Can the Badgers upset the Fighting Illini and snap their current losing streak?
The Wisconsin Badgers have lost two straight games albeit against two top-15 ranked teams in the Michigan Wolverines and Marquette Golden Eagles, but still hope to bounce back this week. The Badgers head to Champaign, Illinois this Tuesday to face the Illinois Fighting Illini in what will be a very exciting early conference matchup. Illinois has a very talented team and has had a solid start to this season.
Here are four players to look out for in this contest.
Wisconsin: G John Tonje
John Tonje didn’t have his best stuff against Marquette, yet he still scored 14 points. He will need to step his game up in this marquee matchup against the Fighting Illini.
For the Badgers to win this game, John Tonje has to be aggressive and continue to get downhill and draw contact. He failed to do this against Marquette which is partially why he struggled and why Wisconsin went cold on offense.
Tonje will take open looks at the perimeter, as he should, but he should focus on getting to the rim in this game. Illinois averages 15.1 personal fouls per game, which ranks as the 51st-best mark in the country. Brad Underwood’s squad is rather disciplined, meaning that Tonje needs to be aggressive when driving to the hoop instead of trying to bait for fouls.
Wisconsin: C Steven Crowl
Steven Crowl needs to step it up in this game, both offensively and defensively. Illinois has a ton of size on their team which Wisconsin has struggled against this season. Wisconsin couldn’t handle Michigan’s frontcourt of Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf, so they need to make adjustments heading into this game to put Crowl in the best position to succeed on both sides of the ball.
Crowl will need to be a difference-maker on offense as Illinois has struggled against teams who are strong in the paint. In both of Illinois’ losses, their opponents (Alabama and Northwestern) controlled the paint and didn’t need to take three-pointers. Crowl and this Wisconsin team need to go up strong for baskets and also try to draw contact and head to the free-throw line.
Illinois: F Will Riley
Will Riley was a highly coveted recruit out of high school and has been an immediate impact player for Illinois. Although Riley doesn’t start, he is still the Fighting Illini’s second-leading scorer, averaging 15.1 points per game.
Will Riley is a dynamic scorer who can shoot the ball well from three but also make some tough looks inside the paint. As I mentioned before, it will be crucial for the Badgers’ frontcourt of Nolan Winter and Steven Crowl to play good defense on Riley. He was cold during Illinois’ loss to Northwestern, which helped the Wildcats upset Illinois in Evanston. He is Illinois’ X-factor in this game and the key to a Badgers victory on the road is limiting his effectiveness.
Illinois: G Kasparas Jakucionis
It’s rare for a team to have two freshmen as talented as Will Riley and Kasparas Jakucionis. Jakucionis is a projected top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and has been stellar to start the year for Illinois.
He is a real threat from beyond the arc who also thrives at drawing contact and finding his way to the free-throw line. Illinois has struggled at times when Jakucionis isn’t hot from three, so that is a potential spot for Wisconsin to capitalize on.
Wisconsin has impressed me this season and I think they are one of the best teams in the Big Ten and the country. However, winning on the road is hard and is especially difficult in Champaign, Illinois. This game is a complete toss-up to me, but I think Wisconsin will play a tough and close game but ultimately lose this matchup.
Final Prediction: 83-79 Illinois