Should Illinois Fear Facing OVC Player Of The Year Riley Minix In NCAA Tournament?
The Illinois Fighting Illini open up the NCAA Tournament Thursday with their hands full against Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Riley Minix and Morehead State.
The Illini earned a No. 3 seed after winning the Big Ten championship on Sunday against Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Morehead St. Eagles secured their nod with a 69-55 win against top-seeded Little Rock in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship. Minix recorded 26 points and seven rebounds on 62.5 percent shooting in 40 minutes of action. The 6-foot-7 star was named the MVP of the tournament while leading the Eagles to a program-record 26 wins.
The senior forward transferred to Morehead St. from Southeastern University. It's safe to say Minix made the right decision. He averaged 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals on 54.6 percent shooting in 34 games with the Eagles.
The Illini are led by All-American guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who averaged 34 points in the Big Ten tournament. At 6-foot-6, Shannon could at least match up in terms of size with Minix.
Illinois holds the experience advantage on Morehead St., as this is the Illini's fourth consecutive appearance. Meanwhile, the Eagles are appearing for the first time since 2021.
Minix is a near guarantee to score more than 20 points but lacks the explosiveness to record a game-changing total. His season with the Eagles was 34 points against Southeast Missouri State in late December.
Anthony Pasciolla is a contributor of Illini Now. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com