Illinois Fighting Illini – Syndication Server

Photos from Alabama vs. Illinois in C.M. Newton Classic

Alabama and Illinois met Wednesday night in Birmingham.

Two of the top teams in the SEC and Big Ten officially met Wednesday night in Birmingham, Alabama, as the Alabama Crimson Tide and Illinois Fighting Illini collided in the C.M. Newton Classic.

A battle of Top 25 teams, this showdown between the Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini certainly lived up to the hype as well, with Alabama going on to win by a final score of 100-87.

This was an impressive showing from the Crimson Tide as well against a very talented opponent, as Alabama still hit triple-digits in points, even despite guard Mark Sears not scoring, with a big reason as to why being a combined 52% shooting as a team from the field.

Let’s take a look at some of the best photos from Alabama’s Top 25 clash with Illinois in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham:

Instant reactions to Alabama’s impressive win against Illinois in C.M. Newton Classic

The Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini collided in a Top 25 matchup Wednesday night in Birmingham.

The Alabama Crimson Tide played what was likely college basketball’s top game of the night Wednesday, traveling to Birmingham for a neutral-court showdown with the Illinois Fighting Illini in the C.M. Newton Classic.

A pair of Top 25 teams, this showdown between Alabama and Illinois lived up to the hype as well, with the Crimson Tide coming away with the eventual 100-87 victory in a game which they truly controlled from the start.

In this win, there were certainly many positives to take away for the Crimson Tide as well, but also a few negatives.

Let’s take a look at some of our instant reactions from Alabama’s Top 25 showdown with No. 25 Illinois on Wednesday night:

Grant Nelson’s stellar performance

Wednesday night was likely the greatest performance for Alabama forward Grant Nelson so far this season, finishing with a final stat line of a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and four blocks. Nelson also shot an impressive 9-of-15 from the field, as well as 4-of-9 from three.

Labaron Philon flirts with triple-double

Alabama freshman guard Labaron Philon flirted with a triple-double against Illinois in what was one of his top performances of the season. Philon finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and one block on 7-of-13 shooting from the field.

Aden Holloway’s best game in Alabama uniform

Was this the best game from Auburn Tigers transfer guard Aden Holloway in an Alabama uniform so far? Holloway finished the game with 18 points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, as well as 3-of-4 from three.

Alabama Crimson Tide’s strong shooting night

A big reason behind Alabama’s victory was the Crimson Tide’s shooting from the field. In all, Alabama shot a combined 52% from the field, as well as 32.4% from three and 84.6% at the free throw line.

Mark Sears, Clifford Omoruyi struggle

In the midst of Alabama’s win, two of the team’s top performing players so far this season struggled in guard Mark Sears and center Clifford Omoruyi. Sears finished with zero points, while Omoruyi, who spent a majority of this game in foul trouble, ended with six points and six rebounds, and his absence from the court was a big reason as to why Alabama was out-rebounded a combined 44-37.

Alabama wins turnover battle

Wednesday night was one of Alabama’s best games when it came to limiting turnovers, committing only seven all game, which was compared to 13 for Illinois. The Crimson Tide also capitalized off those Illinois’ turnovers, turning them into 18 points.

Alabama Crimson Tide now 4-1 overall

After the Crimson Tide’s win Wednesday night over Illinois, Alabama now sits at 4-1 overall for the 2024-25 season. The Crimson Tide’s next game will come Tuesday, November 26 against the Houston Cougars in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Alabama basketball schedule: Are the Crimson Tide playing today?

Is Alabama playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come.

Will the Alabama Crimson Tide be back on the basketball court today? Well, the answer is yes.

Yes, after the Crimson Tide suffered their first defeat of the season last Friday night, Alabama will return to action later tonight for their first neutral-court contest of the year against the Illinois Fighting Illini out of the Big Ten.

The 2024 C.M. Newton Classic, this game will be played in Birmingham, Alabama, with tipoff set for 9 p.m. ET from Legacy Arena at BJCC, and will be available to watch live on SEC Network.

Alabama and Illinois are also two of the top teams in the SEC and Big Ten, with this game featuring a pair of Top 25 ranked teams.

Alabama Crimson Tide 2024-25 basketball schedule

Nov. 4: vs. UNC Asheville (W, 110-54)
Nov. 8: vs. Arkansas State (W, 88-79)
Nov. 11: vs. McNeese State (W, 72-64)
Nov. 15: at Purdue (L, 87-78)
Nov. 20: vs. Illinois at C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham, Alabama
Nov. 26-30: vs. Houston, Rutgers, Notre Dame at Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada
Dec. 4: at North Carolina in ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 14: vs. Creighton
Dec. 18: at North Dakota
Dec. 22: vs. Kent State
Dec. 29: vs. South Dakota State

Jan. 4: vs. Oklahoma
Jan. 8: at South Carolina
Jan. 11: at Texas A&M
Jan. 14: vs. Ole Miss
Jan. 18: at Kentucky
Jan. 21: vs. Vanderbilt
Jan. 25: vs. LSU
Jan. 29: at Mississippi State
Feb. 1: vs. Georgia
Feb. 8: at Arkansas
Feb. 11: at Texas
Feb. 15: vs. Auburn
Feb. 19: at Missouri
Feb. 22: vs. Kentucky
Feb. 25: vs. Mississippi State
March 1: at Tennessee
March 5: vs. Florida
March 8: at Auburn

Record: 3-1 overall

Alabama 2024-25 Opponent Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini

Alabama and Illinois will meet Wednesday night in Birmingham.

After suffering their first loss of the 2024-25 season last Friday night on the road at Purdue, the Alabama Crimson Tide will return to action Wednesday night for yet another tough matchup, this time against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

The Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini will meet on a neutral-court, as both teams will make their way to Birmingham, Alabama for the C.M. Newton Classic. Illinois is also coming off a win, with this game likely to be their toughest opponent so far this season however.

Taking a deeper look at Alabama’s opponent however in particular, here is everything you need to know about the Fighting Illini entering Wednesday night’s game.

Illinois Fighting Illini Team Overview

Team Name: Illinois Fighting Illini
Conference: Big Ten
Arena: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
2024-25 Record: 3-0 overall
Ranking: No. 25 in AP Poll, No. 20 in Coaches Poll

The Illinois Fighting Illini will be the second consecutive Big Ten opponent for the Crimson Tide, coming to Birmingham undefeated at 3-0 overall. In addition to that, Illinois is also a consensus Top 25 team nationally, ranked at No. 25 in the latest AP Poll, as well as No. 20 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Illinois Fighting Illini Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Brad Underwood
Associate Head Coach: Orlando Antigua
Assistant Coach: Geoff Alexander
Assistant Coach: Zach Hamer
Assistant Coach: Tyler Underwood
Assistant Coach: Kwa Jones

The head coach of the Fighting Illini is Brad Underwood, who is currently in his eighth season in Champaign. Under the guidance of Underwood, Illinois has had five-straight 20+ win seasons dating back to the 2019-20 campaign, and have also made the NCAA Tournament each of the last four years.

Illinois Fighting Illini 2024-25 Stats

PPG: 89.3 (No. 27 in NCAA)
PPG Allowed: 59.7 (No. 23 in NCAA)
FG%: 45.1
3P%: 36.2
FT%: 72.5
RPG: 47.3
APG: 16
SPG: 4.3
BPG: 5.7

Averaging 89.3 PPG as a team, Illinois is among the top offensive scoring teams in the Big Ten, with the same also able to be said of defense where they allow only 59.7 PPG to opponents. The Fighting Illini also are one of college basketball’s top programs when it comes to three-pointers made per game at 12.7, which ranks No. 4 nationally, as well as sitting No. 7 in the nation with 47.3 rebounds per game.

Illinois Fighting Illini Names to Know

Tomislav Ivisic, Center – Sophomore
Will Riley, Forward – Freshman
Ben Humrichous, Forward – Graduate Student
Kasparas Jakucionis, Guard – Freshman
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Guard – Sophomore

Illinois is led by one of the Big Ten’s top centers in sophomore Tomislav Ivisic, who at 7-foot-1 is currently averaging a near double-double for the season at 17.3 PPG and 9 RPG. The Fighting Illini also have two of the Big Ten’s top overall freshmen in leading-scorer Will Riley at 17.7 PPG, as well as do-everything guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who is averaging 9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 7.7 APG.

Photo Gallery: No. 1 Oregon puts the hammer down on Illinois

Oregon took their home field as the No. 1 team in the country for the first time since 2012 and the Ducks didn’t disappoint. They put a blitzkrieg on the No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini in the first half to take a 35-3 halftime lead and eventually won 38-9.

The Ducks are now 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Big Ten action as they seemingly head straight towards the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.

Perhaps by now, we should all see that this team is different from others. There has been no letdown, and they are experts at blocking out the outside noise that could derail them from achieving the ultimate goal of winning Oregon’s first-ever National Championship.

Speaking of noise, Autzen Stadium brought the noise once again and disrupted yet another Big Ten offense that just wasn’t ready for that kind of noise level.

Here are the best pictures of what was a beautiful day in Eugene.

ESPN ‘College GameDay’ crew makes picks for Oregon Ducks vs. Illinois Fighting Illini

The ESPN College GameDay crew made their official picks for the top-25 showdown between No. 1 Oregon and No. 20 Illinois.

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks have a major opportunity on Saturday afternoon inside Autzen Stadium. With the No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini coming to town, Dan Lanning and his team have a chance to establish themselves as the best team in the nation and assert some dominance.

The Ducks have done a good job of that so far this year, winning every game on their schedule and looking dominant in the past two weeks against both Ohio State and Purdue. Now the eyes of the world will be back on them in Eugene with another top-25 matchup on tap.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” was in Indiana for the matchup between the Hoosiers and the Washington Huskies, but they still spent some time on this game and previewed what will go down.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew made its picks for Saturday’s winner in the Autzen. Here’s how they selected:

Desmond Howard: Oregon
Pat McAfee: Oregon
Nick Saban: Oregon
Guest Picker Kyle Schwarber: Oregon
Lee Corso: Oregon
Kirk Herbstreit: Oregon

The game between Oregon and Indiana kicks off at 12:30 p.m. PT on CBS in Eugene, Oregon.

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3 Keys to Victory for the No. 1 Oregon Ducks against No. 20 Illinois

The Oregon Ducks three keys against the Illinois Fighting Illini this Saturday.

The Oregon Ducks are just hours away from their first game as the AP No. 1 team since 2012, and won’t have an easy challenge in their first test as Kings of the Hill. The Illinois Fighting Illini are headed to Autzen Stadium as the No. 20 ranked team in the country, and although the Ducks are heavy favorites, this might not be an easy game.

Oregon comes into this game undefeated at 7-0 and Illinois is 6-1, with their only loss coming against Penn State. Last week, Illinois took down the reigning National Champion Michigan Wolverines, and they are fully in midseason form.

Below, are my three keys for Oregon this weekend to ensure victory. Obviously, many factors will contribute to the winner of this game, but if the Ducks do these things, they should be in a good spot to win.

Exploit the run game

Through eight weeks of the season, Illinois’ run defense has been poor. They rank third-to-last in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed per game with 145.3, ahead of only Rutgers and Purdue. Jordan James has been one of the finest backs in college football this year, and since the Boise State game, Oregon’s O-line has been great. If James and the O-line can maintain their current level of play, the Ducks will be in good shape to win this game.

Take away Altmyer’s deep ball

In the Big Ten this season, no one has a higher adjusted completion percentage (completion rate with WR drops counted as completions) on deep balls than Illinois’ quarterback Luke Altmyer with 59.3%. The Ducks’ secondary has been playing its best football since the second half of the Ohio State game, and they’ll need to keep it up this week, especially against the long ball.

Win the turnover battle

In all three phases of the game, the Oregon Ducks outmatch the Illinois Fighting Illini by a good margin, so for the Fighting Illini to win this game, they’ll need to control the ball and — likely — generate a few extra possessions. If Oregon can protect the ball — and potentially generate a few takeaways of their own — they’ll be in control of the game.

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History of the Oregon Ducks series against the Illinois Fighting Illini

Check out the short history between the Oregon Ducks and the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Like many of the traditional Big Ten opponents on the Oregon Ducks 2024 schedule, the Illinois Fighting Illini don’t have much history against Oregon. They’ve played three times in their history, but Saturday’s game in Autzen Stadium will be their most significant matchup to date.

The first meeting between these two teams was in 1970, with the Fighting Illini winning 20-16 in Champaign. Those Ducks were coached by Jerry Frei in his second-to-last season with the program. Oregon finished 6-4-1 that year and didn’t play in a bowl game.

The next two games between these teams came in the nineties as a part of a home-and-home series. Oregon went to Champaign in 1993, winning 13-7, and two years later, they won 34-31 in Eugene.

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The 1993 season was one of Rich Brooks’ final seasons as head coach of the Ducks, wrapping up a legendary coaching career. Brooks left after the 1994 season to coach the St. Louis Rams, and he was succeeded by his offensive coordinator: Mike Bellotti. The Ducks 1995 matchup against Illinois was Bellotti’s first home game as a head coach, and he went on to become the winningest coach in Oregon Ducks history.

This week’s game is the first time both teams have been ranked for any of their matchups and the first time either team has been ranked inside the top 20. Oregon definitely has the edge, but Illinois is a good team. There aren’t many games left on the schedule, so both teams will be heavily motivated this week.

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No. 1 Oregon Ducks unveil uniform combination for matchup vs. No. 20 Illinois

Black and Yellow for the Oregon Ducks this weekend at home against Illinois.

The Oregon Ducks are returning home for another top-25 matchup inside Autzen Stadium this weekend. They host the No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini in a Big Ten game that will hold major ramifications for the end-of-the-season race to Indianapolis.

The Ducks will look the part on the big stage.

On Wednesday evening, Oregon unveiled its latest uniform combination. The Ducks are bringing back the blazing yellow “Heroes” jerseys from the Stomp Out Cancer line. This time they are pairing the tops with black pants and black cleats to achieve a classic black-and-yellow look.

Instead of the yellow accessories we saw against Michigan State with the Stomp Out Cancer look, the Ducks will have black accessories this weekend.

Oregon Ducks Week 9 Uniforms

Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department

While this is a top-25 matchup, the Ducks are heavy favorites, listed at minus-21 1/2 across most major sports books. With a win, Oregon will continue its dominance as the No. 1 team in the nation and put itself in a prime position to make the Big Ten championship game and College Football Playoff at the end of the year.

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Previewing the Illinois defense ahead of Saturday’s game at Oregon

The Illinois defense is a formidable one and should be a good challenge for the Ducks.

The Illinois offense is humming like a well-oiled machine. It’s good and having a good season.

But the Illini wouldn’t be 6-1 and ranked 20th in the country if the defense didn’t step up and play outstanding football.

The unit has held opponents to fewer than 20 points in four of their seven games. The only outlier was Purdue, against whom Illinois won, 50-49, in overtime.

In their only loss of the season, at Penn State, the Illini fell 21-7. It was the lack of offense that lost the game, not the defensive effort.

In short, the Illinois defense is formidable, and the Ducks will need to bring their “A” game if they want to walk out of Autzen Stadium still the No. 1 team in the country.

Illinois is led by linebacker Gabe Jacas, a junior who was a freshman All-American two seasons ago. He leads the team in tackles for loss (7 1/2) and sacks (5 1/2).

According to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Illinois’ defense has improved greatly from a year ago.

“You just turn on the film; you see relentless effort from this defense,” Lanning said. “They’re consistently attacking the ball, and you can tell they’re preaching that. That’s something that doesn’t happen by accident.

“They’re doing an unbelievable job attacking the ball. They’ve had eight picks on defense and have caused 10 fumbles on defense,” he said. “They’re a team that swarms to the ball and when you can win the turnover margin, you’re going to have a lot of success.”

Ask Michigan how good Jacas is. In Illinois’ 21-7 win, Jacas had 13 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

Besides Jacas, who looks like an NFL linebacker already, the Ducks need to worry about safety Scott Xavier. He has three interceptions and leads the team in that category.

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