It will be a battle of the giants in the Sweet 16 as Iowa State’s No. 1 defense gears up to take on Illinois’ No. 1 offense Thursday.
Iowa State is coming off a win over No. 7 seed Washington State. The Cougars put up a fight early on, but the Cyclones proved to have more steam in the end.
Washington State’s tough defense was on display throughout the second-round matchup, as Iowa State was expecting to have issues with the size of the Cougars. That seemed to be the case early on, but by halftime, the Cyclones found their footing.
The Cyclones re-discovered their offense in the postseason, breaking a rough patch for the team. Iowa State has not scored less than 65 points in the last five games, dropped nearly 70 against No. 1 Houston and scored over 80 points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
That offense will be much-needed against Illinois, a team that has an unyielding offensive motor. The Fighting Illini have been even more dangerous in the postseason.
Other than Iowa State, Illinois may be one of the hottest teams in the Sweet 16. Illinois has put up nearly 90 points per game, with the first two rounds of the tournament being blowout wins over Morehead State and Duquesne.
Iowa State will be the best team that Illinois has faced in nearly a month, as the last top-five team Illinois took on was Purdue, where it lost 77-71. Despite that, Iowa State’s defense will have its work cut out for itself.
Illinois is led by three players that average double-figures, as Terrence Shannon Jr. averages over 23 points per game and Marcus Domask averages 16. Since the postseason started, Shannon’s average has risen to nearly 30 points per game.
With the threat that Illinois poses from everywhere on the court, Iowa State’s offense will have to be ready to play. The Cyclones have shown they can score if they need to, which will be crucial if the game ends up being a shootout.
Illinois has not taken on a defense as lockdown as Iowa State’s. The Big Ten competition allowed Illinois’ offense to thrive. However, Iowa State has shut down high-powered offenses consistently throughout the Big 12 season.
When the Sweet 16 game starts, it will truly be a battle of the titans. An unstoppable force will meet an immovable object.
Iowa State will take on Illinois at 9:09 p.m. Thursday in Boston. The game will also be aired on TBS.
