The Hoosiers try to start 2019 with a win when they take on the Fighting Illini at Assembly Hall Thursday in their third Big Ten game of the year.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be aired on Fox Sports 1.
TheHoosier.com has gathered previews and predictions for the game below.
Three things to watch:
1. Devonte Green's confidence -- Can it be carried over into Big Ten play? He was inconsistent during the same portion of the schedule as a sophomore despite earning more opportunities. Green's quickness and ability to create his own offense give Indiana a crucial third scorer to turn to, especially on the rare occasions where Juwan Morgan and Romeo Langford get off to slow starts.
2. Handling Illinois' pressure -- One of the calling cards of a Brad Underwood-coached Illinois team has been its heavy defensive pressure applied to opponents. This year is no different. Despite gaudy looking numbers in most defensive categories, it does own the sixth-highest turnover percentage nationally in forcing opponents to turn the ball over on 24.9 percent of possible possessions.
3. Where Langford gets the ball -- IU head coach Archie Miller said on his Dec. 17 radio show that he wanted to get Langford in "a little bit more situations high in the middle of the floor, where he has a bit more room, where teams can't just completely load up on him and take away his lanes." It will be especially critical against a tough defense like Illinois, which will likely try to trap Langford near midcourt with its pressure as other teams have attempted.
Illinois might be the worst team in the Big Ten as of today, but this isn’t a roster completely devoid of talent. The Illini have three players averaging in double figures in sophomore guard Trent Frazier, freshman guard Ayo Dosunmu and senior wing Aaron Jordan.
The 6-foot-1 Frazier averages a team-best 15.9 points per game and is an excellent spot-up shooter, according to Synergy Sports. Frazier ranks in the 98th percentile nationally in spot-up situations at 1.47 points per possession, per Synergy.
He’s also solid in situations as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll at .83 points per possession, which is in the 61st percentile nationally. Frazier is shooting 42.7 percent on 3s this season, but just 43.3 percent on 2s. He also leads the team in assists per game (3) and steals per game (1.9).
Though the Hoosiers (11-2) will be without standout freshman point guard Rob Phinisee because of an injury, Illinois will have its hands full against an Indiana team led by a strong veteran in Juwan Morgan (16.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG) and a stellar freshman in home-state kid Romeo Langford (17.5 PPG).
Illinois has had two-a-days and practices where the team got up and down the court with segments that replicated in-game situations. An onus has been put on playing better on offense, particularly with the Hoosies ranking No. 19 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
After shooting 31.6 percent on Saturday against Florida Atlantic, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has continued to emphasize the priorities that have been in place all season.
“We’ve got to become tougher, and that’s the one thing we’ve been striving to be, so we can be disciplined," Underwood said. "We didn’t run very much of anything with any precision in the Florida Atlantic game. You can’t go on the road and win if you don’t execute."
Predictions and Probabilities
KenPom
Indiana 80, Illinois 67 (88 percent confidence)
Thrill Score: 33.2 (No. 29 among Thursday's games)
ESPN
Indiana 88.5 percent
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