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 Indiana is having success thanks to its offense, which is No. 1 in
the Big Ten in scoring (85 points per game), field-goal percentage
(.520) and 3-point percentage (.436). The Hoosiers haven't missed a
beat since guard James Blackmon (15.8) went down for the season with
a knee injury a couple weeks ago, with Yogi Ferrell leading the way
with averages of 17.1 points and 5.8 assists. When it comes to
scoring, the Illini feature two of the best in the Big Ten in guards
Kendrick Nunn (18.5) and Malcolm Hill (18.1). But injuries have
forced coach John Groce to play three freshmen in the starting
lineup, which has led to the inconsistency that has plagued
Illinois' season thus far.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT ILLINOIS (9-9, 1-4 Big Ten): Consistency in play and effort
has been something the Illini have struggled without throughout the
season, with a number of ups and downs. Illinois snapped a
three-game losing streak with an easy win over nationally-ranked
Purdue, only to follow that up with a home loss to Nebraska on
Saturday, making Groce and the rest of the team wonder which one
will show up against Indiana. "The Purdue game, we played real
tough. You could see the edge," Illinois guard Khalid Lewis told
reporters. "Against Nebraska, I'm pretty sure you didn't see that
edge. We need to have more consistency every time we step out on the
court."
ABOUT INDIANA (15-3, 5-0): Sometime in the game against Illinois,
Ferrell will become the all-time assists leader at Indiana, passing
Michael Lewis, who he is only one behind entering the contest. For
Ferrell, its not quite what he's known for, with his scoring usually
making the headlines, but it shows the leadership on the court he
has brought to the Hoosiers for the past four seasons, even if he'd
rather be remembered for victories. "I definitely want milestones,
but the main thing that I want is to win," Ferrell told reporters.
"No matter what I do on the floor, no matter how I impact the game,
I just want to win at the end of the day."
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TIP-INS
1. Illinois has averaged 9.3 3-pointers over the last 12 games,
compared to just 6.5 3-pointers in the team's first six contests.
2. Indiana leads the Big Ten in both steals per game (7.7) and
turnovers forced per game (14.7).
3. Hoosiers G Robert Johnson is third in the Big Ten in 3-point
percentage (.483) and the team is 12-0 when he starts this season.
PREDICTION: Indiana 85, Illinois 74
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