Illinois vs Iowa: Big Ten Clash in Elite Eight

0:00On March 28, Illinois faces 9th-seat Iowa in the Elite 8, one win from their first final force since 2005. The Alini have dominated lately, beating Penn State, BCU, and last year's runner-up Houston in a defensive slugfest. Meanwhile, Iowa's the ultimate Cinderella under first year coach, Ben McCollum, knocking off 8th-seat Clemson, Topsy Florida, and 4th-seat. Nebraska. These Hawkeyes turned it around after a rough regular season, finishing 10 and 10 in the Big 10 with three straight losses. Transfers from Drake and Robert Morris have sparked their run, playing at a snail's pace slower than all but three other Division 1 teams. They grind in the half court, scoring just 18 fast breakpoints across three tournament games. Fans are buzzing about this Big 10 clash, especially since Illinois won their only regular season meeting, 75-69, back on. January 11th in Iowa City. Three Alini players dropped at least 17 points each that night.

1:01Iowa's star-point guard, Bennett Sturts, a six-foot-four senior averaging nearly 20 points, has been ice-cold from three in the tournament, hitting just six of 28. Illinois holds a clear edge in size and rebounding, outboarding Houston 43-34 in the sweet 16. Iowa ranks near the bottom nationally on the glass, partly due to their low possession style. Such if Sturts heats up or if the Alini control the paint. This match-up could go down to the wire in Houston, but Illinois looks prime to punch their ticket if they dictate tempo and crash the boards. Stay tuned for tip-off.