We've got another major matchup tomorrow, so I got a chance to talk with Doug Bucshon of OrangeandBlueNews our Illinois site. We traded some questions ahead of Braggin' Rights.
Here are Doug's answers.
Kyle: Illinois replaced just about its entire roster coming into this year. How has the new group looked together? Have they gelled as a team yet?
Doug: With 10 newcomers and only one returning player from last year's roster, Brad Underwood essentially re-built the team from the ground up. He added the new pieces from a mix of the transfer portal, the high school ranks and international prospects. Growing pains were expected.
The team seems to have come together pretty well in a relatively short amount of time. Much of that is due to filling specific needs and the players settling into their roles. They're still figuring things out in terms of chemistry and communication, but you can see progress each game.
Kyle: What would you say is the strength and identity of the group this year?
Doug: Underwood wants the identity to be a spread-motion attack that plays 4/5-out, takes a lot of open 3s, gets to the line and does not put up a bunch of mid-range 2s. They are working towards that, but they need to find a way to win when the jumpers aren't falling.
Illinois has leaned heavily on freshman guard Kaspara Jakucionia. He can get his shot on his own because of his handles and great positional size, and he's been shooting the ball well over the last several games. The Illini have been a guard-oriented team lately, with Jakucionis and Arizona transfer Kylan Boswell both getting time as the primary ball handler.
The supporting cast has been more inconsistent. When they can't spread the wealth, Jakucionis tends to have a very high usage rate, which has translated to too many turnovers.
You will see a ton of high-ball screen action from the Illini. They like to run big-on-little screens and the pick-and-roll with Jakucionis and center Tomislav Ivisic. That's probably the bread and butter of the offense.
Kyle: The Illini hun on until the final second against the new No. 1 team in the country, what is the mood like around the program after the Tennessee game?
Doug: The way that game ended was a punch to the gut, with Vols' guard Jordan Gainey scoring on a driving layup as time expired. There was a lot of social media chatter dissecting the mistakes that led to the bucket. There was obviously disappointment. Illinois let a chance to knock off No. 1 slip away, with a series of late-game errors costing them.
Still, once the initial shock wore off it, the mood turned more positive, though still snake-bit and wanting to get back in the win column. Illinois is a fun team to watch, but some doubt may have crept in. A big win in the rivalry game against Mizzou would get things headed back in the right direction.
Kyle: We've seen a couple of different-looking games in the past two Braggin' Rights matchups. What do you expect to see in this year's edition? How do you think the game will play out?
Doug: It's going to be great for the fans that both teams appear to be contenders. It's certainly going to be a more hotly-contested game than last year when Illinois jumped out early and rolled to a 97-73 win. I'd expect a great atmosphere at the Enterprise Center.
It's going to be a close game that goes down to the wire. It could be a relatively high-scoring affair. Both teams would like to play with pace, which will make it fun for the fans. I'll take the Illini by 3 points. The Tigers have more scorers, but the Illini defend a bit better and they get key stops down the stretch.
Illinois 88, Missouri 85
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