How to Watch: Illinois Basketball vs. Little Rock (Game 6)

Size and rebounding advantages favor the Illini in a big way, but the sticky-fingered Trojans will try to steal their thunder

Nov 23, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Tre White (22) pulls down a rebound against the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

How to Watch

No. 25 Illinois (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Little Rock (3-3, 0-0 Sun Belt)

Day and time: Monday (Nov. 25) at 8 p.m. CT
Venue: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
TV: BTN
Stream: None
Listen: WDWS-AM 1400 (Champaign)
WLS-AM 890 (Chicago)
Illini Sports Network affiliates (other local markets)
Varsity Network app

Odds and Ends

Favorite: Not available
Over/under: Not available
Illinois vs. Little Rock all time: Illinois leads the series 3-0
Streak: Illinois has won three in a row against Little Rock
Last meeting: Illinois 75, Little Rock 49 (Dec. 5, 2005 at Assembly Hall in Champaign)

Probable Illinois starters:

G Kasparas Jakucionis
G Kylan Boswell
G Tre White
F Ben Humrichous
C Tomislav Ivisic

Highlights from Illinois' 87-40 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore.#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/SHO78S0jms

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 24, 2024

Smart-Fan Stuff

Key stat: 14.8

The Illini are proving themselves to be one of the best rebounding teams in college basketball, with a rebounding margin of plus-14.8 over five games – a figure that likely thrust them into the NCAA's top 10 in that category after Saturday. (They ranked No. 11 through Friday's games.) Little Rock is just about the last of the undersized mid-majors Illinois will catch this season – a home date with Chicago State on Dec. 29 remains – so the deficit will likely flatten over time. But winning the rebounding battle against a huge, athletic Alabama squad (44-37) was illuminating, and kept Illinois in a game that almost got away from it. Elite boards-clearing will be a semi-secret weapon for the Illini all season.

Quick tips:

• Speaking of rebounding, freshman forward Will Riley is averaging 6.0 per game (including averaging almost three offensive rebounds) and snared nine against Bama. Although he's a long 6-foot-8, Riley is reed-thin and a smooth – but not explosive – athlete. It was thought he might struggle against bigger, stronger, more mature competition, but he's more than holding his own so far.
• Through six games, Little Rock has more turnovers (92) than assists (84), but they get after opponents, forcing them into even an even worse ratio on the other end (98-68 turnovers to assists). That included Arkansas (19 turnovers, 12 assists), an opponent the Trojans hung with into the late second half before falling 79-67 on Friday.

Illinois on SI Prediction

Little Rock is led by two big guards in Mwani Wilkinson (6-foot-5) and Johnathan Lawson (6-foot-7) who can cause a lot of problems for Illinois ball-handlers – if they let them. Wilkinson (2.5 steals per game), Lawson (1.5) and third guard Isaiah Lewis (1.7) will hound the ball, but Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis and the rest of the Illini have already shown they have the composure to pick apart opponents when they avoid letting the ball stick and stay aggressive without hurrying. In any case, the Trojans have a Herculean task ahead of them in overcoming Illinois' size and immense rebounding advantage.

Illinois 90, Little Rock 61

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

3 Key Numbers From Illinois Basketball's Win vs. Maryland Eastern Shore

Instant Analysis: Illinois Basketball Dominates Maryland Eastern Shore 87-40

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