Xavier vs Illinois basketball injury report and prediction, March 21: Latest on Trey Green and more

Xavier vs Illinois will be one of the last matchups of the NCAA Tournament's first round. The No. 6-ranked Fighting Illini (21-12) will take on the No. 11-ranked Musketeers on Friday at 9:45 p.m. ET. It is expected to be one of the closest first-round matchups in the tournament.

Interestingly, while it is the first round, it is not the first March Madness game for Xavier. The Musketeers participated in the First Four round, defeating Texas 86-80 to earn a spot in the official bracket. That experience could be helpful as they take on the Fighting Illini. However, injuries could also be a factor, as Illinois is fully healthy whereas Xavier is not.

Xavier vs Illinois basketball injury report

Trey Green, Xavier

Trey Green was an effective rotational piece for the Musketeers early in the season, averaging 5.0 points per game. However, he went down with an undisclosed injury in early December and has not returned to the lineup. He is still listed as out for Xavier vs Illinois on Friday.

Lassina Traore, Xavier

Lassina Traore transferred this season and was expected to add some extra offensive punch to the Musketeers' lineup. He was coming off a season at Long Beach State where he averaged 11.9 points per game. However, he suffered a season-ending injury before the season began.

Traore injured his knee before the start of the season and was ruled out for the rest of the season. As a result, he will not be available against Illinois on Friday.

Xavier vs Illinois basketball prediction

Before the start of March Madness, the Xavier Musketeers suffered a disappointing loss to Marquette in the Big East Tournament. However, they were able to bounce back, defeating Texas 86-80 in the First Four to earn their spot in the official bracket of the tournament. Before its loss to Marquette, Xavier was doing well, winning seven games in a row.

Illinois' last game was a loss to Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament. However, the Fighting Illini were also doing well before that, winning four games in a row, including a 93-73 win over the No. 14-ranked team in the nation, Michigan.

Heading into the Xavier vs Illinois matchup, the Fighting Illini are small -170 favorites, and the Musketeers are +142 underdogs. We expect Illinois to narrowly defeat Xavier because of its experience against high-ranked opponents.

Prediction: Illinois 82, Xavier 78