Three Things to Watch When Illinois Basketball Faces Maryland

The Illini need to manage the glass and get their big man going in their regular-season closer Sunday against the struggling Terrapins

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood against the Oregon Ducks at State Farm Center. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

It has been a rough season for Maryland in coach Buzz Williams' debut, as the Terrapins fell to 11-19 overall and 4-15 in Big Ten play after Wednesday's 78-45 loss at Wisconsin.

That gives Illinois an opportunity to wrap up the regular season on a positive note when it travels to College Park for Sunday's 2 p.m. CT tip-off. The Illini bounced back from losses to UCLA and Michigan with a dominant win over Oregon on Tuesday, and they can win 15 Big Ten games for the first time since 2021-22 with a win on Sunday.

Here are three more things to watch for when Illinois faces Maryland:

1. Maryland on the offensive glass

Maryland Terrapins forward Solomon Washington (9) against the Washington Huskies at Xfinity Center. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Maryland's best statistical category as a team is offensive rebounding. The Terrapins grab 12.2 per game, which ranks 66th nationally and third among Big Ten teams.

The biggest threat here is Solomon Washington, who leads Maryland with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game and 9.3 total rebounds per game. He has shouldered the rebounding load since Dec. 13, when 6-foot-9 forward Pharrel Payne was sidelined by a leg injury.

Illinois should be equipped to handle Maryland's rebounding ability, as the Illini rank top 20 in offensive, defensive and total rebounding. But it's still worth noting after Illinois lost the rebounding battle in recent defeats against Michigan and Michigan State, and allowed 13 offensive rebounds in a loss to Wisconsin.

2. Get-right game for Tomislav Ivisic?

Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) drives against Northwestern at the State Farm Center. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Due to Payne's injury, Maryland is a bit shorthanded and undersized in the frontcourt. Alongside Washington and 6-foot-7 forward Elijah Saunders, 6-foot-9 center Collin Metcalf has been thrust into a starting role despite barely playing at the start of the season. Aleks Alston, a 6-foot-10 freshman, has been in and out of the rotation and hasn't made much of an impact in his minutes.

That could spark a dominant day for Illinois' frontcourt, which features a pair of 7-footers and height advantages at other positions. If there's one player in particular who could use a big game before postseason play begins, it's Tomislav Ivisic.

Ivisic has been quiet of late. He scored just two points in the win over Oregon, and finished with seven while getting outplayed by Michigan's frontcourt in a 14-point home loss. His pick-and-pop ability has been valuable this season, but he's shooting just 19.2 percent from three-point range over the past five games.

3. Will Illinois secure the triple bye?

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) shoots against the Oregon Ducks at State Farm Center. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

With a win over Maryland, Illinois is guaranteed a triple bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Whether the Illini are the No. 3 or No. 4 seed depends on Nebraska's result Sunday at home against Iowa, though they can't catch Michigan or Michigan State for one of the top two seeds.

With a loss at Maryland, Illinois could still drop to the No. 5 seed, but it would take some chaos. That would also require Nebraska losing to Iowa and Wisconsin winning at Purdue, a rather unlikely sequence of events.

Beyond earning a triple bye in the Big Ten Tournament, it's perhaps more important that Illinois takes care of business Saturday at Maryland because of the game's NCAA Tournament seeding implications. The Illini are projected as a No. 2 seed in Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology, and their No. 5 NET ranking is a strong data point that could help keep them there.

But falling at Maryland would be Illinois' first Quad 3 loss of the season and a notable blemish on the resume. It would also be the Illini's third loss in their past four games, and fifth in eight – a downward trend that could bump them down a seed line if others around them finish strong.