The Penn State Nittany Lions take on No. 13-ranked Illinois at 9 p.m. ET at the State Farm Center.
The Nittany Lions are currently 12-3 and 2-2 in conference play. While the Illini stand at 11-3 and 3-1 in conference play. Penn State has earned big wins over Virginia Tech, Purdue and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions have lost to Clemson, Rutgers and most recently, Indiana.
Illinois has earned wins over the likes of No. 19 Arkansas, No. Wisconsin and No. 9 Oregon. The three losses for the Illini were No. 8 Alabama (100-87), Northwestern (70-66) and No. 1 Tennessee (66-64).
Illinois is also currently ranked No. 7 in the NET rankings while Penn State is No. 48.
Happy Valley Insider gets you primed for the matchup with how to watch, betting odds, and more.
Illinois has shot 34% from 3-pt on 150-of-441 shooting. Penn State does not have the volume at 110-of-324 but is also 34% from three. Penn State is more efficient from the field though, as the Nittany Lions shoot 50.1% from the field and the Illini only shoot 46.1%.
The scoring for both teams is close as Penn State scores 86.8 points per game and Illinois scores 87.6 points per game.
Illinois and Penn State also both shoot a lot of free throws. The Nittany Lions are 251-of-361 (75.3%) and the Illini 251-of-334 (75.1%)
Another similarity is that both teams turn the ball over 11.6 times per game. However, Penn State earns 9.7 steals per game compared to the 5.1 of Illinois.
It is also important to note the rebounding differential. Illinois rebounds the ball 45.1 times per game, while Penn State only grabs 36.5 rebounds per game.
The leading scorer for Illinois, Kasparas Jakucionis is averaging 16.4 points per game. Jakucionis is a 6’6” freshman guard who is also tallying 5.6 rebounds per game, 5.4 assists. All while shooting an impressive 41.4% from three.
It is also likely that Ace Baldwin Jr. will be the main defender on Jakucionis despite being 6'1". The best Penn State defensive player versus the best Illinois offensive player. If Baldwin Jr. struggles, Mike Rhoades could utilize Nick Kern Jr.
Another key player for the Illini is Tomislav Ivisic. The 7"1' sophomore center is in his first season playing basketball in the United States. The Croatian native is adding impressive stats to to the bx score each game. Tallying, 13.8 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per game, and 1.2 blocks per game. Ivisic also shoots 37.1% from three.
Yanic Konan-Niederhäuser will be the likeliest matchup as Konan-Niederhäuser is 7'0" and Penn State's starting center. Konan-Niederhäuser will have his work cut out for him and how well he can contain Ivisic will be a key factor in the outcome of the game.
HOW TO WATCH...
TV: Peacock - Big Ten Network – Jeff Levering (pxp), Shon Morris (analyst) & Andy Katz (sideline)
WHO: Penn State Nittany Lions (12-3) vs Illinois Illini (11-3)
WHEN: 9:00 p.m. ET
WHERE: State Farm Center - Champaign, IL
SPREAD: Penn State -8.5
SERIES HISTORY....
Penn State and Illinois have faced off 55 times in school history. The series dates back to the 1941-42 season where Penn State won 41-34 in the NCCA Tournament. The latest matchup was in February of the 2024 season where Penn State won its fourth game in a row against Illinois. Overall, Illinois leads the series 32-23 while being 16-9 at home. The Nittany Lions are looking for their fifth consecutive win over Illinois. A streak that has been active since 2022.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS....
PROJECTED STARTERS RANKED AS RECRUITS....
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