BOSTON — After steamrolling through the first three games of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 1 overall seed UConn men’s basketball team expects a battle when it faces the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini in the Elite 8 of the East Region.
UConn (34-3) plays Illinois (29-8) at 6:09 p.m. at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday with a trip to the Final Four at stake. The game will be televised on TBS/TruTV.
The Huskies defeated Stetson, Northwestern, and San Diego State by an average of 28.6 points to advance to the Elite 8.
UConn, the reigning national champion, has won its past nine games in March Madness by an average of 22.9 points, but that could change on Saturday, as the team plays perhaps its most dangerous opponent and individual scorer of the season.
Everything to know about Illinois
Many experts say UConn boasts the country’s best offense, but Illinois begs to differ. The Illini and Huskies have swapped positions as the No. 1 and No. 2 most efficient offenses multiple times throughout the NCAA Tournament, according to KenPom.com. UConn regained the top spot Thursday after running through SDSU.
Illinois is close behind, averaging 84.2 points per game. Unlike UConn, the Illini haven’t been blown out all year; all their losses came in single digits. The team is led by a talented group of seniors.
Illinois might have the most dynamic player left in the tournament in senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who averaged 23.5 points per game this season. He lit up Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament, scoring a record-setting 40 points in the semifinal. He followed that with 34 points, winning the conference tournament against Wisconsin.
Against Iowa State, the country’s No. 1 most efficient defense, Shannon Jr. scored 29 points, leading his team to a three-point win over the No. 2 seed in the Sweet 16. During March Madness, he’s averaged 28.3 points per game.
Shannon Jr. did miss six games this season after a rape charge in December left him indefinitely suspended. He was reinstated in late January and maintains his innocence; his preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 10.
Illinois has also been fueled by senior forward Marcus Domask, who scored 15.8 points per game, grabbed 5.1 rebounds on average and dished out 4 assists per contest. Coleman Hawkins, a senior forward, averaged 12.3 points per game and brought in 6.1 rebounds on average. Senior forward Quincy Guerrier led the team with 6.2 rebounds per game while also scoring 9.6 points on average.
Defense, however, is a glaring weakness for Illinois, which ranks No. 84 in the country, according to KenPom. UConn ranks No. 6 on the defensive end.
How the Huskies advance
If the Huskies are to advance to consecutive Final Fours, they will have to outscore the Illini. It will be critical for players like fifth-year guards Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton, an AP First-Team All-American, to cash in from three-point distance.
Sophomore center Donovan Clingan must also perform better than he did against SDSU on Thursday, especially on the offensive end. Clingan missed several close baskets that would have hurt the Huskies in a more competitive game.
Sophomore forward Alex Karaban sparked UConn early on Thursday with several three-pointers but cooled off as the team ascended in the second half. He must stay hot from behind the arc for the Huskies to pull away from the Illini.
Freshman guard Steph Castle, one of the best defenders in the country, will likely be assigned to Shannon Jr. after holding Northwestern guard Boo Buie to just nine points last Sunday; this season, Buie averaged 19 points.
If Castle, and Big East Sixth Man of the Year Hassan Diarra, a senior guard, can perform similarly on Saturday, and hold Shannon Jr. to 20 points or less, the Huskies will be in prime position to win. Castle contributed 16 points against SDSU, while Diarra scored 10, but the team’s success on Saturday will depend largely on their defense, not their offense.
Prediction: 87-81 UConn
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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