Houston vs Illinois Breakdown: 3 Ways the Cougars Can Beat the Fighting Illini

The Houston Cougars prepare to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Sweet Sixteen.

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson yells during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies in a second round game. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Houston Cougars cruised their way into their seventh straight Sweet Sixteen appearance, getting to come back home and play at the Toyota Center as they try to get back to the national title game for the second year in a row.

As expected, the Cougars made quick work of their first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, winning both games by 31 points, rolling past the Idaho Vandals 78-47 and booking their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen after beating the Texas A&M Aggies 88-57 in the Second Round.

The Cougars now get ready for what will likely be their first true test in this NCAA Tournament, taking on the No. 3-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini. Illinois heads into the matchup with a 26-8 overall record and a second-place finish in the Big Ten. With the Cougars looking to advance once more into the Elite Eight, here are three things they'll have to focus on to secure the win.

Contain a High-Powered Illinois Offense

VCU Rams guard Brandon Jennings defends against Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Illinois' season has been charged with a high-level offense not only at the conference level but also at a national scale. In the Big Ten, the Fighting Illini have the second-best scoring offense, just behind a No. 1 seed in the Michigan Wolverines, and feature a top 20 offensive unit in the country.

The Fighting Illini head into the Sweet Sixteen averaging 847 points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field as a team, along with shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc and 78.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Slow Down Keaton Wagler

VCU Rams guard Brandon Jennings defends Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Leading the explosive Illinois offense is not just one of the top freshmen in the country, but one of the top players in the nation in the form of freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who earned Second Team All-American honors for his performances.

Wagler is the Fighting Illini's leading scorer, averaging 17.8 points per game, while being efficient in his shot selection, shooting 45 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three-point range, while also being solid from the free-throw line, shooting 79.9 percent.

Not only is the freshman Illinois' top scoring option, but he can also impact the game outside of scoring the basketball, as he is also the top playmaker, leading the team with 4.4 assists per game while also averaging 4.9 rebounds and about a steal per game.

Win the Battle in the Paint

VCU Rams forward Michael Belle goes for the ball as Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic defends. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Cougars pride themselves on being one of the top rebounding teams in the country, and when they take on the Fighting Illini, Houston will be facing one of the top rebounding teams in the nation, which was also the top rebounding team in the Big Ten.

Illinois averages 41.0 rebounds per game and holds a clear advantage in the rebounding battle against its opponents, winning the rebounding battle by a margin of 10.2 rebounds.