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The Illinois Fighting Illini will face off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a Big Ten matchup on Friday night.
Three of the Fighting Illini's next four games will be on the road. They are one of the hottest teams in the country and have won their last four games, two being against teams ranked in the top 20.
Meanwhile, the Cornhuskers are the worst team in the Big Ten and have lost eight straight games.
Match Details
Fixture: Illinois Fighting Illini vs Nebraska Cornhuskers - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date and Time: Friday, February 12, 9:00 PM ET
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Venue: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Nebraska
Illinois Fighting Illini Preview
The Illinois Fighting Illini saw themselves skyrocket up in the polls on Monday after beating the No 19. Wisconsin Badgers last week, 75-60. They moved up six spots and are now considered the No.6 team in the country.
What was so impressive in their victory over the Wisconsin Badgers was their ability to control the game's pace. The Badgers are known for slowing down the game and using the majority of their shot clock in each possession. However, the Fighting Illini were able to get their opponents out of rhythm and play their preferred up-tempo style of play from the opening tip.
One of the major reasons why the Illinois Fighting Illini were able to control the speed of play was their incredible rebounding. They outrebounded the Badgers 46-18.
If the Illinois Fighting Illini can continue to push the pace and get after it on the boards, they will have no issues against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Key Player - Ayo Dosunmu
Ayo Dosunmu is arguably the best guard in college basketball this season. He is averaging 21.2 points and 5.1 assists on 48.6% shooting.
In the game against Wisconsin, Dosunmu recorded a triple-double with a stat line of 21 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds.
It was the fifth triple-double by an Illinois Fighting Illini player since 2001, and it was just the 11th triple-double in Division I this season, via Joey Wagner:
If the junior guard can perform half as well as he did on Saturday night, the Fighting Illini will be in good shape against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Illinois Fighting Illini' Predicted Lineup
F Jacob Grandison, C Kofi Cockburn, G Trent Frazier, G Ayo Dosunmu, G Adam Miller
Nebraska Cornhuskers Preview
The Nebraska Cornhuskers are still looking for their first win in Big Ten play this season. They showed signs of improvement in their latest loss against the Wisconsin Badgers but eventually fell back into their old ways.
Here is what Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach, Fred Hoiberg, had to say after the game:
"We started trying to go on our own and drive it into the pile again and turning the damn ball over. It's got to come to a point where it [the offense] clicks."
The Cornhuskers specifically struggled in the second half. They had a stretch where they missed six shots and had six turnovers on 12 straight possessions.
If the Nebraska Cornhuskers are going to have any chance of knocking off the red-hot Ilinois Fighting Illini, they need to focus on the basics and play smart basketball.
Key Player - Lat Mayen
Lay Mayen is the key player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The junior forward is averaging 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds this season.
When Mayen transferred to Nebraska this season from TCU, many scouts believed that he would be the next front-court player who could shoot from the perimeter.
Mayen is shooting four more threes this season than he did the last year, but his percentage is still too low for teams to take his perimeter shooting seriously.
However, Mayen went 3-6 in the last game against Wisconsin. If he can once again score beyond the arc at a high percentage, he will open up space for the Nebraska backcourt, allowing them to drive to the basket for easy layups.
Nebraska Cornhuskers' Predicted Lineup
F Lat Mayen, F Derrick Walker, G Teddy Allen, G Trey McGowens, G Dalano Banton
Illinois vs Nebraska Prediction
The Illinois Fighting Illini have a match-up advantage against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at every position. Expect Ayo Dosunmu to have another big night for the Fighting Illini and to lead his team to a blowout victory.
According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the Illinois Fighting Illini have an 89.6% chance of defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday night.
Where to watch Illinois vs Nebraska
The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
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