Illini Pregame-- 

 

The Illini return to the hardwood tonight in East Lansing to take on the Spartans of Michigan State. Pregame on WPXN will start at 6 pm with a 7 pm tip. 

 

Probably for tonight’s game- 

 

Illini: Ayo, Trent, Feliz, Kofi, Giorgi B. 

 

MSU: Winston, Henry, Brown, Tillman, Bingham Jr. 

 

The Spartans entering Big Ten play this season are ranked at 14 with a 10-3(2-0) record thus far. The Spartans are averaging 81.0 PPG while allowing less than 60. That ranks Top 20 out of 353 schools in both categories. Henry for the Spartans can jump out of the gym, he has athleticism that is off the chart, and he can shoot it. Ayo or Feliz would be the guards to draw that assignment, and they will have to really lock him down to secure a road victory. Winston for MSU did not play in their last outing on Sunday as he is nursing a knee injury, however he is expected to play today. 

 

The time has come and the Fighting Illini can prove a lot of people wrong in this game tonight. Conference play is in full swing and we will see how Kofi will play against a top 20 big in Xavier Tillman, and how well the Illini can execute a 40-minute gameplan. 

 

Cale’s Keys-

• “Make it Rain” or make some outside shots. The Illini are a very poor outside shooting team and have to turn that around to keep tournament hopes alive. If Trent, Griffin, or Ayo get hot like I’ve been saying all season you have to keep feeding them until they miss. 

• Ayo takes over: Ayo can significate improve his draft stock which last I saw he was projected as a second-rounder, by dropping no less than 15-5-5 tonight. If he can accomplish that, then the Illini will have a very solid chance to head back to Champaign with a W. 

• Giorgi-Kofi connection: Giorgi has been superb at feeding Kofi with his in-let passes this season. Keep that will need to be in full swing for the Illini as they will have to click on all cylinders to win tonight and it can be done, as they have done it already this season by knocking off Michigan. 

I will have the postgame later tonight and will be tweeting about the game.