Tennessee vs. Illinois Score Prediction: Latest News, Injury Updates

Tennessee Basketball has its last major non-conference game on Saturday.

The No. 1 Vols (9-0) face Illinois (7-2) in their sixth power conference nonconference game on Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET, FOX) at State Farm Arena in Champaign, Illinois. UT beat Louisville, Virginia, Baylor, Syracuse and Miami.

Here’s what you should know about the matchup:

Igor Milicic Jr. was a consistent producer for the Vols

Igor Milicic Jr. put in another all-round performance with 16 points and nine rebounds in Tennessee’s 75:62 win over Miami on Tuesday. With the win, he narrowly missed his third double-double of the season.

The 1.90 meter tall Milicic has six games with at least eight rebounds and three with at least ten. He leads the Vols with 7.3 rebounds per game. He is also UT’s second-leading scorer with 12.9 points per game. He is hitting 33.3% of his 3-pointers, making him UT’s third-most reliable 3-point shooter behind Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey. Lanier is making 48.6% of his threes and Gainey is hitting 37.5%.

Tennessee, Illinois has two of the best defenses in the country

Tennessee and Illinois have two of the best defenses in the country.

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According to KenPom, the Vols rank No. 2 in adjusted defensive efficiency, which measures points allowed per 100 possessions adjusted for opponents. Illinois is ranked 17th.

The Vols and Fighting Illini are tied for No. 9 nationally in 3-point defense. Against both teams, the opponents achieved a hit rate of 26.5% on 3-point shots.

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Illinois is powered by freshmen, including Kasparas Jakucionis

Illinois’ top four scorers are all first-year players as the Fighting Illini brought in a talented 2024 recruiting class.

Kasparas Jakucionis leads Illinois with 15.4 points and 6.0 assists per game. He shoots 44.2% on 3-pointers. The 6-6 guard is creative with the ball and is a top-notch shooter, Vols assistant coach Rod Clark said.

“I’ve said it all week, he’s the closest thing to Luka Doncic that college basketball has ever seen,” Clark said.

The 7:1 striker Tomislav Ivisic averages 15.3 points. Will Riley, a 6-8 forward, was the top-rated prospect in the class as the No. 14 recruit in the 247Sports Composite. He averages 13.9 points and shoots 40.9% on 3-pointers. Kylan Boswell, Illinois’ starting point guard, is averaging 10.1 points.

Tennessee history, record against Illinois

The Vols and Fighting Illini play the back of a home-and-home set. UT won 86-79 in their first meeting at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on December 9, 2023.

Tennessee has a 3-1 advantage against Illinois in its history. Before last season’s game, the teams had not played since 1988. Tennessee also recorded victories in 1967 and 1985.

Tennessee vs. Illinois injury updates

Tennessee is dealing with a handful of injuries.

Striker JP Estrella is out for the season after undergoing foot surgery at the end of November.
Guard Cam Carr will be out four to six weeks with a left thumb injury suffered Nov. 17 against Austin Peay.
Guard Darlinston Dubar did not play against Miami because of a concussion

How to watch Tennessee vs Illinois: time, TV channel, live stream

Tennessee vs. Illinois airs Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Tennessee vs. Illinois score prediction

Tennessee 69, Illinois 64: Tennessee has its closest game this season, but leaves Illinois with a win and remains No. 1 in the nation with a 2-0 week since taking the top spot.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @By Mike Wilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you like Mike’s reporting, Consider a digital subscription This gives you access to everything.

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