#25 Indiana
All-time: 86-87 (last: Illinois 74–80 Indiana, in Champaign)
Tip-off: 6 p.m. in Bloomington, Ind.
TV: ESPN
Before looking at Indiana, there’s one (really?) important piece of news about the Illini: in a press conference Monday, John Groce said Mike Thorne Jr. might be available for minutes against Indiana. Technically, this means nothing; Groce said he may be available off the bench. This could be gamesmanship to make Indiana plan as if Illinois was going to have an elite rebounder able to play. But, it could mean everything, too. Getting Thorne back would be such a boost to this team, and it would mean less minutes of Maverick Morgan’s ineffective post play and more of Michael Finke playing where he’s comfortable. Again, we don’t know, but it’s definitely intriguing.
As for the Hoosiers, they’re riding a 10-game win streak in which they’ve really started to hit a groove. They lost James Blackmon Jr. to injury, but have almost seemed like a better team without him. A big reason Indiana has been able to stay hot is Yogi Ferrell. The senior is avergaing 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, and just under 6 assists per game, an All-Big Ten pace. Freshman center Thomas Bryant has also been clutch, with 12 points and 5.6 rebounds per game so far this season.
A lot of the Hoosiers’ offense has come from stingy defense. In terms of defensive efficiency (the number of points a team allows per 100 possessions), Indiana is the best team in the Big Ten at 92.6. Indiana hold opponents to just 41.9% on field goals and has a +8.6 rebound margin. As Nebraska showed, making Illinois chuck poor shots and preventing them from getting rebounds is a good recipe for success. If Tom Crean’s team can replicate the Huskers’ success, it will be another long night for the Illini.
Predicted lineups
Indiana: Yogi Ferrell, guard; Robert Johnson, guard; Troy Williams, forward; Colin Hartman, forward; Thomas Bryant, center
Illinois: Jaylon Tate, guard; Kendrick Nunn, guard; Jalen Coleman-Lands, guard; Malcolm Hill, guard; Michael Finke, forward
Gut feeling
I don’t think Thorne hits the floor tonight. Groce was cagey with what he said, specifically, though, he said it could be tonight or this weekend against Minnesota. The Hoosiers have a better resume and interior presence than the Gophers, which seems like it would make Thorne’s return more likely, but I can’t shake the feeling declaring him eligible was a red herring.