Intriguing clash of big men headlines Penn State's trip to Illinois | Preview, prediction
Penn State basketball’s road trip to No. 20 Illinois on Thursday sets up a clash between the only two players in the Big Ten averaging a double-double.
Those two players, of course, are John Harrar and Kofi Cockburn, the Illini center who returned after claiming second-team All-American honors last season. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. and will air on FS1.
There are few players in college basketball more difficult to manage. Cockburn averages 21.5 points per game and 10.7 rebounds, all while shooting over 60 percent from the field.
“They put a lot of pressure on you just because of what they do and how they play and how they get him the basketball,” Micah Shrewsberry said.
That the Nittany Lions can match Harrar up with Cockburn is certainly a plus, Shrewsberry said. But he’s also willing to lean into the size disadvantage Penn State will have against the seven-footer, especially when Harrar is not on the floor.
“If Kofi is going to win his matchup against your backup center, why not play a smaller guy against him and try to flip the matchup against him?” Shrewsberry said. “You gotta think outside the box sometimes. Like, he’s not a normal human being.
“If he’s going to get rebounds over a guy that’s 6-10, but the guy that’s 6-10 can’t do anything against him on the other hand, what’s the purpose of playing him?”
Scouting the Illini
Certainly, Cockburn is not the only fantastic talent that Illinois can turn to against Penn State.
Guard Alfonso Plummer averages 15.5 points per game and shoots 42 percent from three. The duo of Trent Frazier and Jacob Grandison also chip in more than 10 points per game each.
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The Illini boast the 16th-most efficient offense in the country according to KenPom, with the defense not far behind at No. 34.
Illinois will likely look to force Penn State to score from inside. Only 24.9 percent of the points it allows come from three-point range, which is 341st-fewest among 358 Division I teams in college basketball.
It’s a difficult task for the Nittany Lions, who still have only one road win this season.
“It’s about us being ready to play right from the start, and then putting together 40 total minutes,” Shrewsberry said. “That’s what we’ve missed on the road. We haven’t put together a total game. We’ve had, probably in every game, a three-to-four minute stretch which really hurt us.
“We’re working and doing what we can these next couple days to make sure we put together a full 40 minutes and get ready for at Illinois and at Rutgers this weekend.”
Penn State vs Illinois Prediction
Illinois 74, Penn State 62
It’s just really difficult to see Penn State going into Champaign and getting a win considering how it has played on the road this season. You’d expect the Nittany Lions to show a response after a very bad performance at home against Nebraska, but the environment and the talent on the Illinois roster make this too big of a task for Penn State. The performance would have to be flawless to get the job done, and the Nittany Lions have yet to illustrate they can do that on the road.
