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ESPN analyst outlines potential fatal flaw for Illinois ahead of Final Four
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The Illinois Fighting Illini are making the short trip over to Indianapolis on Saturday to play UConn in the men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four.
The Illini have looked strong en route to their first national semifinal appearance since that famous 2005 team. Through 4 rounds, Illinois has taken down Penn, VCU, Houston and Iowa.
But no team is perfect. Brad Underwood’s squad is no exception. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello outlined a potential fatal flaw for the Illini in this comprehensive Final Four preview:
Potential fatal flaw: Reliance on the 3-pointer.
Given its propensity for shooting treys, Illinois can be reliant on the perimeter shot — and if it’s not falling, that will be hugely beneficial to UConn. In wins this season, the Illini are shooting nearly 36% from 3; in losses, that number drops to 31.8%. It’s worth noting that they have made double-digit 3s in a game just once since March 3 after doing it in 18 of the previous 22 outings. They went just 3-for-17 from 3 in the Elite Eight against Iowa and still scored nearly 1.30 points per possession.
The Illini can’t afford to have another slump from long range against a UConn team that is elite at defending the perimeter.
Illinois and UConn are set to tip off at 6:09 p.m. ET on CBS, with Arizona-Michigan to follow.
Illinois is currently the favorite to win on Kalshi. The Illini have a 54% chance to win, as you can see below:
A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam is the news editor across all Saturday Football brands.