Fading Illini still dangerous for high-flying Hawkeyes

IOWA CITY — Anyone older than 30 who regularly follows college basketball has to squint twice, lean back and exhale to comprehend the current predicament facing Illinois men's basketball.

The proud Fighting Illini program is 11-12 overall and hovers near the Big Ten's bottom at 3-7. Illinois needed three overtimes on Wednesday to extend Rutgers' Big Ten losing streak to 24 games with a 110-101 win. The Illini also required overtime to beat winless Big Ten foe Minnesota.

This is a shell of a program when compared to its past. Barring an epic run at next month's Big Ten Tournament, Illinois will miss the NCAA tournament for the third straight season. The Illini haven't done that since before the tournament's expansion in the late 1970s. Only Indiana (38) has more NCAA appearances than the Illini's 30 among Big Ten schools.

Iowa knows all about the bitter taste of Champaign, where it posts a 15-61 record dating to 1913. From 1987 through 2014, the Hawkeyes dropped 22 of 23 games at the formerly known Assembly Hall. Iowa broke that string two years ago with an 81-74 win at the newly christened State Farm Center.

With all that history, Iowa fans naturally are tepid about heading to Illinois on Sunday and with good reason. The Hawkeyes (18-4, 9-1 Big Ten) are enjoying a renaissance with a No. 5 Associated Press ranking and co-leadership of the Big Ten through 10 games. Barring a major collapse, Iowa will earn its third straight NCAA bid after missing the tourney for seven straight seasons.

While the past often shapes the atmosphere and statistics form a logical narrative, the game itself is played by athletes. Despite all the struggles, the Illini are a dangerous out, especially in Champaign.

'If you score 110 points on the road, I think that says what you need to know about that team's ability,' Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said.

Combo guard Malcolm Hill leads the Big Ten in scoring — just ahead of Iowa's Jarrod Uthoff — at 19.1 points a game. At Rutgers, Hill scored 32 points and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds along with five assists. Hill has scored in double digits for 28 consecutive games and has three games of at least 30 points. Hill is one of 10 finalists for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.

Guard Kendrick Nunn (17.3 points per game) hit six 3-pointers at Rutgers. He averaged three 3s every game and knocks down 40.2 percent of his attempts.

Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten (behind Iowa) in turnover margin, puts up 74.5 points a game and averages 8.2 3-pointers a game. But there also are reasons Illinois has limped through league play, too.

First, injuries have crushed Illinois. Point guard Tracy Abrams is out for the season with a preseason Achilles injury. Knee injuries sidelined sophomore forward Leron Black for 17 games and senior center Mike Thorne since November (except for one game). Then freshman post Michael Finke missed the last contest also with a knee injury. Finke's status is undetermined for Sunday's game.

Those injuries have translated into losses. Illinois ranks last in rebounding and rebounding margin in the Big Ten. Opponents have battered Illinois 124-73 on second-chance points and only once has Illinois outscored its foe in the paint. But that doesn't make Illinois any less dangerous to McCaffery.

'I think what (Illinois Coach John Groce) has gone a good job of is a lot of times when you lose guys, everything is lost,' McCaffery said. 'He's done a really good job of having enough depth and having other guys. Sometimes they're younger, but they're still good players. He's just plugged in with what he's got, and they're still right there. They've had some big-time wins. They've had some tough losses. They've proven they can play with anybody.'

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