For the second straight game, Chris Holtmann is set to take on a fellow first-year head coach in the Big Ten, as Illinois and Brad Underwood come to Columbus on Sunday at noon.
The Fighting Illini are going through struggles that most thought Holtmann's squad would suffer through in year one at the helm, as Illinois comes to Ohio State as the No. 13 team in the conference standings, just one half-game ahead of Rutgers, a team the Illini blasted 91-60 on Tuesday night.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois (12-11, 2-8) | Value City Arena | Noon | FS1 |
Underwood's squad is coming off back-to-back wins for the first time since late December, as Illinois topped Indiana on Jan. 24 in Champaign, Ill., before running over the Scarlet Knights.
Holtmann said Friday that Illinois' record is deceiving because the Illini have played a number of Big Ten teams tough this season, falling just short on numerous occasions. Two of their losses have come by one point and another, a 72-68 loss to Northwestern in early December, came in overtime.
"They are a team that is gifted and talented and athletic and play extremely hard," Holtmann said. "We have tremendous respect for them. We are going to need to play very well and I think our guys understand that.
"The reality is, they could easily be sitting with five or six wins (in conference) right now, and I think everybody understands that with how many close games they have had," Holtmann added. "If our guys aren't ready, then that's on them and on us. Our approach needs to be a good one."
Opponent Breakdown
As previously mentioned, the Illini are riding a two-game winning streak after dropping their first eight Big Ten games. Illinois' most recent victory over Rutgers saw Underwood's team lead by as many as 43 in the second half before coasting to a 31-point victory.
While their record might not put fear into an opponent, the Illini excel in a few areas that have kept them in close games this year.
| Player | Pos | HT | WT | Min | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LERON BLACK | F | 6-7 | 230 | 25.1 | 14.5 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| TRENT FRAZIER | G | 6-1 | 170 | 23.8 | 11.7 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.1 |
| MICHAEL FINKE | F | 6-10 | 235 | 25.3 | 9.9 | 5.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| KIPPER NICHOLS | F | 6-6 | 225 | 17.0 | 9.8 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| MARK ALSTORK | G | 6-5 | 190 | 23.6 | 6.2 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 |
For starters, the Illini have a tendency to force opponents into a plethora of turnovers, collecting 7.5 steals per game, which ranks second in the Big Ten behind only Penn State (7.9).
Holtmann said Illinois' ability to turn teams over is a product of its unique defensive scheme.
"It is a defensive system unlike anything you have ever seen. We will have to be very sharp in running our set plays and be very sharp in running our motion offense," Holtmann said. "Illinois' defense is incredible in terms of how much they can take you out of stuff. You are going to look at it on Sunday and say, 'Wow. That was an odd possession there.' That's the way they make the game and force the issue."
Leading the Illini defensively all season has been guard Trent Frazier, who ranks third in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 1.6 takeaways per game. Frazier is also Illinois' primary ball handler on offense, dishing out 2.8 assists per contest.
Illinois has used a variety of different starting lineups this season, as nine different players have started at least one game. Cleveland native and St. Edward's High School product Kipper Nichols started his first game of the season in the win over Rutgers and poured in a team-high 19 points and six rebounds. Forward Leron Black has been the most productive player for the Illini this season, leading his team in both points (14.5) and rebounds (5.2).
Buckeye Breakdown
Ohio State rebounded from its lone Big Ten loss against Penn State in impressive fashion on Tuesday, dominating Indiana for the better part of the game, trailing for only 23 seconds.
A similar start will likely be key for the Buckeyes on Sunday, with a noon tip against a scrappy Illinois team looking for a signature win to put on an otherwise lackluster resume.
Star forward Keita Bates-Diop said Friday that despite Illinois' record, Ohio State is preparing for the Illini the same way it has prepared for every game this season.
"We just prepare the same way for every game. We don't take any team differently," he said. "We prepare how we prepare and even though they are a team that is close to the bottom, we are going to prepare like they are at the top of the Big Ten."
Bates-Diop's individual preparation has been slightly different this week, following a game against Indiana in which he left for a brief period due to what Holtmann described as Bates-Diop's back tightening up. If there is one area Bates-Diop still needs to improve in, it is playing against more physical defenders, as Holtmann has described more than once this season.
Preparing him for that has been difficult in practice this week, however, as Bates-Diop continues to battle with back soreness. While Holtmann said he doesn't expect the minor injury to cause the redshirt junior to miss game time, the Buckeyes are playing it safe in practice leading up to the matchup with the Illini.
"We are trying to ratchet up how physical we are with him in practice. He still has some soreness in his back so that limited how much he could do (Thursday)," Holtmann said. "There are some limitations with how physical we can be with him right now. We are just trying to get him used to that. It's not something he is naturally super comfortable with."
Holtmann added that Kyle Young has been the primary defender on Bates-Diop in practice because of the physical nature with which he plays.
In games where Bates-Diop has struggled offensively with his shot, other players have stepped up, most recently Kaleb Wesson. The freshman big man has converted on 21 of his last 25 shot attempts, including his last 11 shots over Ohio State's last two games against Penn State and Indiana.
Holtmann said he is encouraging Wesson to stay aggressive on the offensive end, particularly when he gets the ball in the low post.
"He has finished better. He has that stretch in Big Ten play where he struggled a little bit finishing (at the rim). He just has to keep working on that," Holtmann said. "He needs to post to score and when he does that, he is pretty effective."
How It Plays Out
Both teams are coming off of four days' rest, as both the Buckeyes and Illini picked up double-digit wins on Tuesday night over Indiana and Rutgers, respectively.
If Ohio State can get off to a fast start like it did against the Hoosiers, the Buckeyes shouldn't have much of a problem collecting their 20th win of the season. However, if OSU lets Illinois hang around, the Illini's ability to create turnovers and turn those takeaways into points could keep Underwood's squad in the game late.
Prediction: Ohio State 77, Illinois 61
