Illinois was able to win their first game against Boston University in pretty dramatic fashion and they just might need another big comeback if they are going to beat Clemson today. At halftime, they trail the Tigers 28-19. Certainly not the best start and at one point, Illinois was 0-9 from 3 point attempts. Not the kind of shooting that you like to see, even from a team that isn't the best at shooting.
The main guys for Illinois so far have been Nnanna Egwu and Tracy Abrams. Egwu finished the half with 6 points and 2 rebounds. Abrams finished with 4 points and 2 rebounds. A sign of how well Illinois has done so far is that not a single other player on the team has scored more than 3 points.
For Clemson, Jordan Roper has been killing Illinois. He already has 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Along with Roper, Landry Nnoko finished with 5 points and 3 rebounds. Unlike Illinois (who still has not made a 3), Clemson shot 2-7 from outside the arch during the 1st Half.
Illinois definitely has to get things back on track, but a big part of that will just be shooting better. Their defense has not been too bad, the offense has just struggled so far. For instance, Clemson has shot 55% so far and Illinois has shot just 33% so far. Expect those to at least close some in the next half. That will be a big test of who wins this one.