The second-round battle for Illinois is not your typical No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup as the Illinois Fighting Illini (24-6) meet the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (25-4) on Sunday. The Big Ten champs have won eight in a row, while the Missouri Valley champs have won seven straight.
This is the first matchup of the day with a national audience on CBS and a 12:10 pm ET tip from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The last time these teams met, the current players were in grade school as Illinois won 67-49 at home on Nov. 11, 2011. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 to face the winner of Oklahoma State vs. Oregon State.
Ramblers Hang Hat on Defense
Loyola Chicago cruised through the MVC this season with just two losses, including one to another tournament team in Drake. Overall, the Ramblers are 17-9-1 ATS this season and 12-4 in games away from home.
The Ramblers defense ranks first in the country in allowing just 55.7 points per game, and they are fourth in allowing just 26 rebounds per game. Loyola Chicago is third in defensive efficiency rank, down two spots after the win over Georgia Tech in the first round.
The Ramblers offense is at its best in the paint with a 50.4 percent shooting rate overall but just a 35 percent success rate from three-point range. They are plus-4 on the glass and rank 174th in the country in scoring 71.6 points per game.
Loyola Chicago slows it down, ranking 343rd in the country in tempo as they run the halfcourt game.
Center Cameron Krutwig is the only Ramblers player in double digits as he averages 14.7 points per game and touches the ball in the paint on nearly 50% of Loyola Chicago’s possessions this season. Senior Lucas Williamson was the MVC Defensive Player of the Year and also averages 8.6 points per game.
Illini Have Star Power
The high-flying Illini are 19-10-1 ATS this season, including 7-1 in their last eight games. They are 13-4 away from Champaign with seven straight wins since a Feb. 23 loss at Michigan State.
Illinois is well-balanced, ranking fourth in defensive efficiency on the season and eighth in offensive efficiency.
Brad Underwood’s squad ranks 18th in the nation with 80.7 points per game, ninth in shooting at 50 percent and ninth in rebounding at 37.5 per game. The Illini are also 20th in shooting 38.2 percent from three-point range, and they are +10 in rebounding margin.
Guard Ayo Dosunmu, an AP All-American, averages 20.6 points per game to go with 6.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Center Kofi Cockburn is a monster inside at 17.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while senior guard Trent Frazier scores 10.4 per game.
Freshman Andre Curbelo is coming on strong down the stretch with 13.3 points and four assists per game during the win streak.
The Illini always want to play fast, and their tempo rate is 80th in the country. They use Dosunmu and Curbelo to create and go in transition, but attacking the stingy Loyola Chicago defense may take more patience than they are used to.
Betting Analysis
The Illini have scored at least 73 points in eight straight games, and they have won those contests by an average of 14.3 points per game. The Ramblers have surpassed the 73-point mark just once in the last eight games, but they haven’t allowed more than 65 points since Jan. 10.
Controlling the tempo and staying out of foul trouble are huge conditions for the Illini to avoid the upset but look for the Ramblers to use their experience and keep this close.
Free Pick: Loyola Chicago
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