LIVE! Penn State 76, Illinois 66; 8:00 to play

Observe alongside all night with our beat author on the scene in State School, Pa., for Illinois-Penn State, Half II:

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Penn State guard Jalen Pickett could be a downside. Illinois discovered that out in December when Pickett put up 20 factors, seven rebounds and 6 assists within the Nittany Lion’s 74-59 win in Champaign.

“Pickett has executed it in opposition to everyone,” the Illinois coach stated. “You are taking your drugs there a bit bit. What we will’t do is what we did within the first recreation and provides him (20 factors) and (six) assists. You may’t give him each. You’ve bought to make his life arduous. He’s large and robust and loves to only bang and bang and bang, and that offers him a rhythm. We will’t give Andrew Funk and Seth Lundy and Myles Dread and Camren Wynter clear open seems to be from three. They’ve bought great spurt-ability the place they’ll hit three, 4 or 5 in row in the event you simply fear about Pickett.”

Illinois freshman wing Ty Rodgers is one among a number of Illinois gamers which may wind up defending Pickett tonight.

“I’m going to do no matter it takes to win,” Rodgers stated. “If meaning guarding Pickett or whoever it’s, I’m going to attempt to do it to the most effective of my capacity. … He’s an angle man. For him, it’s not letting him get to his angles. Attempting to be aggressive with him and making issues arduous for him.”

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Again to your repeatedly scheduled gameday protection from Blissful Valley. (Though I am going to actually ask Brad Underwood about Zacharie Perrin after the sport).

Here is what the Illinois coach needed to say concerning the December loss to Penn State:

“We get a Penn State group that actually embarrassed us within the first recreation,” Underwood stated. “It was a time the place we weren’t enjoying very nicely. We weren’t excellent on both finish of the courtroom. We have been particularly dangerous on the offensive facet. We will have a look at all of the defensive shortcomings, however our inept offense helped result in some very, very poor defensive sequences.

“They damage us in transition. Any time you get three or 4 or 5 guys shut to twenty factors, it’s not an excellent night time. … We’re a very totally different group on each ends of the courtroom from the primary time we met. We’ve bought to play extraordinarily arduous and play extraordinarily nicely and attempt to preserve them out of transition. Simply be extra stable than we have been within the first recreation.”

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Let’s simply say I didn’t count on to spend a part of my pregame writing a brief story on Zacharie Perrin leaving Illinois. It comes as a critical shock given Illinois coach Brad Underwood simply talked him up in a fairly large method about 4 days in the past.

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The listing of adjectives to explain Illinois’ double-digit house loss to Penn State is not fairly. Embarrassing actually stands proud. The truth is, that is the precise phrase Brad Underwood used when discussing that 74-59 defeat at State Farm Heart forward of tonight’s rematch in State School, Pa.

Whether or not or not the Illini depart Blissful Valley, nicely, pleased is to be decided. We’ll know in just a few hours. However this Illinois group shouldn’t be the identical group because the one which could not get out of its personal method in December.

That was proper within the thick of Illinois’ win one, lose one wrestle. Not everyone was on the identical web page. The system Underwood put in place, which was a departure from what had been principally the norm in his time at Illinois, wasn’t actually working.

The five-out offense was stagnant, and that was particularly in opposition to Penn State. The change the whole lot protection wasn’t a lot better. Missteps at that finish actually performed a job within the Nittany Lions pulling down 12 of 24 three-pointers.

However Illinois is 8-3 within the new 12 months and has received 4 of its final 5 video games. The Illini ought to in all probability be kicking themselves concerning the fifth. That 81-79 loss at Iowa might have simply been a win had Illinois not dedicated, roughly, a foul each different breath. It at the least appeared that method the variety of occasions Tony Perkins bought to the free throw line within the second half.

It was a highway kill alternative misplaced. One which stings much more contemplating Purdue has misplaced two of its final three video games and at the least made the Huge Ten race a bit extra fascinating. The Boilermakers might nonetheless simply win the league title, however the door has been cracked open.

It’s kind of of a crowded doorway with six groups at 8-6 and two extra at 9-5 behind Purdue’s 12-3, however a win tonight in opposition to Penn State might assist Illinois elbow its method nearer to bursting by way of that door. 

Scott Richey is a reporter overlaying faculty basketball at The Information-Gazette. His e-mail is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you’ll observe him on Twitter (@srrichey).