Game Day Essentials: Game #20 vs Illinois - 1/22/2013

Illinois Info

Team Nick Name: Fighting Illini

Team Mascot: None

School Location: Urbana and Champaign, Illinois

Last game out: Lost to Northwestern

Coach: John Groce

Shirt not to wear: Blue, Orange

Probable Starters:

Nebraska Cornhuskers

2-David Rivers - 6-7 -So. -F

15-Ray Gallegos - 6-2 -Jr.- G

24-Dylan Talley - 6-5 -Sr.- G

13-Brandon Ubel - 6-10 -Sr.- F

31-Shavon Shields -6-6 -Fr.- G/F

Illinois Fighting Illini

0 Sam McLaurin F 6-8 220 SR

1 D.J. Richardson G 6-3 195 SR

3 Brandon Paul G 6-4 200 SR

13 Tracy Abrams G 6-1 185 SO

32 Nnanna Egwu F-C 6-11 235 SO

Key Injuries

Nebraska - Mike Peltz - Out

Opposing Player to watch; Brandon Paul

Senior guard Paul is putting up over 18 points a night while leading the team in rebounds. With over 25% of his points coming from the free throw line, he is the only player on the court for either team consistently drawing contact. (His 89 made free throws are more than any other player has taken - next is Dylan Talley at 70) Speaking of Talley, it will probably either be him or Gallegos trying to slow down Paul without fouling out of the game.

Two in a row?

Just for moment, let's remember the beat down last year that we gave an Illinois team coming into Lincoln on a downward spiral that cost Bruce Weber his job.

(That was fun!)

Tuesday brings yet another sliding Illini team, this time with new coach John Groce, who you might remember being on Nebraska's new coach shopping list last spring. After starting the year 11-0 including a win at Gonzaga, Illinois has dropped 5 of it's last 7 though that included a beat down of Ohio St. as their only B1G win so far.

Illinois is a guard oriented team led by the trio of Brandon Paul, D.J. Richardson, and Tracy Abrams and isn't particularly deep, rarely playing more than 7-8 players. Their roster and their streakiness is explained by their playing style: this is a team that lives or dies by the 3 pt shot. Thus far in the B1G season, they've been ice cold which is why they're playing Nebraska for possession of 10th place.

The Huskers finally got that first B1G win of Tim Mile's career and it was really a great team effort along with a personal best from Shavon Shields. While Shields might have put up 29 points, it was the Huskers going 16-16 from the line vs Penn State's 15-24 that was the difference in the game. What didn't help the Huskers that even with Ubel back in the game, Penn State grabbed 11 offensive rebounds. This shouldn't be a problem against Illinois as unlike Penn State, this is a weakness for the team who like the Huskers tends to bail back against the break.

The key to this game is Illinois' confidence...if you can bury this team right away they're going to roll over. If you let them hang around at let 3pt shooters Richardson or Paul get hot like D.J. Byrd of Purdue, Illinois will win big. While Illinois likes to win or lose big, the Huskers typically don't. Here is hoping that the Husker stripe does it's job.

Prediction: Nebraska 66 - Illinois 60