| Big Ten Conference Finals Preview | |||
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Preview by Alan Rubenstein No. 1 Illinois vs. No. 2 Wisconsin With this meeting on a neutral floor, you can throw out the first two meetings the teams had. The Illini defeated the Badgers by eight in a game that the Illini controlled in Champaign and the Badgers pounded Illinois by 20 in Madtown. This is a different Illinois team, the Illini have breezed through two tournament games. Although they will be taking a step up in competition, the Illini are still the favored team in the showdown for the Big Ten Tournament Championship. Illinois felt wronged when Devin Harris stepped to the free throw line after a foul call with 0.4 seconds left when the two played in Madison last season. The win gave the Badgers the outright Big Ten regular season title. With virtually the whole team back from last season, this might be the Illini’s time to get a small measure of revenge. The key could be how well Powell bounces back from his injury. Wilkinson and Harris have led the Badgers all year and make up 47.6 percent of Wisconsin’s scoring on the year. The pulse and offense of the team runs through Harris. The coaches’ pre-season player of the year and everyone’s player of the year makes the Badgers tick. The Illini are going to have to limit the success that Wilkinson and Harris have. In their victory in Madison, Harris had 30, while he was held to 16 in the Illini win. Wilkinson struck the Illini for 24 points and nine boards in victory but had only seven and six in defeat. The difference for the Illini during their 12 game winning streak has been the reemergence of Dee Brown. After scoring only two against Indiana in the quarter, Brown bounced back and had 21 in the Illini’s semifinal victory. Brown is averaging 16.9 Points per game over his last seven games, a four point improvement over the rest of the season. The Illini are on a roll, while the Badgers will have to dig deep into the well after an emotional victory over Michigan State on Saturday. These two have matched up only once in the Big Ten tournament. The second seeded Illini knocked out the tenth seeded Badgers 66-61 in the 1998 quarterfinals. Illinois’s starters did not have to play as many tough minutes on Saturday. They also have a more balanced offense. If Harris and/or Wilkinson have a down game, it will make it hard for the Badgers to get much going offensively. The game should be tight throughout, but with the Badgers suffering from a big of fatigue, the Illini should pull away late for an eight point victory.
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