Indiana basketball is back at home on Tuesday, for an evening tilt with No. 19 Illinois inside of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Hoosiers (13-4 overall, 4-2 in Big Ten play) enter the Tuesday night affair following a disappointing trip to Iowa City in which Iowa dismantled Indiana to the tune of a 25-point loss for the cream and crimson. The Illini (12-4 overall, 4-2 in Big Ten play) are fresh off of a disappointing 10-point loss at home against USC.
Ahead of Tuesday evening's clash, preview the battle between Indiana and Illinois.
HEAD COACH PROFILE
Head Coach: Brad Underwood
Record: 207-117 in 12th year overall, 155-92 in 8th year at Illinois
During his time in Champaign, Underwood has guided Illinois to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances—including a win in three of those four trips to the Big Dance. The Illini have also won three Big Ten Championships over the course of the last four seasons.
Underwood's first head coaching gig came at Dodge City Community College, where he spent four seasons from 1990-93. He then spent the next 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Western Illinois before returning to the head coaching ranks at Daytona Beach Community College from 2004-06.
Underwood then spent time on the staffs at Kansas State and South Carolina before being named the head coach at Stephen F. Austin State, where he spent three seasons. The native of McPherson, Kansas then spent one year at Oklahoma State as the head coach prior to being named the Illini's head man in 2018.
THIS SEASON
Illinois began the season with three consecutive non-conference wins by an average margin of victory of 29.7 points before falling to Alabama in Birmingham by 13 points. The Illini responded by rattling off three more wins in a row, including a double-digit win at the Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase over Arkansas.
To begin Big Ten play, Illinois fell on the road in Evanston by four points in overtime against Northwestern. Less than a week later, Illinois took down then-ranked Wisconsin at home inside of the State Farm Center.
Perhaps the biggest test of the season for Illinois came back in mid-December when the Illini hosted then-No. 1 Tennessee, losing by two points at home. Since that loss to the Volunteers, the Illini had won five straight—including three conference games—prior to falling at home on Saturday to USC.
On the season, Illinois is averaging 86.9 points per game—which ranks second in the Big Ten. The Illini are shooting the ball at a 45.4% clip from the field and a 33.1% clip from downtown so far this season. Illinois is averaging 10.4 made 3-pointers per game, a top-25 mark in the nation.
Illinois has also been one of the most dominant teams on the glass this year. Coming into Tuesday night's contest, the Illini are averaging 45.1 rebounds per game, outrebounding their opponents by an average of 12.3 rebounds a game—which ranks second in the entire country.
Defensively, Illinois is surrendering 67.2 points a night, while allowing opponents to shoot 38.5% from the field and 28.1% from 3-point range.
The Illini currently rank 13th in Kenpom, possessing the nation's 24th-ranked offense and 11th-ranked defense. Illinois is ranked as the No. 9 team in the country, going 4-3 in Quad 1 games, according to the NET.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Guard Kasparas Jakucionis: A 6-foot-6 true freshman guard, Jakucionis hails from Lithuania and is the Illini's leading scorer this season averaging 16.4 points a game. On the year, Jakucionis is shooting 49.6% from the floor and 41.4% from long range, while averaging 5.6 rebounds and a team-leading 5.4 assists a game.
- Forward Tomislav Ivisic: The second-leading scorer for Illinois, Ivisic averages 12.8 points per game on 50.6% shooting from the field. At 7-foot-1, Ivisic has showcased an ability to stretch the floor this year, shooting 35.8% from 3-point range on 4.2 attempts a game. Ivisic also lead the Illini in rebounding, averaging 8.6 boards a game, and blocks, averaging 1.3 swats per game.
- Guard Kylan Boswell: Boswell is averaging 11.2 points per game on 35.8% shooting from the field and 26.5% from beyond the 3-point arc. While averaging 4.9 rebounds a night, Boswell plays a big role as the Illini's secondary playmaker averaging 4.1 assists a contest.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Will Kasparas Jakucionis play...
Perhaps the most important player for Illinois, Kasparas Jakucionis, has missed the Illini's last two outings—a blowout win over Penn State and a home loss to USC—with a forearm injury. Jakucionis is Illinois' leading scorer on the season, averaging 16.4 points per night, while shooting better than 41% from long range this season. He also leads the team in assists. Illinois is not the same team without Jakucionis, his health will be something to monitor ahead of Tuesday night's clash.
Indiana and Illinois are each looking to get back on track...
Both the Hoosiers and the Illini carried five game winning streaks, including three straight wins in conference play, into their most recent losses. Both teams were playing some of their best basketball of the season before being tripped up. Tuesday night represents an opportunity for both teams to get back into the win column and prove their most recent slip-ups were just that.
Which Indiana team shows up...
Indiana's currently at a crossroads. The Hoosiers appeared to be turning a corner, winners of five straight before traveling out to Iowa City. However, following Indiana's loss to Iowa, many have returned to questioning the ceiling of this Indiana team. The Hoosiers have an opportunity on Tuesday get back in the win column against an Illinois team that's looked like one of the more talented bunches in the conference this season. That would go a long way in getting the Hoosiers back on the path they looked like they were paving for themselves prior to the loss against Iowa.
QUICK HITTERS
Who: Indiana (13-4, 4-2) vs. No. 19 Illinois (12-4, 4-2)
Series History: Indiana leads all-time series 96-92. (Last Meeting: Illinois won 70-62 on Jan. 27, 2024 in Champaign, Illinois)
When: Jan. 14, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Peacock: Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (analyst)
Radio: IU Radio Network: Don Fischer (Play-by-Play), Errek Suhr (Analyst), John Herrick
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