Michigan Basketball vs Illinois: Predictions, scouting report and how to watch

Michigan basketball is getting set to take on Illinois Saturday. Here is a scouting report, how to watch and predictions for the Wolverines and Fighting Illini.

With its second true road win of the season over Iowa Tuesday, Michigan basketball is riding a nice wave of momentum as it gets ready to host Illinois at Crisler Arena Saturday.

The Wolverines come into what feels like their second Big-Ten home opener, with a mark of 13-3 overall. They are also 2-1 in the Big Ten. More impressively, Michigan basketball is on six-game winning streak. UM hasn’t lost since the Ohio State game and three of its wins came over top-100 teams.

The Wolverines have risen to No. 32 in the Kenpom rankings, while their opponent for Saturday, Illinois comes in at No. 88. Here is breakdown of Illinois, followed by the game info and some predictions.

Scouting Report

The Illini are led by first-year head coach Brad Underwood and they have a record of 10-6, but are 0-3 in conference play, losing to Northwestern, Maryland and Wednesday to Minnesota.

The most impressive win Illinois has this season is over Missouri, the 42nd ranked team according to Kenpom. Yet, beyond that, there are no impressive wins on the resume for Illinois, which has lost six of its last 10 games.

The Illini do have a veteran team, with most of their starters being upperclassmen. The top player is senior forward Leron Black, who leads the team with 14.7 PPG. He also averages more than five rebounds and shoots a high percentage overall (52 percent) and from 3-point range (44 percent)

Michael Finke, a 6-10 big guy and Aaron Jordan, a junior guard are the only players that average double figures in scoring. Illinois isn’t great at scoring or at defense, ranking 76th in the NCAA in points and 123rd in points allowed.

Michigan Wolverines Basketball

Offensively, Illinois excels at scoring inside and  drawing fouls. The Illini rank 32nd in two-point buckets and 25th in free throw attempts. They are also 17th in made free throws.

Yet, the strongest part of the Illinois basketball team might be its ability to rebound. It ranks third in the country in offensive rebounds and that’s an area it will need to take advantage of against Michigan.

The Wolverines are a top-100 team in terms of defensive rebounds, but they rank 82nd on the defensive glass, which should give Illinois an advantage. However, Jon Tekse and Moe Wagner should help Michigan basketball protect the basket and hold its own in the battle of the boards.

The Wolverines are again one of the least-fouling teams in college basketball. They have just 227 fouls, while Illinois has 353. It the fouls follow that pattern Saturday, Michigan will have a decided advantage.

Staying out of foul trouble and protecting the basketball are two things Michigan basketball does extremely well, but Illinois struggles in both areas. Michigan forces almost 16 turnovers a game, which is 54th in the nation. At the same time, Illinois ranks 318th in terms of preventing turnovers. That’s another mismatch that should favor the UM.

Ultimately, both teams have some advantages, but Michigan has a big edge on defense. The Wolverines rank 11th nationally in points allowed and with their ability to force turnovers, Illinois is going to have its hands full offensively.

Game Info:

Game 16: Michigan vs Illinois

When: 12:00 PM EST

Where: Crisler Arena

TV: Big Ten Network

Streaming: BTN2GO

Radio: WWJ (950 AM) in Detroit

Prediction:

If Michigan wants to contend for the Big Ten championship this year, games like this are an absolute must. Illinois is a decent team and a win won’t prove easy to come by. Minnesota had a hard time with the Illini Wednesday and the win over Missouri shows Illinois is capable of beating a quality opponent.

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Yet, the Wolverines have been really good at home this season. They haven’t lost any games at Crisler and I don’t expect them to start Saturday. It won’t be a cakewalk, but the defense will lead Michigan to a seventh-straight win.