Three Key Questions Ahead of Illinois-Iowa Big Ten Clash

Illinois’ four-game win streak will be put to the test on Sunday against No. 19 Iowa (11 a.m. CT, FOX). The Hawkeyes (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten), surely extra-motivated following their unexpected road loss at Minnesota, have yet to lose a contest under Ben McCollum on their home floor, where they have gone 9-0 to start the season.

Here are three big questions heading into the Big Ten clash:

Illinois-Iowa may be determined by the answers to these three questions

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood motions to his team during the first half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus on Dec. 9, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How will Illinois slow Bennett Stirtz?

In four Big Ten games thus far, the 16th-ranked Illini (12-3, 3-1) have allowed two 30-plus point individual showings. Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort hung 32 on Illinois, and Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton went for 34.

News flash: Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz is an even bigger problem than Sandfort or Thornton. Although Stirtz may not have the microwave ability of either of those players, he’s a more dynamic scorer (18.0 points per game) and also dishes out 5.0 assists per game.

Kylan Boswell has struggled immensely against guards with size (Stirtz is 6-foot-4), meaning Brad Underwood may – and should – immediately check him with wing Andrej Stojakovic. Stirtz has a lightning-quick release and can let it fly off the dribble or the catch (2.3 threes on 40.7 percent shooting), and he’s likely the best overall playmaker in the Big Ten not named Braden Smith.

Stirtz has a midrange game, a deep arsenal of floaters, tremendous touch around the rim and is quite adept at drawing whistles. There isn’t much he can’t do on the hardwood. He’s the sole driving force of the Hawkeyes' offense and, in turn, he’ll be the priority – perhaps the only one – on the scouting report.

Who will steal the show for the Illini on offense?

Dec 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) with the ball during the second half against the Southern University Jaguars at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Six separate players have led Illinois in scoring over the team’s 15 outings thus far. Somewhat oddly the Illini’s leading scorer – Keaton Wagler – has paced the club in only four games this season.

As Underwood enjoys pointing out, the Illini are so special – and so tough to guard – thanks to a lineup that boasts a collection of players who can go off on any given night. If it’s not Tomislav Ivisic's night – and it notably wasn’t against Penn State (zero points), for instance – then it’s probably David Mirkovic's turn, and vice versa.

It would be a welcome sight for Ivisic, who did take a step in the right direction with a 14-point showing against Rutgers on Thursday, to be the player who steps up for Illinois on Sunday. Both he and his squad would benefit greatly from any consistent positive momentum out of the highly skilled big man.

Can Illinois sustain its consistency on defense?

Both the Sandfort and Thornton offensive explosions – and defensive nightmares for Illinois – came before the Illini seemingly put it all together defensively. Ever since that Nebraska loss, they have been an entirely different unit on that end.

Connected, communicating and playing with an all-out intensity, Illinois is firing on all cylinders defensively. Then again, the Illini haven’t exactly faced a true challenge since that Nebraska game. Missouri is quite talented on offense, but the roster makeup of that club (the Tigers lack shooters) was a dream matchup for Illinois.

Not today.

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— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 9, 2026

Iowa, which features shooters upon shooters and a star in every sense of the word in Stirtz, will undoubtedly be a foe that forces the Illini defense to bring its A-game.