How to Watch Illinois at Penn State (at The Palestra, Philadelphia)
Game Time: 6 p.m. Saturday
TV Channel: BTN
Online Streaming: FoxSportsGO
Odds: N/A (Illinois 88.6% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor)
Quick Hits:
Illinois Fighting Illini (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season)
Last Game: Illinois 90, Southern 55
Gameday Reading:
Penn State Nittany Lions (9-4, 0-2 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Mike Rhoades (3rd season)
Last Game: PSU 90, NCCU 67
What Happened the Last Time These Two Teams Played?
- Illinois leads the all-time series 33-23.
Jan. 8, 2025: Illinois 91, Penn State 52
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Boogeyman down.
After 1,043 days — and four games — without a win on the hardwood against Penn State, the Illini took down the Nittany Lions, and it was notclose.
The well-oiled Illinois engine was
firing on all cylinders on Wednesday night. With the Illini’s three-level attack on full display and the defense also keeping a high-scoring Penn State offense at bay, the Illini cruised to a 91-52 victory.
Illinois (12-3, 4-1 Big Ten) outdid Penn State (12-4, 2-3 Big Ten) in every aspect of the game, and the win came despite the Illini being without the quarterback of their offense.
In the hour before tipoff, it was revealed that star guard Kasparas Jakucionis would be out with a left forearm injury. With one seemingly NBA-bound prospect out, another stepped up. Freshman Will Riley got the nod to start, shifting the lineup to a taller one.
That meant that point guard duties were handed to Kylan Boswell, who for the better part of this season has been the team’s secondary ball handler.
“Poise and patience,” is what Underwood said Boswell brought in KJ’s absence. “It’s nice when you’ve got two of them in KJ and him that can do that and control a game from that standpoint. I got a little uncomfortable when he picked up one [foul] really early, but he’s smart. He’s cerebral. He knew exactly what we were trying to do.”
With the ball in Boswell’s hands, the game flowed naturally for Underwood’s side of the sideline.
“We literally ran two plays tonight,” he said. “We didn’t have to run much, but he just makes the right reads and I thought he was sensational.”
After the game, Brad Underwood said that Jakucionis was struggling with some inflammation in his left forearm, an issue that had been nagging him since the game at Washington. He said there was no timetable yet for a return, and that they haven’t spoken to doctors yet.
