Illinois at Maryland
4 pm
TV: ESPN2
It’s Big Ten season, time for Illinois to prove its 10-3 record is no fluke against real competition. To call the opening stretch of conference play important for Illinois is not hyperbole. In their first eight games, the Illini get two games apiece with Maryland (12-1) and Michigan (10-3) as well as meetings with Ohio State (10-3), #16 Indiana (10-2), #15 Purdue (11-2), and Iowa (8-5): nearly as harrowing a gauntlet as you can run in the conference. Illinois doesn’t need an 8-0 start, but to get to the 20 wins most people consider a baseline for the NCAA Tourney, they will need a decent showing.
The first test comes today at Maryland. The Terps would be ranked #26 in the AP poll if it didn’t arbitrarily end at 25. Their undisputed star is Melo Trimble, who is an NBA talent but decided to come back to College Park for his junior year. His 17.9 points per game loom large over Maryland’s stats, but he’s got good support, though less than last year. Justin Jackson and Anthony Cowan have provided consistent support and Michal Cekovsky has come on strong as well.
Though Maryland is a good team, the blueprint for Illini success has already been written. The Terps profile a lot like BYU, just at a lower tempo. The lower tempo will suit Illinois well if the other aspects are managed well. A strong inside presence, as the team had against the Cougars, is the biggest key to winning, in my opinion. Trimble (probably) can’t win this one solo, so let the big men bang inside and everyone else clean up around the periphery and Illinois can surprise on the road.
My prediction: Is three straight double-doubles too much to hope for from Maverick Morgan? Based on his record, two would have been, so why not keep it going. Morgan with 14 and 10 and an Illini squeaker.