Three In The Key: What to Look For in Illini’s First Road Test at Grand Canyon

As Illinois arrives in the state of Arizona for a two-game road trip to wrap up the opening week of the season, the Illini (1-0) will try to make it two wins in a row as they take on Grand Canyon (0-1) days after they lost to Division II Davenport.

Three nights before a visit from Illinois, GCU began the regular season by trailing for the entirety of an 83-72 loss to a Division II team. Grand Canyon head coach Dan Majerle said the loss was a "wake-up call".

Before every game of the 2019-20 season, we’ll take a look at three things you’ll want to watch for after tip.

Game 2: Illinois at Grand Canyon

Date/Time/Place: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2019: 8 p.m. CST, GCU Arena in Phoenix, Ariz.

Capacity: 7,000

Records: Illinois 1-0; 12-21, 7-13 in Big Ten Conference in 2018-19. Grand Canyon 0-1; 20-14, 10-6 in Western Athletic Conference in 2018-19.

Line: Illinois by 7

Series notes: Illinois leads all-time series 1-0. The only game the two teams have played was Dec. 30, 2017 at Champaign where Illinois won 62-58.

TV: WCIX49/ESPN3

Radio (Illinois): Scott Beatty (PBP), Deon Thomas (analyst) » The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, Sirius/XM 978 and at FightingIllini.com.

1) Can Giorgi figure out his role during this trip?

During his media conference following the overtime win over Nicholls State, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said that Giorgi Bezhanishvilli at the power forward position will "be a process" and it is clear the sophomore forward is puzzled to find his role on this team with Kofi Cockburn at the center. Underwood knows he needs to be careful with extending Cockburn, a 290-pound freshman, too much in this first month while also giving Bezhanishvilli a chance at the center spot too during games. However, Underwood knows that the offensive production of Bezhanishvilli will continue to progress but his defensive prowess may not be tested as much with GCU going 2 of 19 from three-point range in its opening game loss to Division II Davenport.

2) Can Illinois find some bench production?

Anybody who follows a Brad Underwood team will know that he doesn’t value the starting lineup as much as other high profile Power 5 Conference coaches. In the overtime win against Nicholls State, the Illini got just nine points and three assists from its bench. Alan Griffin gives the team toughness, some possible scoring punch and size at 6-foot-5 on the wing. The sophomore wing had nine points, five offensive rebounds and only had one turnover. With Grand Canyon's inability to guard the 3-point shot in its opener (Davenport made 15 of 30 three-point shots, the third-most 3-pointers made against GCU in their Division I era), Griffin may need to hit some open outside shots instead of pound the glass like he did in this win over Nicholls State.

3) Can Illinois make open shots on the road?

This should be the perfect opportunity for an offensive bounce-back game for junior guard Trent Frazier. Frazier was uncharacteristically 0 for 9 from the field and 0 for 6 from three-point range in the win over Nicholls State. Davenport had four players hit a three-point shot in its win at GCU. It's unlikely Majerle can get his new pieces for this 2019-20 season to get its perimeter defense problem fixed in three games. Underwood has spoken repeatedly about the "atmosphere" of Grand Canyon's home arena but it'll be imperative for the Illini shooters (Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu, Andres Feliz and Da'Monte Williams) to get some confidence before they enter the McHale Center in Tucson to play a ranked opponent.

Prediction: As frustrating as Illinois looked in its overtime win over Nicholls State, Grand Canyon looked miserable against a Division II opponent. Illinois will need to take care of the basketball better (23 turnovers) but Grand Canyon's obvious defensive issues that might not be solved before the Illini arrived for what is supposed to be a raucous Friday night crowd. Underwood will be happy if the Illini can cruise to a win.

Illinois 74, Grand Canyon 64

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