3 Big Questions for Illinois Basketball vs. Purdue

The Illini must snuff the Boilermakers' perimeter shooting and control the offensive glass to break Purdue's streak

Feb 15, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) passes the ball away from Michigan State Spartans forward Xavier Booker (34) during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Riding a two-game winning streak and seemingly healthy (save for Morez Johnson Jr.) for the first time in nearly two months, Illinois (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) is set to welcome No. 18 Purdue (21-9, 13-6 Big Ten) to Champaign for a Friday night showdown to close out the regular season.

After dropping four straight games, the Boilermakers turned the page, having strung together a pair of wins themselves. But they also carry another streak into Friday’s matchup: a five-game winning streak over the Illini.

As Illinois seeks to end that losing skid to Purdue and continue building momentum toward the Big Ten Tournament, here are three key questions that should determine whether the Illini pull it off:

Can the Illini shut down another three-point attack?

After allowing seven straight opponents to shoot 37.5 percent or better from deep, Illinois finally locked down defensively last week, stifling Iowa's long-distance attack (33.3 percent on threes) before entirely snuffing Michigan’s (22.2 percent).

Now the Illini are set to welcome a Purdue squad that is shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc on the season. The key to limiting the Boilermakers' potency from the perimeter will be preventing Braden Smith from breaking down the defense – a task that figures to rest on the shoulders of Illinois’ go-to defensive stopper: Kylan Boswell.

Can Illinois live on the offensive glass?

After losing Morez Johnson Jr. to a broken wrist, the Illini were initially unrecognizable on the glass, dropping the battle of the boards in three straight games after leading the NCAA in rebounding margin for much of the season. All that changed Sunday, as Illinois returned to form, dominating Michigan on the glass 43-32 and grabbing 19 offensive boards en route to 30 second-chance points.

Facing a Purdue squad that is undersized across all five positions and has given up double-digit offensive rebounds to its last two opponents, the Illini appear poised for an all-you-can-eat buffet of offensive boards – and they'll need every morsel to earn the win.

The clean up crew came to Ann Arbor.

We secured 43 boards en route to knocking off No. 15 Michigan. pic.twitter.com/wNtLKAOBhY

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 2, 2025

Can Illinois continue to limit its turnovers?

The Illini have kept their turnovers in the single digits for three straight games – their longest such streak of the season. Matched against a Purdue team that turns opponents over at a healthy rate (12.2 turnovers forced per game), Illinois needs to continue to make ball security a point of emphasis to prevent the Boilermakers from scoring easy buckets in transition.

Not for nothing, but since his seven-turnover showing at Wisconsin on Feb. 18, lead guard Kasparas Jakucionis has turned the ball over a total of five times in three games. He seems to have found a balance between production and efficiency that more consistently benefits the Illini.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

ESPN's Joe Lunardi Lifts Illinois Basketball in Latest Bracketology Seeding

Illinois Basketball Breaks Series Road Record in Win Over Michigan

How to Watch: Illinois Basketball vs. Purdue (Game 31)