Illini look to match Houston’s tenacity in high-stakes Sweet 16 brawl
Thursday night’s matchup will come down to which team wants it more.
HOUSTON — Illinois head coach Brad Underwood isn’t worried about No. 2 Houston’s home advantage for the Sweet 16 showdown. “We’ve won on the road all year,” Underwood said.
And he’s right: the Illini won eight out of ten road games in the Big Ten this season. “It’s no different than going into West Lafayette or East Lansing”. For the Illini (26-8), Thursday night’s matchup at the Toyota Center in Houston will come down to grit.
Illinois can stretch the floor with its size and make some shots, while also having outlets to the rim through guards like Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic. But how well will they be able to do it against KenPom’s No. 4 ranked Houston defense?
How well will they be able to do it against a hall-of-fame coach in Houston’s Kelvin Sampson and his veteran squad that’s coming off a national championship loss last season? Matching the Tenacity Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars are known for their physicality, but All-Big Ten Defensive selection Kylan Boswell believes Illinois’ principles aren’t all that different from Houston’s. “Both our philosophies are kind of the same,” Boswell said.