Rutgers men’s basketball faces tough test against Illinois

Rutgers basketball hosts Illinois on Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon, Rutgers will put their perfect home record on the line against the No. 24 Illinois. On the season, the Scarlet Knights are 5-0 at Jersey Mike’s Arena and are outscoring opponents by 15 points a game.

As Rutgers looks to pull off an upset, they will have to take care of the ball. So far this season, the Fighting Illini are undefeated when they win the turnover battle. However, during their 5-1 start, that has not been an issue for Rutgers.

 

In their first Big Ten matchup of the season, Rutgers will need a big game from their stars. They have been led by Aundre Hyatt, who is averaging a team-high 12 points a game. Derek Simpson, who is averaging 10.7 points a game, and Clifford Omoruyi have also terrorized defenses.

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They will be tasked with stopping Terrance Shannon Jr., who is averaging 19.5 points a game. Heading into this matchup, Illinois has been a winning machine, as their last loss came on November 14 to Marquette.

With all eyes in the Big Ten on Piscataway, this game is the perfect test for Rutgers. They have not played a ranked team this season and match up well against Illinois. This game should provide plenty of memorable moments for fans of both teams.