Staff Picks: Who Wins Illinois Basketball vs. Tennessee?

The No. 14 Illini (6-2) head south to Nashville to take on the No. 13 Volunteers (7-2) in a neutral-site battle that each team needs in its own way

Dec 14, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichous (3) dunks the ball during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

No. 14 Illinois (6-2) gets one more crack at a top non-conference opponent before the opening of the Big Ten season, and it comes against No. 13 Tennessee (7-2) on Saturday in Nashville (7 p.m. CT, ESPN) in a rematch of last season's barnburner in Champaign.

The Illini lost that one on a full-court sprint for a last-second layup by Jordan Gainey, and this time around, playing at Bridgestone Arena on the Nash Vegas strip, they won't even have the full backing of Illini Nation behind them. But after the sputtering Volunteers have lost back-to-back games to unranked opponents, is Illinois coming around at just the right time to extract some payback?

We asked out crack Illinois on SI staff to weigh in, and here's how we picked 'em:

Jason Langendorf

Illinois isn't done finding itself. The offense – if that's what you can call it – is crying out for structure. The defense suffers from poor communication. The Illini have the talent to often skirt past those issues, but now even their one constant – a rebounding edge – is faltering. But a few of last year's guys are still salty about the Vols' escape act in Champaign last season, and this team is past due to shoot better than 35.5 percent on threes in a game (which it hasn't done since the opener). This could be the moment the pieces start falling into place.

Prediction: Illinois 72, Tennessee 71

Resetting to our game. pic.twitter.com/H7no4Cz61y

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) December 5, 2025

Steve Greenberg

Am I the only one looking at Vols new toy Ja’Kobi Gillespie and thinking back to the playmaking guard’s tremendous performances against the Illini last season as a Maryland Terrapin? Holy Big Ten tournament flashbacks, man.

Prediction: Tennessee 77, Illinois 76

ace in the hole pic.twitter.com/Mh96JRJbVK

— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) November 26, 2025

Jackson Langendorf

Defensively, we know Tennessee is going to be tough. The Vols fight, play with discipline and have gifted defenders up and down the roster. Offense remains a question mark, though. Can freshman forward Nate Ament get back on track? What about guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who has shot a combined 15-for-47 (31.9 percent) over his past three outings? Buckets will be tough to come by for both teams, but given the offensive talent disparity, the Illini should have enough to push past the Volunteers.

Prediction: Illinois 72, Tennessee 66

Let's fly. pic.twitter.com/D3Yp00kHpJ

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 28, 2025

Pranav Hegde

Tennessee is always going to bring toughness under Rick Barnes, and you can bet a good team coming off back-to-back losses will show up with an edge. Still, after watching the Vols against Syracuse, it was hard to walk away feeling overly impressed. They’re gritty, but they haven’t quite found their rhythm yet.

Illinois, meanwhile, gets a massive advantage with eight full days between games – time to reset, clean up the offense and prepare for a physical battle. Winning in enemy territory is never easy, but the Illini’s fresher legs and improved execution should be enough to squeak out a close one.