Rutgers @ Illinois preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 9, 2019 ) Rutgers 94, Illinois 99

Rutgers goes for a seventh straight win when it travels to face Illinois Saturday in a Big Ten contest. The Scarlet Knights are coming off an upset victory over No. 20 Penn State on Tuesday, while the Fighting Illini have won two straight, edging Wisconsin on the road Wednesday in their latest game.

Rutgers has been winning this season because of its defense, which holds opponents to just 59.7 points per game and ranks 17th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (37.3). Offensively, the Scarlet Knights are paced by sophomore swingman Ron Harper Jr., who is averaging 12.4 points per game and will need to step up his game while junior guard Geo Baker - the team's only other double-figure scorer at 11.5 points - is sidelined indefinitely with a thumb injury. The Rutgers defense will be tested in the paint on Saturday by Illinois freshman big man Kofi Cockburn, who is averaging 15 points and 9.1 rebounds. Sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu leads the Illini in scoring with 15.3 points, while senior guard Andres Feliz provides 10.8 points and a team-high 3.3 assists off the bench.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: Big Ten Network

ABOUT RUTGERS (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten): The play of 6-11 sophomore center Myles Johnson is going to be instrumental to Rutgers' success going forward, especially in this contest. Johnson will need to be strong defensively and on the boards against the 7-0 Cockburn while providing an offensive threat to help replace the production of Baker. Johnson has upped his offensive production to 10.5 points in Big Ten play while ranking among the national leaders in field-goal percentage (71.7), sitting tied seventh in the conference in rebounding (8.8) and ninth in the league in blocked shots (1.7).

ABOUT ILLINOIS (11-5, 3-2): With a scoring threat in the post like Cockburn, it goes without saying that Illinois' shooters need to make shots from 3-point range to help take some defensive pressure off the freshman. The Illini hit a season-low 10.7 percent (3-of-28) from 3-point range against Michigan State in a 20-point loss on Jan. 2, but in the two games since they have shot 40 percent (14-of-35) - connecting on seven 3-pointers each in wins over Purdue and Wisconsin. Sophomore guard Alan Griffin has hit 5-of-8 attempts from beyond the arc in that span, while Dosunmu was 2-of-4 on 3-pointers in the two victories.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Rutgers, which has outrebounded its opponent in 14 of 15 games this season, is sixth nationally in rebound margin (plus-10.1) and ninth in boards per game (41.6).

2. Illinois is above .500 in Big Ten play for the first time since March 2015 and is above .500 after five league games for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

3. The Illini lead the Big Ten in scoring defense in conference play, allowing 60.8 points, while ranking second in 3-point percentage defense (24.3).

PREDICTION: Illinois 68, Rutgers 64