Hoosiers Now

Indiana’s Trip To Illinois Sets Up Clash of Styles

Indiana and Illinois play different styles of basketball, setting up an interesting matchup on Saturday in Champaign, where one team may have to adjust outside its usual rotation.

Jack Ankony

Indiana’s Trip To Illinois Sets Up Clash of Styles
Indiana’s Trip To Illinois Sets Up Clash of Styles /
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — When Indiana returns from its week-long hiatus for a 3 p.m. ET Saturday game at Illinois, it’ll be a clash of styles between the Hoosiers and Illini.

Illinois’ starting lineup will likely consist of five players between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-10, and each of them can handle the ball. Nearly every player in the rotation also can shoot from beyond the arc.

For Indiana coach Mike Woodson, it’s a game where each team will try to make the other adjust outside its normal routine.

“They basically play small basketball and they force you to try to go small, as well,” Woodson said. “But we can’t do that. I’ve got a 7-footer if [Kel’el Ware] decides to play, and I’ve got Malik [Reneau]. So we’ve got to make them have to play us as well.”

Illinois returned several key pieces from last season while filling in the holes with impact transfers. Last year’s leading scorer, 6-foot-6 guard Terrence Shannon Jr., recently rejoined the team after missing six games due to a rape charge. He ranks second in the Big Ten with 21.3 points per game. It’ll be a major challenge for the Hoosiers to keep him out of the lane, but he’s also shooting close to a career-high 38.2% from 3-point range.

Coleman Hawkins, a 6-foot-10 senior, is the other returning pillar. He’s averaging a career-high 11.3 points per game on 35.1% 3-point shooting, another career-high mark. Hawkins has developed into a true playmaking big during his four-year career, and he has decreased his turnovers and increased his steals from last season. After a slow start this season, he has scored double figures in nine of the last 10 games. Despite his size, he lingers around the perimeter more often than he posts up on the block.

Illinois’ most impactful losses from last season include wing Matthew Mayer (12.5 ppg, 33.0 3-point FG%), guard Jayden Epps (9.5 ppg) and wing RJ Melendez (6.0 ppg). Guard Sencire Harris also decided to redshirt this year despite playing 14.5 minutes per game with seven starts last season.

In his efforts to replace them, coach Brad Underwood did as well as any Big Ten team recruiting the transfer portal. Southern Illinois transfer Marcus Domask, a 6-foot-6 wing, is averaging 14.7 ppg but shooting just 21.6% from beyond the arc. He scored 33 points in Illinois’ win over Florida Atlantic at Madison Square Garden, then 32 in a win at Northwestern, not to mention 26-point efforts at Purdue and against Maryland.

Oregon transfer Quincy Guerrier is an inside-out scoring threat at 6-foot-7, averaging 11.6 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 31.1% from three. Utah Valley guard transfer Justin Harmon has been the ideal sixth man for the Illini, contributing 7.1 ppg and shooting 40.9% from 3-point range.

These additions, along with the return of 6-foot-6 guard Ty Rodgers and 6-foot-7 guard Luke Goode create an Illinois team that can play positionless basketball, switch nearly everything on defense and space the floor offensively. Illinois also brings 6-foot-9 Dain Dainja off the bench, a traditional post-up big, but his minutes have been cut in half to just 10.4 per game this season.

While a 33.7% team 3-point shooting percentage is middle of the pack at 173rd in the nation, Illinois has six players that attempt at least 2.4 3-pointers a game. For comparison's sake, Indiana has just two such players, though the Hoosiers shoot a slightly more efficient 34.1% from three on lower volume, about nine fewer attempts per game.

“They are playing well, though, as a ball club,” Woodson said. “We’ve had some success, we won there last season. It was a hell of a game on our part where we were consistent all the way through for 40 minutes, but this is a different team. My team is different, so we have to put a 40-minute ball game together if we’re going to come out of there with a win because they are playing well.”

Illinois’ style of play presents a dilemma for the Hoosiers, who start three players at 6-foot-8 or taller. Freshman Mackenzie Mgbako has taken major strides on the offensive end recently, but his perimeter defense is still a weakness. Outside of pick-and-roll situations, Malik Reneau and Kel’el Ware don’t defend on the perimeter too often, but Illinois’ versatile forwards will challenge them to do so.

Woodson hasn’t strayed away from this three-big starting lineup – and he shouldn’t automatically or immediately do so against Illinois – but this game could be an opportunity for him to play the three-guard lineup with a combination of Xavier Johnson, Trey Galloway, Gabe Cupps and CJ Gunn more frequently than most games.

The matchup dilemma Indiana faces could also be flipped the other way. On paper, Illinois will be at a height disadvantage against Mgbako, Reneau and Ware. Ware missed the last game, but Woodson is hopeful he can play Saturday.

Hawkins is a solid rim protector at 1.2 blocks per game, but interior defense is not a strong suit for Guerrier, Domask, Rodgers, Goode and Shannon. Despite their size, they play more like guards than forwards and could have a tough time defending Reneau and Ware down low. This could force Underwood to play Dainja increased minutes, and there’s a reason his playing time has fallen off a cliff in his second year with the Illini.

It’ll be interesting to see how Woodson and Underwood adapt to each other’s contrasting styles on Saturday, a crucial matchup for the Hoosiers. Indiana has lost three of its last four games and is ranked No. 100 in the NET with an 0-6 record against Quad 1 opponents as February nears.

After a 91-79 loss at Wisconsin on Friday, the Hoosiers will have had over a week to figure things out.

“It gives us an opportunity to soul search a little bit and work,” Woodson said.

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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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