No. 8 seed Illinois (21-9) has had a couple of weeks to prepare for the dance, and the extra practices should pay off.
The time off gave sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger a chance to make a full comeback. This opens the door for her to reclaim her starting role while freshman forward Berry Wallace can return to her sixth-man duties.
With injuries piling up, head coach Shauna Green will likely lean on her older players with tournament experience to lead in March.
Illinois’ most recent March Madness appearance was in the 2022-23 season. The Illini were knocked out in their First Four matchup against No. 11 seed Mississippi State. Four current starters played in that game, including fifth year guard Genesis Bryant, who put up 17 points.
Who: Opponent, top players
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
First up for the Illini is the No. 9 seed Creighton Bluejays (26-6).
Creighton was the second Big East team to secure a bid, and there’s no question as to why. Three of its four conference losses came against No. 1 seed UConn (31-3). The Bluejays’ fourth loss came against No. 1 overall seed UCLA (31-2). The Bluejays even made it to the Big East championship after beating Seton Hall (23-9) by 29 points.
Creighton has two players who average over 17 points per game: senior guard Lauren Jensen (17.8) and senior guard/forward Morgan Maly (17.3). This gives the Illini two major targets to cover on Saturday.
Jensen and Maly were both essential to the Bluejays’ success in the conference tournament. They both scored double digits in all three games, then grabbed a combined eight rebounds in the final matchup.
What: Illinois’ priorities
Green knows what to expect against a team like Creighton.
“They spread you, they play a five-out, they all can shoot the three,” Green said. “They’re just an elite offense. It’s all a motion system.”
To combat this, Illinois needs to dominate the glass. Creighton attempts 25 three-pointers and averages around nine makes per contest. This leaves plenty of loose balls when the offense is positioned far from the basket. The Illini average 36.9 rebounds a game versus the Bluejaysʼ 33.5.
“To guard a three-point shooting team like Creighton, we need focus, effort and discipline,” Green said.
While it has Jensen and Maly’s offensive prowess, Creighton’s defense lags behind Illinois’. This means recovering missed shots should be easy for fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic and senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill.
The Illini also need to refine their shot selection to maximize their deep-scoring talent. Bryant and Wallace are three-point leaders, but rushed shots can throw off their rhythm. Keeping the energy high will be important for an already shorthanded team with little March Madness experience.
If the shots from beyond the arc donʼt fall, Illinois will need to control the paint, and the Illini are an adaptable squad.
“The Bluejays don’t have a true post player,” Green noted. “So we need to be able to get inside on them.”
Bostic can be one to assist in this field. Additionally, alongside Bryant and Wallace, Bostic gives them another long-range threat. Over the last four games, the forward hit five of her 12 three-point attempts.
When Illinois needs to attack the rim, it looks to senior guard Adalia McKenzie. She is a tough player who muscles through defenders with ease. She not only is able to finish at the basket, but she can pull out Creighton’s defense before dumping the ball to Bostic for easy finishes.
If the Illini can execute all of this, they will control the pace, breakthrough Creighton’s defense and prevent uncontested shots from the Bluejays.
When: location, time, streaming
The Illiniʼs first two rounds will be hosted at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Tip-off against Creighton is set for 6:15 p.m. Saturday and will be streamed on ESPNews.
Sports section picks
Illinois or Creighton?
Eighty-three-percent of the sports section is confident that Illinois will beat Creighton on Saturday, with only two of 12 members doubting that the Illini can pull it off. Many stated that Illinois’ performance around the rim will be the deciding factor, emphasizing that layups and offensive rebounds will be crucial.
Illinois will look to both Bostic and McKenzie for solid interior play. Despite being a guard, McKenzie has made a huge impact on the boards on both ends. She uses the same aggression that allows her to power through defenses to collect on the glass. Bostic is now a consistent double-double threat who averages 15 points and 11 rebounds. Her ability to score down low will be needed to counteract the quick Creighton offense.
Some in the section are positive that if Illinois is out-rebounded, then Creighton will pull away by a wide margin. But Creighton’s top rebounder, Maly, averages only 5.7 boards a game. This is on par with Shoup-Hill, who stands two inches over the 6-foot-1 Nebraskan, making it easier for the Illinois forward to grab balls off the glass.
Lastly, many on the staff are sure that a mindset shift is all that Illinois needs to move on from its Big Ten tournament exit. Illinois needs to put the past four games out of mind and view March as a new season. However, entering as the underdogs might work in its favor, pushing the Illini to play at their best.
How many games does Illinois win this weekend?
Zero (2) — 16.7%
One (9) — 75%
Two (1) — 8.3%
Most of the sports section thinks that a win against Creighton is achievable, but a loss against No. 1 seed Texas (31-3) is inevitable. The reporters collectively believe that Illinois will put up a good fight, but Texas’ squad is just too dominant. Illinois averages better beyond the arc but Texas was the SEC’s top defensive team. The Longhorns held their opponents to just 56.1 points on average.
The Longhorns have the best overall record in the toughest conference. Texas also has a powerhouse offensive duo. Senior guard Rori Harmon has dumped 202 assists this season, while sophomore forward Madison Booker averages 16.2 points. Given this, it seems more favorable for Texas to move to the Sweet Sixteen as long as they can hold Illinois from afar.
Who will be Illinois’ MVP?
Adalia McKenzie (5) — 41.7%
Kendall Bostic (4) — 33.3%
Berry Wallace (2) — 16.7%
Genesis Bryant (1) — 8.3%
Illinois will need McKenzie and Bostic to be consistent powerhouses around the rim. McKenzie finished the regular season with six consecutive double-digit games. In Illinois’ loss to Nebraska, she achieved her second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 assists. Her adaptability all season and her growing confidence have made her a key feature of the already strong Illinois offense. She had four games with 18-plus points. Another performance like that might be the push they need to overcome a strong Texas defense.
Wallace will also be important in keeping the Illini’s energy up if she’s coming off the bench. If the freshman starts, then she will be key in getting Illinois off to a good start. Wallace has also become an important part of the defensive rotation.
“I’ve grown more confident guarding better guards than in high school,” Wallace said. “You have to have a lot of awareness and urgency to guard the guards in our conference. There is so much physicality and so many components to pay attention to.”
Her ability to step in for Shoup-Hill and shut down bigger players has been vital to balancing the team’s rest with on-court rhythm. Whether it’s Wallace or others, multiple Illini will need to step up their games to emerge victorious and advance to the second weekend.
