Illinois vs. Iowa: Five Things to Watch in Big Ten Tournament

The Illini should handle the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten tournament – but will they?

Feb 25, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) drives the ball against Iowa Hawkeyes guard Carter Kingsbury (14) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS – A "Starting Five" before Illinois' men's basketball team, seeded seventh, takes on 15th-seeded Iowa at 5:30 p.m. CT on Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten tournament at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse:

1. Aim high: The lower seeds went 3-0 Wednesday, with 13 seed Northwestern beating 12 seed Minnesota, Iowa beating 10 seed Ohio State and 14 seed USC beating 11 seed Rutgers.

There's also a long tradition in college basketball to think about of underdogs who played the day before getting out fast against favorites who didn't.

The Illini (20-11) have to start fast – or fast enough – against the Hawkeyes (17-5). As long as they do that, things should be A-OK because this is, on paper, a mismatch.

2. Hawk talk: Iowa is 11-2 when shooting 50 percent or better. Its bench outscored Ohio State's 27-3 in a 77-70 win. Payton Sandfort moved into second place on the school's all-time list of three-pointers made (263). If the Illini play good defense, bring some thunder off the bench and guard Sandfort like nobody's business, they'll bust up all that nonsense.

That's a good dub. 😌
@B1GMBBall x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/mPVoTGMtLT

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) March 13, 2025

3. Rivalry? What rivalry? Illinois has a three-game winning streak against Iowa – including an 81-61 cakewalk in Champaign this season – and has taken eight of the past nine head-to-head. Does that mean Brad Underwood owns Fran McCaffery? You do the math.

4. Fran's take: "That's an incredibly talented team," he said of the Illini. … "It's really one of the more talented teams throughout the course of the year. They've been one of the most impressive teams that I've watched. I know they had a little bout with the flu bug, and they took a step back, but they just kept coming. We'll have [our guys] ready."

Could Illinois Basketball's Morez Johnson Jr. Still Return This Season? https://t.co/StR2PdfWTe

— Jason Langendorf (@JasonLangendorf) March 8, 2025

5. Morez Johnson Jr.: He's back. The Illini are complete.

"I think we all have to understand he hasn't played in a month," Underwood said. "He's a freshman. There's some lmitations. We're not just throwing him back into the starting lineup. So we'll see how he progresses."

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

A Look Back on Illinois Basketball's 2024 Big Ten Tournament Title

Why Illinois Basketball's Impressive NET Ranking Is So Important

How to Watch Big Ten Tournament: Illinois Basketball vs. Iowa