Scouting: Illinois @ Iowa

Posted December 27, 2010 10:00 pm

By Lindsey Willhite

Illinois (10-3, 0-0) at Iowa (7-5, 0-0)

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena

TV: BTN

Radio: WIND 560-AM (at conclusion of the Texas Bowl)

The skinny: The 23rd-ranked Illini charge into their 106th Big Ten season with zero momentum after late collapses against UIC and Missouri. Fortunately for Illinois, it gets to start against one of the lesser-regarded Big Ten squads. Unfortunately for the Illini, the Hawkeyes have won four of their last five games under new coach Fran McCaffery as they're mixing a defensive emphasis with a willingness to get out and run. Junior guard Matt Gatens (11.7 ppg) leads a balanced Iowa attack that doesn't have starting PG Cully Payne. The Schaumburg HS graduate has missed the last 7 games after undergoing surgery on Nov. 30 to repair a sports hernia. Illinois apparently plans to keep freshman Jereme Richmond as the starting small forward. He has grabbed 19 rebounds in the last 2 games.

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