With 11 minutes and 42 seconds to go, IU had a 59-52 lead.
Illinois closed out the game with a 19-12 run to force overtime on Dec. 31. The Illini won 83-80.
In the rematch, Illinois (13-7, 2-5) travels to IU (12-7, 2-4) on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Fighting Illini have been in a rut lately. They’ve lost five games in a row.
And they haven’t really been close.
In those five games, Illinois has been outscored by an average of 12 points per game.
The Illini have kind of fallen off the map of relevancy in the Big Ten.
On the other hand, you have an IU team that’s all over the map.
IU beat Penn State by three (who is 1-6 in the conference), beat then No. 3 Wisconsin, lost to previously 8-10 Northwestern and then were right in the game until the end against No. 3 Michigan State.
How in the world are you supposed to make a prediction for this team?
Any scenario could come true. IU could blow out Illinois. Illinois could destroy IU. Either team could win on a buzzer beater.
Nothing would surprise me with this current Hoosier team.
So here’s my best prediction that is sure to go wrong.
That three-point affair in Champaign was this young Hoosier team's first conference game of the year.
They’ve endured five more Big Ten games since then, and grown up as a team more.
I think.
However, the issue of hammering out a steady rotation has yet to take effect.
Against Michigan State, IU played 11 guys through the first 12 minutes or so.
But IU has showed true fight in their last couple games. Excluding the Northwestern debacle.
In the last contest Illinois guard Rayvonte Rice exploded for 29 points. He went to the line 15 times.
Expect to see freshman guard Stanford Robinson be joined at the hip to Rice. Robinson defended Rice well.
Freshman forward Noah Vonleh only played 30 minutes because of foul trouble.
Expect to see a heavy dosage of Vonleh in this game. He’s the Hoosiers’ best player, and needs to get the ball more.
And if Vonleh doesn’t get 10 field goal attempts I might throw my laptop on the floor.
The one question that is most crucial to this game: will sophomore guard Kevin ‘Yogi’ Ferrell break out of his slump?
Minus a second half against Wisconsin where he went bonkers, Ferrell is 12-for-49 from the field — 24 percent — during his last four games.
Ferrell needs to score.
Period.
If his slump continues I can see Illinois pulling off the victory and send the Bloomington faithful home cursing under their breath.
But I think Ferrell will break out of his slump. I don’t have any statistics to prove this to you, that’s just what I think.
Ferrell is a great scorer. Sometimes great scorers have slumps.
His is over.
Prediction- IU 74, Illinois 70
Evan Hoopfer is 6-4 in predictions this year.
Follow men's basketball columnist Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer
