How to Watch: Illinois Basketball at Northwestern (Game 8)

In their Big Ten opener, the No. 19 Illini travel upstate to Evanston to take on a dangerous Northwestern squad

Nov 28, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichous (3) boxes out Arkansas Razorbacks guard Boogie Fland (2) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

How to Watch

No. 19 Illinois (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Northwestern (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten)

Day and time: Friday (Dec. 6) at 8 p.m. CT
Venue: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Illinois
TV: Big Ten Network
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: Illinois (-3.5*)
Over/under: 142.5*
Illinois vs. Northwester all time: Illinois leads the series 143-45
Streak: Northwestern has won one in a row against Illinois
Last meeting: Northwestern 96, Illinois 91 (Jan. 24, 2024 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston)

*Figures as of Thursday night

Probable Illinois starters:

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

1️⃣9️⃣#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/AUGXRrGWyZ

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) December 2, 2024

Smart-Fan Stuff

Key stat: 20

With guard Brooks Barnhizer (20.2) and forward Nick Martinelli (20.1), Northwestern is the only team in NCAA Division I with two 20-points-per-game scorers. OK, we're fudging a bit: Barnhizer has played only five games – below the minimum to qualify for the leaderboard – after missing the first four games with a foot injury. But the technicality won't matter to Wildcats opponents. Both Barnhizer (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and Martinelli (6-foot-7, 220 pounds) are physical, crafty, mid-range wizards who terrorize mismatches in isolation, and Illinois has only one Kylan Boswell to assign to shutdown duty. Friday may be a day when the Illini wish they could have back Ty Rodgers' redshirt year.

Quick tips:

• Northwestern has, in different times, been what many opponents considered to be an automatic Big Ten win. But these are not your father's Wildcats. NU has won 22 games and reached the second round of the tournament under coach Chris Collins each of the past two years, and it has split with Illinois over the past four games. The Cats have lost their three games to solid teams (Dayton, Butler and Iowa) by a total of eight points – including a one-point nail-biter in Iowa City in their conference opener.
• Illinois' field-goal percentage defense (36.2) ranks No. 8 in Division I basketball, while Northwestern is shooting a middling 44.9 percent from the field (No. 189). The Illini guards are long and aggressive, and big men Morez Johnson Jr. and Tomislav Ivisic are among the best shot-blocking combos in college basketball.
• With size at every position and no shortage of players who have a nose for the ball and a willingness to mix it up, the Illini have the largest rebounding margin in Division I (plus-15.3).

Illinois on SI Prediction

The No. 19 Illini are feeling themselves after a commendable neutral-site win over Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day, and their size, shooting and rugged commitment to getting stops on the defensive end are a nightmarish mix for the Wildcats. At the same time, Welsh-Ryan Arena hasn't been kind to Illinois lately (two consecutive losses), and the Illini have already had one weak performance against a funky, disruptive defense (see: Oakland). The Wildcats' D, though different in form from that of the Golden Bears, qualifies as gnarly. Still, expect the Illini to be physical with Barnhizer and Martinelli to keep them out of the paint, force NU to make shots from the perimeter and leave no extra possession off the glass unclaimed as they post their first Big Ten win of the 2024-25 season.

Illinois 81, Northwestern 73

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Basketball Climbing Fast in AP Top 25 After Dominant Win vs. Arkansas

Illinois Basketball Makes Impression in NCAA's Initial NET Rankings

Former Illinois Basketball Star Marcus Domask Has Career Night in G-League