Iowa Hawkeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini
· NCAA Men's Basketball Championship - South Region - Elite 8Illinois Fighting Illini play the Iowa Hawkeyes in Elite 8
Game Preview
Iowa Hawkeyes (24-12, 12-11 Big Ten) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (27-8, 15-6 Big Ten)Houston; Saturday, 6:09 p.m. EDT
Fighting Illini -6.5; over/under is 138.5
BOTTOM LINE: No. 13 Illinois takes on Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Fighting Illini have gone 15-6 against Big Ten teams, with a 12-2 record in non-conference play. Illinois is second in the Big Ten scoring 84.2 points while shooting 46.4% from the field.
The Hawkeyes are 12-11 in Big Ten play. Iowa averages 75.0 points while outscoring opponents by 8.9 points per game.
Illinois is shooting 46.4% from the field this season, 0.5 percentage points higher than the 45.9% Iowa allows to opponents. Iowa scores 6.0 more points per game (75.0) than Illinois gives up (69.0).
The teams square off for the second time this season. Illinois won the last matchup 75-69 on Jan. 11. Keaton Wagler scored 19 to help lead Illinois to the win, and Tavion Banks scored 16 points for Iowa.
TOP PERFORMERS: Wagler is averaging 17.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the Fighting Illini. David Mirkovic is averaging 16.4 points over the last 10 games.
Bennett Stirtz is shooting 47.7% and averaging 19.7 points for the Hawkeyes. Cooper Koch is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Fighting Illini: 7-3, averaging 82.8 points, 36.4 rebounds, 14.6 assists, 4.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.2 points per game.
Hawkeyes: 5-5, averaging 71.8 points, 25.8 rebounds, 14.9 assists, 6.1 steals and 1.0 block per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.7 points.
How can I watch Iowa vs. Illinois?
- TV Channel: Iowa at Illinois 2021 College Basketball, week , is broadcasted on TBS.
- Online streaming:
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Matchup Prediction
Statistics
IOWA |
ILL |
|
|---|---|---|
| W3 | Streak | W3 |
| 66.1 | Points Against | 69.0 |
| 75.0 | Points Per Game | 84.2 |
| 49 | Field Goal % | 46 |
| 36 | Three Point % | 35 |
| 29.6 | Rebounds Per Game | 41.1 |
| 15.1 | Assists Per Game | 14.7 |
| 1.9 | Blocks Per Game | 4.6 |
| 6.9 | Steals Per Game | 3.7 |
| 0.7 | Team Turnovers Per Game | 0.3 |
| 10.2 | Total Turnovers Per Game | 9.1 |
Game Information
Location: Houston, TX
Capacity:
2025-26 Big Ten Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 19-1 | - | 33-3 |
| Nebraska | 15-5 | 4 | 28-7 |
| Michigan State | 15-5 | 4 | 27-7 |
| Illinois | 15-5 | 4 | 27-8 |
| Wisconsin | 14-6 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Purdue | 13-7 | 6 | 30-8 |
| UCLA | 13-7 | 6 | 24-12 |
| Ohio State | 12-8 | 7 | 21-13 |
| Iowa | 10-10 | 9 | 24-12 |
| Indiana | 9-11 | 10 | 18-14 |
| Minnesota | 8-12 | 11 | 15-17 |
| USC | 7-13 | 12 | 18-14 |
| Washington | 7-13 | 12 | 16-17 |
| Rutgers | 6-14 | 13 | 14-19 |
| Northwestern | 5-15 | 14 | 15-19 |
| Oregon | 5-15 | 14 | 12-20 |
| Maryland | 4-16 | 15 | 12-21 |
| Penn State | 3-17 | 16 | 12-20 |
Iowa Last 5
Illinois Last 5
| Date | OPP | Result |
|---|---|---|
@ MD |
W 78-72 | |
vs WIS |
L 91-88 OT | |
vs PENN |
W 105-70 | |
vs VCU |
W 76-55 | |
vs HOU |
W 65-55 |


IOWA
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