A top-10 clash awaits the NCAA tournament as No. 1 Purdue goes head-to-head with the No. 9 ranked Fighting Illini. The Boilermakers host Illinois on Friday after securing an impressive away win against Maryland in a conference play. On the other hand, Illinois is in red hot form after decimating Northwestern on home turf 96-66.

While Purdue does possess a lot of firepower, there is no doubt that the Fighting Illini will pose some serious problems for them in the middle. So what exactly does Illinois bring to the table even without any prominent name in their squad?

How’s the Fighting Illini a dark horse of the NCAA?

The Illinois Fighting Illini rank far behind the Purdue Boilermakers. However, there is no reason for them to keep their skills locked and not show their best game face. In fact, the Fighting Illini are proudly improving their ranking as the season progresses. Just in their last match against the Wildcats, they kept a lead that was never covered. So much so, that they won against the only team that left Purdue on their knees with a whopping 30-point score difference. While many believe that Illinois doesn’t have any star players which means they will not cover their tracks, it is not true. Instead, they are making their names known by showing off the most amazing and consistent balling.

But when it comes to the hidden powers of this team, there are many notable players on the roster. To begin with, their top scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. averages a decent 21.7 points per game which is only a couple of hoops behind Purdue’s Zach Edey. However, he may not be a part of the roster for some time now as he was recently suspended. Nonetheless, the team is showing no sign of weakness and their win against Northwestern is proof of their strength. Following him is Marcus Domask who averages 13.2 points and 3.1 assists per game. Quincy Guerrier is also standing tall with Domask and leading the team with 7.4 rebounds per game. Along with these, Coleman Hawkins and Dain Dainja are also the top players on the team.

Read More: Maryland Terrapins vs Purdue Boilermakers Match Preview – Players To Watch, Head to Head, and Prediction

However, the Purdue Boilermakers are also not going to back down easily with a handful of talented players on their roster.

Why’s Purdue one of the favorites?

Undoubtedly, the Boilermakers are proving to be one of the top teams in the NCAA. Apparently, they have won more than 90% of their matches. There is nothing that their towering giant Zach Edey hasn’t done to make Purdue the top team. His double-double average in terms of points and rebounds per game is proof enough of why he is the front-runner for the National Player of the Year award. Furthermore, the team’s strength lies in the versatility that their centers and forwards possess. The Boilermakers currently rank in the top 2 in the KemPom ranking and have the second-highest offense in the nation. Also, their defense is at an overall 6th position in the country which can give them an upper hand.

Both the teams are swiftly moving forward with Purdue holding a score of 13 to 1. On the other hand, the Fighting Illini are also doing fairly well with a win-loss score of 11-2 so far this season. At the same time, Illinois is a fast-paced team with an overall rank of 62nd in tempo which is much higher than Purdue’s 159th position. It is going to be a fiery match in the Mackey Arena, Indiana. Basketball lovers and respective team fans surely cannot wait until tomorrow when these two rock-solid teams finally collide.

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