3 Big Questions for Illinois Basketball vs. Iowa

Can the Illini find a shred of consistency from three-point range and get back on track defensively?

Feb 22, 2025; New York, NY, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) drives past Duke Blue Devils forward Mason Gillis (18) in the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

After making the wrong kind of history on Saturday in a 110-67 loss to No. 3 Duke – which stands as the worst loss in program history – the Illini (17-11, 9-8 Big Ten) return to Champaign for a matchup with Iowa (15-12, 6-10 Big Ten) on Tuesday (8 p.m. CT, on FS1).

The Hawkeyes represent Illinois' last unranked opponent of the regular season, and after dropping eight of its past 13 games, the Illini appear to have entered must-win territory if the NCAA Tournament is to remain in their future.

Here are three key questions that can help determine their ability to do just that:

Is tonight the night Illinois finds its rhythm from three-point range?

If the Illini can’t knock down some triples against a Hawkeyes squad that allows opponents to shoot 34.9 percent from three, it may be fair to say that all hope is lost. But as we’ve circled back to all season, despite Illinois’ poor shooting percentages across the board, the roster is full of players who have proven themselves to be, at one stage or another, highly capable perimeter shooters. The Illini need a marquee showing from beyond the arc to build some confidence before closing out with two top-25 matchups, against No. 15 Michigan and No. 20 Purdue.

Jake Davis starts things off with an easy triple for @IlliniMBB 😌#B1GMBBall on FS1 📺 pic.twitter.com/u19RE4Srxm

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 19, 2025

Can the Illini slow down Iowa's high-scoring offense?

The Hawkeyes' all-season struggles on the defensive end have left them in the bottom half of the conference standings. However, on the other side of the court, Iowa has been excellent – led by a dynamic three-point attack (37.9 percent) and superb ball movement (18.5 assists per game).

Meanwhile, Illinois’ once-stifling defense has turned into a punching bag, as the Illini have given up 205 total points in their past two outings. It seems Illinois is inevitably in line for yet another poor defensive team showing, but if the Illini can get back to basics and return to what made them so successful early in the season – lockdown guard Kylan Boswell suffocating opposing marquee scorers, center Tomislav Ivisic cleaning up mistakes in the paint – the home team should be able to shut down the visiting Hawkeyes.

Will Illinois feast on the glass?

Yes, after leading the nation in rebounding margin for over two months, the Illini have been dominated on the boards in back-to-back contests, in large part due to the absence of freshman big man Morez Johnson Jr. (broken wrist).

Nonetheless, Iowa is last in rebounds per game during Big Ten play (29.3), despite playing at one of the highest paces in the league. And without their own big man (Owen Freeman), the Hawkeyes are missing 6.7 rebounds per game and have slipped only further on the glass. Even though Johnson won’t be suiting up, the Illini have the size and athleticism to batter the Hawkeyes on the boards by a double-digit margin.

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