Illinois is walking into its first real road test of the season with a clear edge on offense - and one glaring problem that could decide everything in Lubbock.
The Illini are 2-0 after blowout wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Penn at State Farm Center, and they’ve looked every bit like a team built to score in bunches. Through two games, Illinois is averaging 116 points per game and sits No. 1 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom. That kind of firepower makes the trip to United Supermarkets Arena even more intriguing, especially with two top-20 teams set to meet Tuesday night in what could be one of the best games of the young season.
Illinois already knows what this matchup can mean. Last season, the Illini beat Texas Tech 81-77 in Champaign in the teams’ first meeting, and that win helped set the tone for their year while giving them a valuable Quad 1 victory. Now the rematch brings another chance for a major nonconference statement, even if the circumstances are a little different.
One big wrinkle: JT Toppin and David Mirkovic will not play Tuesday night. A showdown between the two big men would have added another layer to the game, since both are expected to be All-American candidates if they play enough games this season.
Even on the road, Illinois is still a 1.5-point favorite.
But if the Illini are going to back that up, they have to clean up the basketball.
That’s the key. Not the pace.
Not the scoring. The turnovers.
Illinois was one of the nation’s best teams at protecting the ball last season, but that hasn’t carried over through the first two games this year. Some of that can be traced to the faster tempo, but the balance between playing fast and playing clean is going to matter a lot more against Texas Tech than it did in the first two games.
The warning signs were obvious against Penn, when Illinois turned it over 19 times. That kind of number is asking for trouble against a Texas Tech defense that makes life miserable.
The Red Raiders enter the game ranked No. 5 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 2 in turnover percentage, according to Bart Torvik. Illinois, meanwhile, is sitting at No. 120 nationally in offensive turnover percentage. That’s a sharp drop from last season, when the Illini finished No. 8 in the country in that category.
The pressure is going to fall heavily on freshman guards Ethan Brown and Quentin Coleman, who are about to experience their first true road games at the college level. If Illinois wants to leave Lubbock with a win, both will need to stay composed and treat every possession like it matters.
There are plenty of moving parts in this one, but the equation is simple enough. Illinois can score with anybody. The question is whether it can hold onto the ball long enough to turn that offense into a road win.
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Illinois Just Exposed A Bigger Nebraska Problem Than One Loss
Nebraskas loss to Illinois did more than knock the Huskers back in the standings. It pushed the program into a full reset on offense, with the school parting ways with offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen after the defeat and opening the door to bigger questions about how the unit has been built and managed.
Matt Rhule now has to steady a team sitting at 5-4 and figure out where the next wins are coming from with the schedule tightening up. The issue is no longer just one bad performance against Illinois, but whether Nebraskas leadership can make the kind of adjustments needed to keep the season from slipping further away. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Walks Into A Texas Tech Test That Could Get Uncomfortable
Texas Tech has opened the season with two wins and now gets a far bigger measuring stick, with No. 3 Illinois coming to town in a game that should tell both teams plenty about where they stand early. The Red Raiders are already dealing with frontcourt absences, which puts extra pressure on players like Bassala Bagayoko and Darrion Williams to help hold things together inside while the rest of the roster tries to match Illinois size and depth.
The more intriguing part may be on the perimeter, where Texas Techs Cruz Davis and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn will be asked to keep pace with Illinois guards Quentin Coleman and Stefan Vaaks. With key big men unavailable on both sides, this one could tilt toward whichever backcourt handles the moment better and avoids the kind of stretches that can quickly make a high-profile nonconference game feel uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]
Former Illini Adds A Dangerous Twist To Illinois Biggest Test
Illinois is getting ready for one of its biggest early tests against No. 16 Texas Tech, and the matchup comes with a familiar face on the other side. Former Illini guard Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn is now part of the Red Raiders rotation, adding a little extra intrigue to a game that already carries plenty of weight for Brad Underwoods team.
Underwood touched on Gibbs-Lawhorns scoring ability in his pregame press conference, and it is easy to see why Illinois would pay close attention. The question now is whether the kind of offensive success he showed at the mid-major level can hold up with the same consistency against high-major competition, especially in a game where every possession figures to matter. [Read more 🡒]