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Illinois frontcourt pieces, specifically Kendall Bostic, hold EIU’s top player to just two points in an 84-37 win. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 14, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In nearly every sense of the idea, Eastern Illinois would’ve been fine with packing up and leaving State Farm Center with eight minutes left to go in third quarter. 

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The season-ending injury to Dylan Rosiek in the 25-17 loss to Minnesota is going to force Illinois to rely on several players with little to no significant playing experience. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 14, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The players inside the Smith Family Football Complex may need to acknowledge the private messaging in the public command coming from Illinois inside linebackers coach Archie McDaniel.

By IlliniGuys Staff November 13, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Brad Sturdy/IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

November 13, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

The Illini are home again on Wednesday night as they take on the Oakland Grizzlies in a non conference matchup. The Grizzlies are coached by longtime coach Greg Kampe, who got his 700th win last week, and are coming off of a round of 32 performance a year ago that saw them beat Kentucky and lose in OT to North Carolina State.

Here’s a look at what to expect.

Setting the Stage

#20 Illinois (2-0) vs. Oakland (1-1)
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 // 8 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
TV: Big Ten Network – Jeff Levering (Play-by-Play), Stephen Bardo (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas

Notable

Last season, the Golden Grizzlies fell, 64-53, on the road against the Fighting Illini but kept it close throughout. Oakland only trailed by one heading into halftime, as both teams traded points in the second half with several lead changes before Illinois broke free and went ahead by 10+ with 3:16 to play

The Golden Grizzlies (1-1, 0-0 HL) split its pair of games in the first week of play, as the team opened the season up at home with a 75-52 win over Defiance, which was head coach Greg Kampe's 700th career win, followed by an 87-43 loss at Boise State.

In the season opening win Monday, Nov. 4, DQ Cole led Oakland with 15 points and three assists, while Buru Naivalurua posted a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Cooper Craggs added 14 points and five rebounds, contributing to a dominant team performance.Oakland led, 33-23, at halftime, out-rebounding Defiance 31-18 and holding an edge in shooting and points in the paint. In the second half, Oakland extended its lead, with highlights from Naivalurua, Craggs and a three-point streak by Malcolm Christie. By game's end, the Golden Grizzlies had a 51-28 rebounding advantage and shot .433 from the field, sealing a convincing 75-52 victory to start the season.

The Golden Grizzlies opened up its three-game road trip against Boise State (RV) Wednesday, Nov. 6. Naivalurua and Allen Mukeba led the Golden Grizzlies with 10 points each, while Jayson Woodrich grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Boise State jumped to an early lead and extended it to 30 by halftime, as Oakland struggled offensively, shooting just .226 from the field in the first half. The Golden Grizzlies improved slightly in the second half but couldn't close the gap, finishing the game at a .273 clip from the field, compared to Boise State's .532.

Naivalurua leads the Golden Grizzlies with his 23 points, good for 11.5 points per game, and nearly averages a double-double with his 9.5 rebounds per game. Along with Naivalurua, Cole and Mukeba average double-digit points, as Woodrich is tied off the boards with Naivalurua with 9.5 per game.

As a team, the Golden Grizzlies average 59.0 points per game while it gives up 69.5 per game. At the glass, Oakland leads with 41.0 boards per game with a positive margin of 4.0. From the floor, Oakland shoots at a .353 clip with a .207 clip from range.

The Fighting Illini are off to a 2-0 start, with a 112-67 season-opening victory over Eastern Illinois followed by a 90-58 victory over SIUE in front of a sellout crowd last Friday. Illinois will face Oakland for just the fifth time in program history. The Illini are 4-0 all-time vs. the Golden Grizzlies, with all three wins coming at State Farm Center, including last season’s 64-53 win.

Illinois enters Wednesday’s contest having won seven consecutive home games vs. non conference opponents. Illinois is looking to start 3-0 or better for the fourth time under Brad Underwood, and the second time in three seasons after starting the 2022-23 season 4-0.

As a team, Illinois ranks top five nationally in free-throw attempts per game (2nd, 37.0) and free-throws made per game (5th, 26.5), 3-pointers made per game (2nd; 15.5) and 3-point attempts per game (4th; 40.0), and rebounds per game (2nd; 52.5) and defensive rebounds per game (4th; 37.5).

The Illini have made at least 15 3-pointers in each of their first two games, the first time the program has recorded multiple games with 15+ triples in a season since 2021-22. The team’s 31 triples are the secondmost in school history over a two-game span, trailing only the 34 combined made threes against Arizona (16) on Dec. 11, 2021 and St. Francis PA (18) on Dec. 18, 2021.

Illinois sits just outside the Top 25 of the AP poll, receiving the most points (144) among unranked teams for the second straight poll. The Illini moved up from No. 24 to No. 20, meanwhile, in the coaches poll.

Keys to the Game

Control the Pace -

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

November 13, 2024

Illinois made a big splash on the recruiting front during its week off when 4-star quarterback Michael Clayton II of Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida chose the Illini over offers from numerous other high majors.

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Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 12, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Fighting Illini football program received one of the most significant commitments of the Bret Bielema era on Sunday. Michael Clayton II, a 2026 quarterback from Sanford, Florida, became the first player to pledge to Illinois in his class.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema believes several key members of his roster who have gone unused through nine games will emerge in this final month. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 12, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Through the first nine games of this season, Gentle Hunt has played one snap of action. 

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)   CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Illinois forward Will […]

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By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

November 11, 2024

Illinois continued its recent recruiting success by flipping Coopersville (Michigan) offensive tackle J.J. Hirdes from his commitment to nearby Eastern Michigan to Illinois soon after flipping Tywan Cox from his prior commitment to USF.  Hirdes is a true tackle who was getting some interest from other Big Ten schools when Illinois turned up the pressure to secure his commitment.  However, he isn't quite as strong of a prospect as Cox.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?