3 Things to Watch When Illinois Basketball Hosts Northwestern

Although Illinois has had much more team success than Northwestern in recent seasons, the Wildcats have been a tricky matchup for the Illini at times. Illinois is just 4-3 against Northwestern dating back to the 2022-23 season, with two of those wins coming by single digits in Champaign.

So even though the Wildcats bring a 2-9 conference record into Wednesday's game, recent history suggests the Illini can't take them lightly. That's especially true if Illinois wants to keep pace with Michigan atop the Big Ten standings at 10-1.

Here are three things to watch ahead of Illinois' 8 p.m. CT tip-off Wednesday against Northwestern on Big Ten Network.

1. Can Illinois force Martinelli outside?

Nick Martinelli Northwestern Basketball — Penn State Nittany Lions forward Mason Blackwood (1) defends Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) at Welsh-Ryan Arena. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Northwestern's 6-foot-7 senior forward Nick Martinelli is the Big Ten's leading scorer by a wide margin at 23.7 points per game (Wisconsin's Nick Boyd is next in line at 20.0 ppg). If Illinois' defense can get Martinelli off his spots, Northwestern doesn't have enough other scoring options to keep this game competitive.

Most of Martinelli's scoring comes from inside the arc, whether it's backing down his defender or mid-range jump shots. He shoots an efficient 56.3 percent on 12.2 two-point attempts per game, which account for the majority of his 15.2 field-goal attempts per game.

Illini coach Brad Underwood spoke Sunday at Nebraska about preferring to allow low-percentage three-point attempts as opposed to high-percentage twos, and that approach aligns with how Illinois can best take on Martinelli. One way to do that is by double-teaming him when he gets the ball inside and forcing Northwestern's supporting cast to carry the load.

The other way is to deter Martinelli from even venturing into the paint with 7-foot shot-blockers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic and force three-point attempts instead. Martinelli is a good three-point shooter at 47.6 percent, but he attempts only three per game and has made more than two in a game just twice all season. Keeping him off his spots and making him uncomfortable is the quickest way to shut down the Wildcats.

2. Will Northwestern continue to limit turnovers?

Jayden Reid Northwestern Football — Northwestern Wildcats guard Jayden Reid (4) drives against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

If Northwestern has any chance to win this game, it will have to do what it does best: limit turnovers. The Wildcats commit just 8.6 turnovers per game, which ranks third in the nation. It's a team effort, too, as no single player averages more than junior guard Jayden Reid's 1.8 per game.

Illinois, on the other hand, is not a defense that turns over opponents very often. The Illini force just eight turnovers per game, which ranks 365th nationally.

Northwestern can't afford to give away possessions in this game, against one of the nation's hottest teams and most potent offenses – and its track record suggests it won't. For Illinois, being aggressive in passing lanes could be of greater emphasis in this matchup to flip the script on Northwestern's game plan.

3. A get-right game for Andrej Stojakovic?

Andrej Stojakovic Illinois Basketball — Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) shoots against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Andrej Stojakovic has been Illinois' best player at certain points this season, including as recently as Jan. 21, when he scored a game-high 30 points in a win over Maryland. But he has hit a rough patch in the heart of Big Ten play.

Over the past three games, Stojakovic, a 6-foot-7 junior wing, is averaging just 7.0 points while shooting 29.6 percent from the field and 0-for-7 from three-point range. That's a steep dropoff from his season-long averages of 13.3 points per game on 48.6 percent shooting.

Stojakovic may never become a potent 3-point shooter – he has shot just 30.6 percent from beyond the arc in three college seasons – but Illinois doesn't necessarily need him to be a long-range marksman given the rest of the roster.

Still, to build maximum resilience into the offense, the Illini need Stojakovic to find his shot again and regain some confidence as they push for a Big Ten title. A matchup against one of the Big Ten's bottom teams could be a good opportunity for him to do so.