FINAL: No. 4 Illinois 73, No. 7 Ohio State 68 - Illini Outscore Buckeyes 9-0 over Final 2:13
Good afternoon from the home office of Illini Now/Sports Illustrated as No. 4 Illinois (19-6, 15-4 in Big Ten Conference) travels to No. 7 Ohio State (18-7, 12-7) for the regular season finale.
We're about a 30-minute from the opening tip of the first road trip for Illini Now/Sports Illustrated and we just learned that the Illinois basketball program has confirmed that Illini star guard Ayo Dosunmu (broken nose, concussion) will be active today against the Buckeyes.
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Game 26: No. 4 Illinois at No. 7 Ohio State
Date/Time/Place: Tuesday, March 6, 2021: 3 p.m. CST, Value City Columbus, Ohio
Capacity: N/A (NO FANS!)
Records: Illinois 19-6, 15-4 in Big Ten Conference; 21–10, 13–7 in Big Ten Conference in 2019-20 season. Ohio State 18-7, 12-7 in Big Ten Conference; 21-10 (11-9 in Big Ten Conference) in 2019-20 season.
Line: Ohio State by 1.5
Series notes: Ohio State leads the all-time series 49-42 in Columbus. The Illini own the all-time series lead, 103-75. Ohio State is 12-3 in games played at Value City Arena. Chris Holtmann’s teams are 4-2 vs. Illinois.
TV: ESPN; Bob Wischusen (Play-by-Play), Dick Vitale (Analyst)
Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Doug Altenberger (analyst).
Projected Starters:
Illinois
Ayo Dosunmu - G
Trent Frazier - G
Adam Miller - G
Jacob Grandison - F
Kofi Cockburn - C
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Ohio State
Duane Washington - G
CJ Walker - G
Justice Sueing - F
EJ Liddell - F
Kyle Young - F
PRE-GAME NOTES
- Winners in 10 of its last 11, No. 4 Illinois wraps up the regular season Saturday at No. 7 Ohio State (3 p.m. CT, ESPN).
- Illinois finishes Big Ten play with five out of six away from home. Illinois’ last three games are all on the road against teams ranked in the top 11 in kenpom, with its remaining contest at Ohio State (7) after victories at Wisconsin (11) and at Michigan (2).
- Following the win at No. 2 Michigan, Illinois heads to No. 7 Ohio State seeking wins over top-10 teams in back-to-back games for the first time since the 2005 NCAA Tournament, when the No. 1-ranked Illini defeated No. 9 Arizona in the Elite Eight and No. 4 Louisville in the Final Four.
- Illinois is also aiming for its 20th victory, which would achieve the 34th 20-win season in school history and first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since 2013 (23) and 2014 (20).
- Illinois has 15 Big Ten wins, tying its most ever in a season. The school record of 15 league victories was set in 1984 (15-3, co-champions) and equaled in 2005 (15-1, champions).
- Illinois is fourth in the current NET rankings. The Illini were No. 5 overall (No. 2 seed) in the NCAA tournament committee’s initial ranking of the top 16 teams (released Feb. 13), and are challenging for a No. 1 seed.
- Illinois leads the nation with eight Quad 1 wins. The Illini own a combined 13 victories in Quads 1 and 2, meanwhile, tied for second nationally behind Alabama (14).
- Illinois is one of four teams ranked in the top 10 in both offensive (9th) and defensive (7th) efficiency by kenpom.com, joined by Gonzaga, Michigan and Houston.
- Leading the Illini is Ayo Dosunmu. Owning numbers of 21.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, Dosunmu is not only solidifying his candidacy for First-Team All-America status, but contending for National Player of the Year as well. A Naismith Trophy semifinalist and Cousy Award Finalist, Dosunmu is the only player in the NCAA over the last 11 seasons to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, all while leading Illinois back among the nation’s elite.
- Dosunmu is on pace to become just the second Big Ten player since 1993 to average 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, joining Ohio State’s Evan Turner, the National Player of the Year in 2009-10. Dosunmu recorded two triple doubles last month (vs. Wisconsin and at Minnesota) to join Michigan State’s Magic Johnson as the only two players in Big Ten history with multiple triple doubles in league play.
- Dosunmu is the Big Ten’s second-leading scorer while also leading the conference in assists.
- Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn are on the 2021 National Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Saturday on ESPN College GameDay. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the National Ballot consists of 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All American Team and Wooden Award Trophy as the most outstanding college basketball player in the United States. Illinois is one of three programs with multiple players on the National Ballot, along with Gonzaga and Villanova. The Big Ten, meanwhile, leads all conferences with six selections.
- Ohio State is 5-3 vs. teams ranked in the AP Top 25 with five of the last seven games on the road. The Buckeyes are led by E.J. Liddell’s 18.3 ppg. vs. ranked foes. Duane Washington Jr. contributes 16.6. ppg.
- Ohio State is 11-9 all time in games when the Buckeyes and their opponent are both ranked in the Top 5 nationally in the weekly Associated Press Poll.
MEDIA TIMEOUT (13:50 left in 1st): No. 7 Ohio State 15, No. 4 Illinois 10 - Duane Washington Jr. has seven early points and Dosunmu has yet to have a shot attempt in his first six minutes of action back from the injury.
MEDIA TIMEOUT (11:58 left in 1st): No. 4 Illinois 19, No. 7 Ohio State 17 - Illinois has 16 of its 19 points inside the paint (Cockburn with 8) and with Frazier in foul trouble, Curbelo already has three points, three assists and only one turnover. Ohio State has seven second chance points.
MEDIA TIMEOUT (11:58 left in 1st): No. 4 Illinois 29, No. 7 Ohio State 22 - Welcome back Ayo Dosunmu...Illini star is 4 of 4 in first game back from injury. Illini are 8 of 11 on layups/dunks and Jacob Grandison has six points in 12 minutes. EJ Liddell is 0 for 4 so far.
MEDIA TIMEOUT (3:57 left in 1st): No. 4 Illinois 36, No. 7 Ohio State 29 - Andre Curbelo w/ 9 pts, 4 ast., 3 rebs., and only one turnover today. 26 of the Illini's 36 points have been in the paint. Ohio State has only four layup/dunk attempts.
HALFTIME: No. 4 Illinois 41, No. 7 Ohio State 37 - Dosunmu with 11 points and a perfect 5 of 5 from the field. Ayo, Curbelo and Cockburn all in double figures. Ohio State has nine second-chance points. Liddell with five late points after struggling early.
MEDIA TIMEOUT (13:50 left): No. 4 Illinois 45, No. 7 Ohio State 45 - Cockburn is 1 of 4 from the field in this second half with two turnovers. Ohio State is 6 of 16 from three-point range.
MEDIA TIMEOUT (11:36 left): No. 4 Illinois 50, No. 7 Ohio State 47 - Curbelo with 13 points, five assists and three rebounds (and he just took a charge for Ohio State's eight turnover). EJ Liddell missed his first five shots but since then, he's 4 of 6 with nine points.
MEDIA TIMEOUT (7:59 left): No. 4 Illinois 56, No. 7 Ohio State 54 - Curbelo leads all players with 17 points in just 20 minutes. Illini with 40 of the 56 points inside the paint. Ohio State is 7 of 15 from the field in this half but have four turnovers.
MEDIA TIMEOUT (3:46 left): No. 7 Ohio State 68, No. 4 Illinois 64 - EJ Liddell has 14 second-half points as he's been able to get whatever looks he wants off a ball screen vs. Giorgi. Illinois is 11 of 19 from the foul line.
FINAL: No. 4 Illinois 73, No. 7 Ohio State 68 - Illini Outscore Buckeyes 9-0 over final 2:13. Ayo Dosunmu records 19 points in his return from injury. Andre Curbelo with 19 points. EJ Liddell has 14 second-half points for Ohio State.
