffered in mid-December and freshman guard Boo Buie having missed the last four games with a high ankle sprain.

Off the bench

G AJ Turner R-Sr. 6-7 7.8

F Jared Jones Fr. 6-10 2.3

G Ryan Greer So. 6-2 1.4

Details

Site: State Farm Center (15,544), Champaign.

Radio: Brian Barnhart (play-by-play) and former Illini Deon Thomas (analysis) will have the call on the Illini Sports Network on WDWS 1400-AM, WHMS 97.5-FM, WDAN 1490-AM, WDNL 102.1 FM and WPXN 104.9-FM.

TV: Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and Andy Katz (analysis) will have the call on BTN.

Series history: Illinois leads 136-42.

Last meeting: Illinois won 74-69 in overtime on March 13, 2019, in the Big Ten tournament in Chicago.

FYI: The Illini’s two game-win streak is the longest either team has managed in the series in the last decade. Since 2010, the series has evened up, with Illinois winning nine times and Northwestern eight. Before that? All Illini, all the time with a 33-4 advantage from 1990 to 2009.

Scott Richey’s storylines

Ball secured

Trent Frazier hasn’t committed a turnover in five games. Zero. In five games. “Everything is just so much easier out there, the flow of the game, being my third year,” Frazier said. “I don’t get sped up, out of control. Everything is so smooth. I’m just playing comfortable out there.” Frazier’s turnover-less streak has him averaging just 0.8 per game this season, down from the 2.1 turnovers per game he averaged his first two seasons. “I told him (Friday), ‘I don’t want you to play to that,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “I don’t want you to not try to make plays thinking about whether you’ll turn it over or not. I need you to still make the right basketball play.’ He hadn’t thought about it. It’s probably my fault for bringing it up, but he’s playing so well and running our team and getting us into stuff.”

Wildcats go big

Underwood wasn’t sure about the status of Northwestern guard Boo Buie heading into Saturday’s game other than he knew the Wildcats’ freshman was to be evaluated this week. If Buie doesn’t play, Northwestern will trot out its big lineup. “They’re basically starting three guys that could all play small forward/power forward and then (Ryan Young) inside at 6-11,” Underwood said. “They’re very good on the offensive boards — deceivingly — and they outrebounded Iowa in their last ball game. There’s a lot of post-up opportunities for those guys at that size, and they take advantage of them.”

Plenty of prep

Illinois hasn’t played since beating Rutgers last Saturday. That doesn’t mean the Illini have still put in work ahead of facing Northwestern while also getting some much-needed rest. “Our practices have been tougher than games,” sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu said. “We got lots of reps, lots of shots up and put in lots of new sets and just had fun.”

Prediction: Illinois 71, Northwestern 59

Were the Illini’s last few games “must win” in nature? Sort of, if only to avoid the early Big Ten struggles of previous years. Saturday is another “must win” given a loss would stop Illinois’ momentum cold. (N-G prediction record: 12-5)

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https://www.news-gazette.com/sports/game-preview-northwestern-at-no-illinois-p-m-saturday/article_40ef7901-ecaf-534a-8193-0bacadc1a687.html

2020-01-18 13:00:00Z
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