Michigan hosts Illinois, the one Big Ten team that Juwan Howard hasn’t beat during his tenure as head coach, tonight (8:30 p.m., FS1) at the Crisler Center.
The Illini enter tonight’s contest ranked 12th per KenPom despite losing Terrence Shannon Jr. to an indefinite suspension shortly before Christmas. Brad Underwood revamped his roster with a solid portal haul this offseason, and this group has fit together more effectively and efficiently than last year’s team.
The Illini are 3-2 since losing Shannon to suspension, but their metrics haven’t suffered much. Bart Torvik ranked Illinois 15th with Shannon and 21st in the games without him. Underwood’s team plays a style of offense and defense that has proved difficult for Juwan Howard’s program to conquer, but the Wolverines get another shot tonight (with their full roster).
Subscribe to Continue Reading
Join the UM Hoops community today and access our exclusive content.
- Advanced analysis and previews
- Member-only forum & monthly ‘Ask Me Anything’
- In-depth video breakdowns and features
- Ad-free viewing
Already a UM Hoops member? Sign in below
