It’s been over a week since the Illinois basketball team laced up its sneakers, and the first game back is a big one.

The Illini hit the road to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. The rivalry has been good in recent years, with the two teams splitting the four games 2-2. Northwestern competed in the final competition in late January 2024.

Illinois wants to distinguish itself as one of the best teams in the Big Ten. Beating the Wildcats on the road in impressive fashion would go a long way in the eyes of many. But how can we take down a troublesome force from the northwest?

Coming into the game Friday night, Illinois has one of the biggest advantages over Northwestern, literally and figuratively.

Illini big man Tomislav Ivisic was one of the most impressive players on the team and I would argue he was the most impressive signing I have ever seen for the Orange and Blue. Every time he comes to court, I am in awe of his abilities.

Northwestern has no answer for Ivisic. I believe the Illini can dominate the Wildcats as a team, and it will be a question of how ugly this game could get with Ivisic’s dominance.

The Wildcats’ tallest player faces Ivisic. Northwestern’s Matthew Nicholson may stand 7 feet tall, but he’s not much compared to Ivisic in terms of talent. Nicholson is averaging just 4.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.

Nicholson also has a hard time staying on the floor and when he is on the floor he is very limited offensively. The one thing to keep an eye on is Nicholson’s defensive abilities. He can block shots. But the thing about Ivisic is that he can drag Nicholson to the edge. If Nicholson doesn’t follow suit, Ivisic can rain down threes. This is a massive mismatch that I think Illinois clearly exposed on Friday night.