The No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini are on a roll, winning six of their last seven games. Their strong performance has drawn praise from Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, who considers them a formidable opponent. This upcoming clash between the Spartans and Fighting Illini promises to be a thrilling battle as both teams strive for conference dominance.
The No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini have been on a winning streak, securing six victories in their last seven games. Their impressive performance has caught the eye of Tom Izzo , head coach of their upcoming opponent, the No. 12 Michigan State Spartans . 'Right now, from what I saw the last two times I watched Illinois, we got the Celtics or the Lakers coming in here, so we got a lot of work to do in 3-4 days,' Izzo said about Illinois on Wednesday. 'I'm going to try to work and not read.
' While comparing Illinois to the two prominent NBA franchises might be a slight exaggeration, the Fighting Illini have undoubtedly made a strong impression this season.Last month, Illinois, which reached the Elite Eight last year, defeated the now-No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers and then convincingly dismantled the now-No. 13 Oregon Ducks on the road two weeks ago, 109-77. Most recently, the Fighting Illini dominated the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, 94-69. Illinois stands second in the Big Ten in points (87.3 per game), with five players scoring in double figures: Kasparas Jakucionis, Tomislav Ivisic, Kylan Boswell, Tre White, and Will Riley. Meanwhile, the Fighting Illini lead the Big Ten in total rebounds (42.4 per game), opponent field goal percentage (38.5%), opponent 3-point shooting percentage (27.8%), and rank fifth in opponent points (67.3 per game).Illinois is currently fourth in the Big Ten at 13-4 and 5-2 in conference play, while Michigan State holds the top spot in the Big Ten at 15-2 and 6-0 in conference play. The Spartans are riding a 10-game winning streak, although none of these victories came against currently ranked teams. During this streak, Michigan State defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels in Maui and decisively handled the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who made the NCAA Tournament last season, 89-52. The Spartans, led by senior Jaden Akins, rank third in the conference in opponent 3-point shooting percentage (29.4%) and fourth in opponent points (67.1 per game) and opponent field goal percentage (39.9%). After their Sunday matchup in East Lansing, Michigan State and Illinois will meet again on February 15 in Champaign, Illinois (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). They split their season series last year, with both teams winning on their respective home courts
College Basketball Michigan State Spartans Illinois Fighting Illini Tom Izzo Big Ten Conference NCAA Basketball
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