On Saturday from Boston, the UConn Huskies will take on the Fighting Illini of Illinois. This is the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament, with the winner heading to the Final Four. This is the top seeded Huskies against the third seeded Illinois.
The defending national champions, the UConn Huskies, have been on fire in the NCAA Tournament, securing wins in all three games by double-digit margins. With an impressive record of 34 wins and only three losses this season, UConn is showing their dominance on the court.
Illinois is coming off an upset win over the 2nd seeded Iowa State Cyclones. The win for the Illini pushed them to 29-8 on the season. The Fighting Illini have won seven straight games, including three in a row in the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois also beat Morehead State and Duquesne in the NCAA Tournament.
The UConn Huskies are -7.5 over Illinois in this game.
UConn Huskies Dominating
In the 82-52 dominating win against San Diego State, the Huskies saw four players reaching double-digit points. Cam Spencer led the scoring with 18 points, while Tristen Newton contributed 16. In the subsequent victory over Northwestern in the second round, Newton led with an impressive 20 points and 10 assists.
Throughout the season, Newton has emerged as the team’s leading scorer, averaging over 15 points per game. Spencer follows closely behind with 14.4 points, trailing Alex Karaben at 13.7 and Donovan Clingan at 12.8. Collectively, the Huskies boast an average of over 81 points per game, securing them the 21st rank in all of College Basketball. UConn distinguishes itself as one of the most altruistic teams in College Basketball, recording an average of 18.7 assists per game.
UConn started on their season with a streak of seven straight wins. Their first loss occurred on the road against Kansas in early December. Laterequently, Coach Hurley’s team faced two additional losses, one against Seton Hall on December 20th, and another, a 19-point defeat against Creighton towards the end of February. Notably, the Huskies have held their opponents to 60 points or fewer in six of their last seven games.
Illini Red Hot on Offense
The Fighting Illini of Illinois are right with the UConn Huskies as far as how well they are playing right now. Dominating the Big Ten Tournament and continuing their momentum into the NCAA Tournament, Illinois now shows off an offensive powerhouse averaging nearly 85 points per game. The Orange and Blue are back in the Elite 8 for the first time since 2005.
Since their impressive run in the Big Ten tournament started, the Fighting Illini have consistently shown their offensive prowess, scoring 77, 98, 93, 75, 89, and 72 points in successive games. Terrence Shannon Jr. has emerged as a standout performer on the offensive front, notably delivering a stellar 25-point performance in a critical win against Iowa late in the season.
Also, Shannon’s offensive output has remained remarkable, with point tallies of 28, 40, 34, 26, 39, and 29 since the onset of the Big Ten Tournament.
Although Illinois started their season with a promising 2-0 start, they took a loss against Marquette. Further losses for the Orange and Blue this season include games with Tennessee, Purdue, Maryland, Northwestern, Michigan State, Penn State, and a second loss to Purdue.
Illini Battle to the End
The UConn Huskies are going to win this game. But, barely. Illinois is playing some great basketball, but in the end, UConn wins a close one. Our final bet for this game is the Illinois Fighting Illini +7.5 over the UConn Huskies. Our final score prediction is going to be UConn 72-68 over Illinois.
