The Penn State Nittany Lions are next up in the row of tough matchups for your Illinois Fighting Illini Men’s basketball Team. During their last visit to Champaign on the 10th of December, the Nittany Lions gave the Illini a 74-59 thrashing at home, following what was the Illini’s best win over #2 texas in the Jimmy V classic the week prior. That loss seemed to start a whirlwind of events for that led to a really tough December for Illinois.
However, as the old saying goes, “Every dog has its day.”
In the Illini’s last 10 Big Ten Conference matchups they have gone 8-2, and climbed their way back into the Big Ten title race now 3 games behind Purdue, and sitting in 3rd place in the Big Ten behind (tied) Northwestern and Indiana. With the ability to get even with all 3 squads in the near future, the Big Ten is about to be the Wild West even more than it already has over this 2022-2023 season.
Tuesdays Matchup vs Penn State is yet another opportunity to even the odds and take it to a mightily struggling squad in recent week.
Quick Notes: Penn State
The Lions are led by Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry, who is currently in his first season as Head Coach at Penn State. After an extremely impressive performance on December 10th vs the Illini, the Nittany Lions have since gone 3-7 in conference, and have given up an average 70 ppg. Of coure the schedule has been brutal for Shewberry’s squad facing #1 Purdue twice, Wisconsin twice, Indiana, and Maryland. Quite the stretch, and of course this can lead to talented a unit with a new coach having a really rough stretch.
The Lions are led by Jalen Pickett who currently averages 17.2 ppg, and shoots 50% from the field. He also leads the team in Rebounds (7.6 rpg) AND assists (6.9 apg), so quite literally, he does just about everything for this unit. Pickett is a 6’4 senior who has been an always reliable scorer and is great at finding ways to get to the bucket, Pickett has a dangerous mid-range game and is very crafty with scoring around the rim. Currently Jalen has not been a massive threat from 3 point range as he shoots 34% from deep. Definitely not terrible in any fashion, but if Pickett is going to tear you up, it’s going to be in the paint, so post presence will need to be stiff.
Another player to keep your eyes on is 6’6 Senior Guard Seth Lundy. Lundy currently averages 14.6 ppg, and 6.2 rebounds, and is the balance needed to take some pressure off of Jalen Pickett for the Nittany Lions. Lundy is a more dangerous shooter from behind the arc as he currently sits with a 45% 3-point percentage. A player Illinois will have to make sure does not get hot, because when Lundy is on a roll, he can make it rain from 3, and that is not what Illinois needs as they already have their hands fill with Jalen Pickett.
Speaking of making it rain from 3-p0int land, remember Andrew Funk? Funk absolutely lit it up at the state farm center in December shooting 66% from 3, and hitting 6 from deep over the course of the Illini’s meltdown on December 10th. He has cooled off slightly since that game, and has a 41% 3-point shot average on the season. Illinois needs to keep heavy tabs on the 6’5 senior to ensure he does not break the game wide open from deep as he did weeks prior.
Illini Now Prediction
Keeping it as simple as possible I like the Illini in this matchup for the simple fact that, as the saying, goes “we’re hot and their not.”
Again, Illinois gone 8-2 in their last Big Ten matchups, and have really found themselves again since that last matchup that temporarily left an ugly scar on the Illini.
Illinois is yet another really tough block in the road for a really worn-down, and struggling Nittany Lions team. The results didn’t come in the Illini’s first matchup, but it’s always hard to beat a team twice, especially when they are red hot.
Illinois 82 – Penn State 65
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