Since the calendar flipped from 2024 to 2025, No. 19 Illinois flipped a switch and pulled off two amazing feats on the road.
On Jan. 2, the Illini set a national record for largest road win over an Associated Press Top 25 team when they trashed No. 9 Oregon by 32 points. On Tuesday night, the Illini set the mark for most points by a visiting team in regulation at Indiana’s Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall when they bounced the Hoosiers 94-69.
Also, it marked just the second time in 773 games over 54 seasons at Assembly Hall that Indiana has lost by at least 25 – and the first time in 125 years an Indiana team allowed 60 points in a half.
But Sunday presents the toughest road test yet for Illinois (13-4, 5-2): A trip to No. 12 Michigan State (15-2, 6-0), which owns a 10-game winning streak and sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
Or, to hear Spartans head coach Tom Izzo spin it, this showdown should be framed as his team’s toughest test yet.
“Right now, from the last two times I watched Illinois, we’ve got the Celtics or the Lakers coming in here,” Izzo said after Michigan State beat Penn State Wednesday night. “So we’ve got a lot of work to do in 3-4 days.”
Truth be told, there’s good reason for this game to be considered essentially a tossup. Illinois entered the weekend leading the nation in rebound margin (+12.4), but Michigan State ranks eighth at +10.3 rebounds per game.
The Illini entered the weekend ranked 10th nationally in KenPom’s defensive efficiency (92.5 points per 100 possessions), but the Spartans sit 14th at 94.3. Illinois stands 20th nationally in offensive efficiency (119.3 points per 100 possessions), but Michigan State is just a smidge behind at 23rd (118.8).
Yes, Illinois ranks slightly ahead in these categories and a few others. But when you throw in the effect of a hyped Michigan State home crowd – and the confidence the Spartans have built while winning 10 games in a row – it’s anyone’s game.
Michigan State has developed by having 10 players in their rotation who Izzo can mix and match for every possible situation. Senior guard Jaden Akins leads the way in scoring (14.2 ppg) and minutes (26.5), but six other guys average at least 7.5 points and nine others play at least 14 minutes per game.
“I’ve usually had a pro or two I could go to all the time,” Izzo told Hoops HQ. “I don’t have that, but we’re doing it by committee. Like somebody said, ‘Who are you going to go to?’ I said, ‘Sometimes I don’t know, but I know one thing: The coach on the other end, he has no idea because I have no idea! It’s not all bad. It’s different.’
“And I think I’ve got a bunch of guys who actually like each other. They’re not jealous of one another… I’ve got no ego, no entitlement. I’ve just got a bunch of guys and it’s a fun team to coach.”
Illinois’ Brad Underwood, meanwhile, rediscovered Tuesday just how much more fun it is to coach with freshman point guard Kasparas Jakucionis. After missing two home games with tendonitis in his left forearm – including a 10-point loss to USC – Jakucionis scored 19 first-half points at Indiana while orchestrating most of the 60-point outburst.
The 6-foot-6 18-year-old, recently projected by multiple news sources as a top five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, leads the Illini in scoring (16.7 ppg), assists (5.4 apg) and 3-point shooting (41.6 percent) while also supplying 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game and shooting 87.0 percent at the line.
“I’m going to state the obvious,” Underwood said. “I think we missed Kasparas. He’s just different. I don’t know how to describe him. He’s one of the smartest people I know. He’s very competitive. Beyond his years.”
–Field Level Media
