Nov. 18, 2022: Indiana men’s basketball’s first and only away win this season.
The 81-79 victory came as an early-season test at now-No. 8 Xavier University, highlighted by a combined 53 points from senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and graduate guard Xavier Johnson. A Hoosier win at the rowdy Cintas Center was an encouraging sight for a team that had many road struggles of its own last year, finishing the season 3-8 in that category.
But since then, Indiana has not won a basketball game outside of its home state.
The Hoosiers are 1-4 on the road, and three of those losses have been by 15 or more points. The fourth was a two-point loss at Iowa Jan. 5 after Indiana gradually surrendered a 21-point lead.
Now, head coach Mike Woodson’s squad will have a chance to snap an away-conference losing streak at Illinois and earn its first win at State Farm Arena since 2019.
The Hoosiers won their most recent matchup against the Illini in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals, 65-63. Jackson-Davis prevailed his final battle against Illinois then-junior All-American center Kofi Cockburn, effectively sealing Indiana’s bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
With several conference games under their belts now, the Hoosiers and Illini will square off in Champaign, Illinois Thursday night, each with something to prove and a sense of urgency. The stakes of this matchup are higher than usual for a mid-January weeknight game. Both teams could jump into the top-25 with a statement win and gain momentum to advance in the Big Ten standings.
From the makeup of each roster to their bad losses and statement wins, Indiana and Illinois are having somewhat parallel seasons in a few interesting ways.
Indiana’s Jackson-Davis and Illinois senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. were named to the unofficial Midseason All-Big Ten team earlier this week. Both star players are averaging just over 17 points and more than 30 minutes per game.
The Hoosiers and Illini have each lost a handful of important pieces since their last encounter. Indiana’s Johnson and graduate forward Race Thompson have been ruled out indefinitely after sustaining serious lower body injuries, and Illinois lost its five leading scorers from the 2021-2022 season to the NBA Draft and transfer portal.
Illinois freshman guard Skyy Clark, who attended Montverde Academy with Indiana freshmen guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and forward Malik Reneau, stepped away from the team due to personal reasons, he announced Jan. 6. Clark was the highest-ranked recruit in Illinois’ 2022 signing class and averaged 7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game during his time with the Illini.
Newcomers from each squad have played an important role in the teams’ success thus far. Hood-Schifino has scored double-digit points in eight straight games, including a 33-point outing against Northwestern. Illinois graduate forward Matthew Mayer, a Baylor University transfer, and freshman forward Dain Dainja are the second and third-leading scorers on the Illini, averaging 11.1 and 10.4 points, respectively.
Both teams’ schedules share some similarities as well. Indiana and Illinois defeated their ACC-Big Ten Challenge foes, lost to Northwestern and were clobbered by nonconference opponents from the Midwest.
A 12-point win over the then-No. 18 University of North Carolina for Indiana and a 29-point victory against Syracuse University for Illinois were highlights of the nonconference slate. The conclusion of nonconference play was not kind to either team, however, as Indiana lost 84-62 to the now-No. 2 University of Kansas Dec. 17, and Illinois lost 93-71 to the University of Missouri on Dec. 22.
Both also lost to Northwestern at the beginning of the calendar year within a four-day span. The Hoosiers lost the Wildcats 84-83 –– despite star efforts from Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino –– Jan. 8, and the Illini fell to their in-state foes 73-60 Jan. 4.
While Indiana is short-staffed, it will not be outmatched tonight. The Hoosiers have a serious chance to prove themselves on the road, climb the conference ladder and turn their season around.
