How to watch Tennessee vs. Illinois, a road test for the nation’s top-ranked team

Is there anything the Tennessee Volunteers are not good at? Like … anything? They could probably hoop blindfolded. They probably get together as a team every morning and nail NYT Games on first guess.

Tennessee is the top-ranked team in the AP poll. It is second in adjusted defense. It’s making 63 percent of its 2-pointers, the best mark in the country, and has won every game by at least 13 points. Can the Vols keep it up? A road trip to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini will serve as one of their tougher early-season tests.

No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers at Illinois Fighting Illini

Venue: State Farm Center — Champaign, Ill.
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET Saturday
TV: FOX
Stream college basketball on Fubo (try for free)

Chaz Lanier is shooting 48.6 percent on 3-pointers on eight tries per night. The fifth-year senior transferred from North Florida, and the Volunteers very much enjoy his quick release and confidence on pin-downs. Lanier also has a springy first step and a fun pump fake to his game.

His teammate, Zakai Zeigler, leads the SEC with more than eight assists a game. He’s an eminently enjoyable college basketball player to watch, clever in facilitation and tough on defense despite his 5-foot-9 frame. He and Jahmai Mashack are irritants on the perimeter, combining for more than four steals a game. Rick Barnes’ team is experienced, with a starting lineup featuring four seniors and a junior. The Volunteers are also high on the title odds board and currently sit at +1400 to win it all at BetMGM.

Illinois looks like it has a potential lottery-pick talent in freshman Kasparas Jakučionis. He slotted in at No. 6 in The Athletic’s first mock draft. The Lithuanian guard is a natural playmaker with a feel for the game, save for a slight turnover problem. He’s shooting 49 percent from the field and 44 percent on 3-pointers — not bad for his first nine collegiate games.

Jakučionis is just the second Division-I freshman in the last decade to put up a four-game stretch with at least 80 points, 25 rebounds, 20 assists and 15 treys. The other was Trae Young.

He leads an Illini group with just one bad loss (Northwestern) and a pair of solid wins (Arkansas, Wisconsin). Brad Underwood’s group is 15th in KenPom rating and 11th in Basketball Reference’s simple rating system. The Illini lead the Big Ten in offensive boards and 3-point tries.

Tennessee is favored, but Illinois is a tough out at home. The Volunteers won this matchup last year in Knoxville, 86-79.

Memorable matchup: Dec. 12, 1985 — Tennessee triumphed, 54-51. Fred Jenkins led all scorers with 21. Illinois’ Tony Wysinger put up 14 points and two steals in defeat.

Tennessee vs. Illinois odds

Odds to come

(Photo of Zakai Zeigler: Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images)