After much anticipation, UConn and Illinois will square off for the right to enter the national championship. The winner of the contest will be remembered for better or worse in the next round, while the loser will be forgotten in short order.
Dan Hurley’s squad has its hands full, but many expect Illinois to lose. However, the game must be played and Illinois has a chance to shock the NCAA. Here’s a look at which matchups the game will come down to and the winning strategy that the team must employ to have a shot.
Matchups to Watch For Illinois vs UConn
At the end of the day, the game will mostly come down to the showdown in the paint. The two leading centers, Tarris Reed Jr. and Tomislav Ivišić, could decide it all.
If one establishes dominance, it will mean that the team losing the matchup will need to depend much more on the difficult three-ball, while the team winning the matchup will be able to score down low at will. It will be up to Illinois to figure out how to double-team him if necessary to stop the team from posting Reed’s stat line again on X.
Keaton Wagler and Solo Ball will also play a pivotal role in deciding which team wins. UConn will need Ball to elevate over Wagler. If he does, Illinois will be in trouble, but Wagler was red hot with 25 points in his most recent game.
- C Tarris Reed Jr. vs C Tomislav Ivišić
- G Keaton Wagler vs G Solo Ball
What Should Be Illinois’ Winning Strategy?
Illinois has scored at a better clip than UConn this season by an average of 83.8 points per game to UConn’s 77.1 points. The key will be to score early and get a lead. With a lead, UConn will be forced to tire itself out in an attempt to cut the deficit.
The emotional win over Duke is likely to help out Illinois, as UConn is also likely to come into the contest with either emotional exhaustion or hubris if the team falls behind, expecting history to repeat.
If Illinois falls behind, the team could be in trouble. However, as UConn has been to the Final Four many times under Dan Hurley, the team is experienced in the situation. So it will take a punch in the mouth early to plant the seed of doubt or hubris.
It will fall on Illinois to be poised in the moment and run the clock only if the math can get the team to the end of the game.
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