On Thursday, Illinois's Brandon Paul sank a last-second fade-away jumper to beat Minnesota 51-49 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, securing a game with the No. 1-seeded IU men's basketball team.
Earlier this season, in the teams' only matchup, the Hoosiers fell to Illinois 74-72 in Champaign, Ill. on a last-second layup from the Fighting Illini's Tyler Griffey.
After the IU-Illinois matchup for this afternoon was finalized, IU Coach Tom Crean spoke on the rematch with the Fighting Illini:
Crean on playing Illinois in the team's home state:
"We know Illinois will be a tremendous challenge tomorrow at the United Center. They play with great intensity, passion and execution. Playing the Illini in Chicago should excite the HoosierNation. We are going to need our fans to bring their colors, their energy and their voices."
Crean on the difficulties Illinois brings to the floor and how to prepare for it:
"We will be facing an excellent coach in John Groce with an excellent staff. Their ball movement and spacing are very good. The pressure of the Illini is tough to prepare for. They really get into you and play with quickness.
"For us on the defensive end, we've got to keep our chest in front of the ball and we've got to keep communication high You've got to have that commitment to what makes you good, which for us is early help, early recovery, and understanding what their strengths are, which is their three-point shooting.
"When you're going against great talent, which this tournament is full of, you've got to stay engaged for 40 minutes. We have had a good week of practice, and like I said last week, everything is a one-game season from here on out. That's how we are preparing."
