Don't miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball and recruiting coverage. Sign up with TheHoosier.com here.

Indiana seeks to ride momentum from their comeback win against Michigan by taking down an elite Illinois squad.

It seemed as if Indiana's season was over and done with, but a fierce and admirable comeback against the Wolverines has given the opportunity to lock up an NCAA Tournament birth. A win against Illinois would surely place them in the tournament with little to no doubt.

In their sole matchup earlier this season against Indiana at Assembly Hall, the Illini dominated the second half en route to a 74-57 victory. They outscored the Hoosiers 40-21 in the final 20 minutes of play due in part to a barrage of three-pointers. Race Thompson finished with a team-high 13 for Indiana, while Xavier Johnson had 12. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored just six points.

A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Kofi Cockburn (21.0 ppg) is arguably the biggest matchup nightmare in the country. His abnormal size and strength are almost unmatched at the college level, and his sheer brutality in the paint almost locks him into a double-double each game. Cockburn had 17 points and eight points in Illinois' first game against the Hoosiers.

What sets Illinois apart is their backcourt and how they compliment Cockburn. Second-team All-Big Ten selection Trent Frazier (12.1 ppg) is arguably the best perimeter defender in the Big Ten and leads the team in assists with 4.0 per game. Frazier had team-high 23 points in game one against Indiana. His craftiness on the offensive end allows him to create open looks for himself while proving to be a very good playmaker for his teammates this season. He can score off of the dribble or off of the catch.

Next to Frazier is third-team All-Big Ten selection Alfonso Plummer (15.1 ppg), who is perhaps the best shooter in the country. Plummer shoots 41.7 percent from deep on 7.3 attempts per game and can hit them off the dribble, catch-and-shoot, or flying around screens.

Andre Curbelo (8.3 ppg) is among the best bench weapons in the NCAA with his playmaking. Curbelo is equally as capable of making a spectacular play as he is a bone-headed one, but when he is at his best Illinois soars. He has only played in 16 games due to injury and covid issues this season but is playing his best basketball at the end of the season. Two of his last three games have been in double-digits scoring the ball but he does have 11 assists to 11 turnovers over that span too.

6-foot-3 Da'Monte Williams (4.2 ppg) and 6-foot-6 Jacob Grandison (10.3 ppg) fill in the frontcourt spots in Illinois starting lineup. The pair can both shoot the three-ball and defend at a high level. Grandison can especially fill up the scoring column on a good night due to his 41.0 percent three-point percentage. Both are undersized at the position, however, and Grandison can give up a few things on the defense end of the floor. Williams, shoots just 33.8 percent from three but is 6-of-12 in the last two games. He isn't going to beat anyone off of the dribble, however.

Something to watch could be Grandison's health, however. He has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the last few weeks and didn't play in the season finale.

Brad Underwood typically goes 10 players deep into the rotation. 6-foot-10 forward reserve Coleman Hawkins (5.4 ppg) is the first off the bench along with Curbelo. 6-foot-7 wing Luke Goode (1.9 ppg), 6-foot-10 forward Omar Payne (1.8 ppg), 6-foot-8 forward Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (1.8 ppg), and 6-foot-7 wing RJ Melendez (3.8 ppg) are all key players off the bench as well.

G - Trent Frazier (Sr; 6-2; 175)

Season Stats: 12.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.0 apg

G - Alfonso Plummer (Sr; 6-1; 182)

Season Stats: 15.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 41.7% 3pt

F - Da'Monte Williams (Sr; 6-3; 215)

Season Stats: 4.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.6 apg

F - Jacob Grandison (Sr; 6-6; 205)

Season Stats: 10.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.4 apg

C - Kofi Cockburn (Jr; 7-0; 285)

Season Stats: 21.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg

Indiana's plan to stop Kofi Cockburn. Trayce Jackson-Davis has historically had minimal success both scoring on and defending the physically imposing Cockburn. Jackson-Davis gives up three inches and 40 pounds in the matchup.

History also tells us that Cockburn is extremely vulnerable defending pick and roll situations, which the Hoosiers have been using more of late. If he can be torn apart by Loyola Chicago's Cameron Krutwig, then a function Xavier Johnson/Jackson-Davis pick and roll can do even more damage.

The key to stopping Cockburn will be to exhaust him on the defensive end. If the Hoosiers can consistently attack him in pick and roll and force him to move his feet, he will be less likely to dominate the paint on offense.

Michael Durr will also need to make an impact with his minutes. Durr matches up better in the post due to his seven-foot frame, and Indiana will need him to hold Cockburn in check.

Who: Indiana (19-12) vs. Illinois (22-8)

When: Friday, March11th, 11:30 am ET

Where: Indianapolis, IN

TV: BTN

Radio: IU Radio Network with Don Fischer, Errek Suhr and Joe Smith

---

QUICK HITTERS

• Indiana is 71-62 all-time against Illinois

• Illinois won their matchup with Indiana 74-57

• Illinois and Purdue are the only teams in the Big Ten to have three players on the All-Big Ten honors (Kofi Cockburn, Trent Frazier, Alfonso Plummer)

• Kofi Cockburn is 2nd in the Big Ten in points per game (21.0) and 1st in rebounds (10.6)

----

• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals

• Like us on Facebook.