Northwestern Wildcats vs Illinois Fighting Illini Picks and Predictions December 6th 2024

Northwestern Opens Big Ten Slate with Visit from No. 19 Illinois

Northwestern enters its Big Ten home opener against No. 19 Illinois on Friday night with a bitter taste from a last-second loss earlier this week. Iowa’s Josh Dix drained a game-winning 27-foot 3-pointer with just 0.1 seconds left on Tuesday, dealing the Wildcats (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten) a heartbreaking 82-81 defeat.

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Northwestern Looking to Bounce Back

“Just a very difficult way to lose,” Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. “The game can rip your heart out. We’ve got to rebound. We can’t let one loss deter us and get to two.”

Despite the tough result, Collins praised his team’s resilience. The Wildcats overcame a 17-point first-half deficit and led by six with the ball in the final two minutes before falling to the Hawkeyes.

“Our guys have a lot of heart,” Collins said. “We have guys who have winners’ spirits. There’s a lot of winning in our locker room. Even if they get down, they believe they’re going to come back and win.”

Northwestern has been solid at home, compiling a 5-0 record against non-conference opponents. Last season, the Wildcats went 9-1 in Big Ten home games, including a 96-91 overtime victory over then-No. 9 Illinois.

Illinois Brings Star Power

Illinois (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten) enters its first true road game of the season following a dominant 90-77 win over then-No. 19 Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day. Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis led the way with a career-high 23 points, while sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic added 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Jakucionis, an 18-year-old Lithuanian point guard, showcased his all-around game by scoring 14 straight points to keep Arkansas at bay in the second half.

“You don’t coach that,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “That’s why next-level people love him: He has the ability to step back and make a 3. He has the ability to get fouled. He knows what the game needs.”

Illinois boasts a young but talented roster, with four players ranked in The Athletic’s Top 100 NBA Draft prospects: Jakucionis (No. 5), freshman wing Will Riley (No. 31), Ivisic (No. 50), and fifth-year forward Ben Humrichous (No. 94).

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Key Matchups and Veteran Presence

Friday’s game will test Illinois’ young stars in a hostile road environment. Northwestern will lean on its experienced rotation to counter Illinois’ talent. Fifth-year senior Ty Berry is coming off his best game of the season, scoring 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range against Iowa.

“It was his best game of the year,” Collins said. “We need him. There’s so much attention on Brooks (Barnhizer), Nick (Martinelli), and Jalen (Leach). We need Ty to be able to give us that fourth scorer.”

The Wildcats will look to harness the energy of a sellout crowd at Welsh-Ryan Arena to pull off an upset and even their Big Ten record against the highly touted Illini.