KenPom and Bart Torvik Are Higher on One Team Ahead of Illinois vs. UConn

Illinois and UConn fans have quite the two-day stretch coming up: first, a Thanksgiving feast on Thursday, and then a top-15 clash – an event that will surely wake college basketball fans from their tryptophan-induced slumber Friday morning.

what we're pulling up to thanksgiving in pic.twitter.com/GaM0L3pXEM
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 26, 2025

We’ve already shared (some of) our opinions and thoughts on this Black Friday clash set in Madison Square Garden (11:30 a.m. CT, FOX), but what about the objective metrics? ESPN’s matchup predictor has made its pick, but what can we learn from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee’s favorite pair of analytical tools in KenPom and Bart Torvik? Let’s take a look:

Editor’s note: All data current as of Wednesday morning

Using the metrics to compare Illinois and UConn

Nov 10, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley talks with an official as they take on the Columbia Lions at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Illinois’ resume in KenPom at a glance

Overall: 13th
Offense: eighth
Defense: 19th

UConn’s resume in KenPom at a glance

Overall: 15th
Offense: 11th
Defense: 13th

Comparing Illinois and UConn in KenPom

Nov 24, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) drives the ball against UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros guard Always Wright (1) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Most notably, what jumps out is the Illini having a higher-rated offense than the Huskies, even just by a slight margin. It’s a prime example of the oft-overlooked fact that teams can score in different ways. UConn’s unselfish, movement-based offense is a breath of fresh air for every hoops junkie, the sort of stuff that makes you think, “That is exactly what Dr. James Naismith had in mind."

Meanwhile, Illinois’ comparitively boring, back-to-the-basket, clear-out-an-area offense – dubbed “Booty Ball” – is the pinnacle of offensive stagnancy. Yet it works. The Illini’s attack is based on creating mismatches and then isolating a player to take advantage of said mismatch. And with the gifted decision makers and scorers on Illinois' roster, it tends to work – a notion that the numbers back up.

The other eye-catching piece of information from KenPom is the pace disparity: UConn’s adjusted tempo is just No. 305, while Illinois’ is No. 100. The Illini have already seen teams on both ends of the spectrum (Alabama is No. 7 and Texas Tech is No. 242), and it’ll be interesting to see how Underwood and his unit adjusts.

Illinois in Bart Torvik

Overall: No. 6
Offense: No. 5
Defense: No. 16

UConn in Bart Torvik

Overall: No. 10
Offense: No. 11
Defense: No. 15

Comparing the two squads

Nov 23, 2025; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) shoots a free-throw against the Bryant Bulldogs in the second half at Peoples Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Bart Torvik paints both teams in a slightly better light than KenPom, but the overall theme is relatively similar, looking specifically at offense and defense. But a key takeaway that jumps off the page is the glass. Illinois’ rebounding percentage is top 15 on both offense and defense, while UConn’s offensive rebounding ranks just 124th in the country (and No. 52 on the defensive glass). Expect the rebounding battle to perhaps be the difference-maker in this contest featuring two otherwise evenly matched teams across the board.