Illinois vs VCU: Close Game Alert

0:00On March 20th, Illinois faces BCU in the NCAA Tournament round of 32 on Saturday night at 6.50pm central time on CBS. The fighting Elini enter as clear favorites with superior talent, experience, size, and strength, especially on the boards where they should dominate. Still, the Rams have real upset potential thanks to their skilled back court and defensive smarts. VCU boasts four strong guards who can exploit Illinois struggles stopping quick creators from the perimeter. Terrence Hill Jr. leads them off the bench with nearly 15 points per game, including a huge 34-point explosion against North Carolina. In the first round where he drains 7-3s, the other guards ship in 8 points or more each, putting pressure on the Elini who got torched by Wisconsin's back court last week. The Rams also excel at guarding the 3-point line, holding opponents to just over 20 attempts per game at a 33-percent clip. They just limited North Carolina to 8-29 from deep. Illinois relies heavily on outside shooting, firing 11-3s per game at 35%, so VCU could cool them off big time.

1:12In close games, decided by 5 points or less, VCU sits at 4 wins and 2 losses, while Illinois is only 1-6. Adding the Rams grit, they rally from 19 down to beat North Carolina in overtime. And it matches Illinois's pattern of blowing double digit. Leads and recent losses to Wisconsin and UCLA. Keep an eye on whether VCU's guards and defense keep it tight late, because if they do, this match-up could go down to the wire and hand the Elini. Another heartbreaking collapse.