Illinois basketball is rolling-and not just in the standings. The Illini are red-hot, riding a six-game win streak that’s turned heads across the Big Ten. After grinding out four road wins in conference play-no small feat in this league-they’re back in Champaign and looking to keep the momentum going against a Minnesota team that’s dealing with some serious depth concerns.
At 5-1 in the Big Ten, Illinois is putting together the kind of stretch that builds confidence and credibility. And with four of those six conference games coming on the road-and all four resulting in wins-it’s clear this team is growing more battle-tested by the week.
Now, with the Golden Gophers coming to town, Illinois has a chance to flex in front of the home crowd. Let’s break down three key questions heading into this matchup.
1. Can Illinois wear down Minnesota with its depth?
Illinois might not be going 10-deep anymore, but Brad Underwood still has a reliable eight-man rotation-and that matters. The Illini bench isn’t just filling minutes; it’s contributing meaningful production. That’s a luxury Minnesota doesn’t have right now.
The Gophers are leaning heavily on their starting five. Each of their starters has played in every game this season, and four of them are logging over 30 minutes per night. That’s a lot of mileage, especially in a physical Big Ten schedule.
Injuries have thinned Minnesota’s rotation. Chansey Willis Jr. and Robert Vaihola-two players who could’ve made a real impact-are out for the season.
Without them, the Gophers are forced to ride their starters hard. That’s where Illinois needs to take advantage.
Look for the Illini to push the pace, rotate fresh legs, and test Minnesota’s conditioning. If Illinois can keep the tempo high and stay aggressive for 40 minutes, they may be able to wear the Gophers down by the second half. This is where depth becomes more than a luxury-it becomes a weapon.
2. Can Illinois force Minnesota to settle for threes?
Usually, the conversation around Illinois' defense centers on protecting the arc. But this matchup flips the script. Minnesota just isn’t a good three-point shooting team.
The Gophers are averaging 23 attempts from deep per game, which puts them in the middle of the national pack. But they’re only knocking down 33% of those shots-ranking outside the top 200 in efficiency. That’s not a winning formula, especially on the road against a defense like Illinois’.
Cade Tyson is the one guy Illinois will need to track closely. He’s hitting nearly 40% from three, and he’s shown he can get hot.
But outside of him, Minnesota doesn’t have another consistent threat from deep. Isaac Asuma takes a high volume of threes but is connecting at just 31%.
Only one other player on the roster is shooting better than 33.5% from beyond the arc.
So the strategy here is clear: wall off the paint, stay disciplined, and force Minnesota to settle for jumpers. If Illinois can clog the driving lanes and make the Gophers live on the perimeter, they’ll be playing right into the Illini’s hands. This is a matchup where Illinois can afford to help off certain shooters and dare Minnesota to beat them from deep.
3. Will Illinois’ size overwhelm Minnesota?
This Illinois team is built differently. From the backcourt to the frontcourt, there’s size and length at every position-and that kind of physical advantage is tough to game plan against.
Minnesota brings some size of its own, but it’s not quite on Illinois’ level. The Illini are rolling out a lineup that includes a 6-foot-2 point guard in Kylan Boswell, a 6-foot-6 guard in Keaton Wagler, and a 6-foot-7 wing in Andrej Stojakovic. That’s a tall, versatile backcourt that can switch, defend, and create mismatches all over the floor.
Wagler, in particular, presents a matchup problem. At 6-foot-6, he’s a tough cover for most guards.
If Minnesota slides Cade Tyson-who’s 6-foot-7-onto Wagler, that leaves a smaller defender on Stojakovic. Either way, someone’s giving up size.
And then there’s the frontcourt. Illinois trots out a 6-foot-9 forward and a 7-foot-1 center.
That’s a lot of length to contend with, especially for a Minnesota team whose bigs top out at 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-7 at the four. That’s a mismatch Illinois should be able to exploit on the glass and in the paint.
The Illini don’t just have size-they know how to use it. Whether it’s altering shots, crashing the boards, or creating passing lanes, Illinois’ length can impact the game in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.
Final Thoughts
On paper, this is a matchup that favors Illinois in multiple areas: depth, defense, and size. Minnesota is scrappy, but they’re banged up, thin on the bench, and struggling from deep. That’s a tough combination to overcome in a hostile environment like State Farm Center.
But this is the Big Ten. Nothing comes easy.
Illinois will need to stay focused, execute their game plan, and avoid the kind of letdown that can sneak up on teams riding a hot streak. If they do that, they’ve got a great shot to extend the win streak to seven and keep climbing the conference ladder.