Tennessee basketball has its final major nonconference game Saturday.
The No. 1 Vols (9-0) face Illinois (7-2) on Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET, FOX) at State Farm Arena in Champaign, Illinois, for their sixth power-conference nonconference game. UT has beaten Louisville, Virginia, Baylor, Syracuse and Miami.
Here is what to know about the matchup:
Igor Milicic Jr. has been a consistent producer for the Vols
Igor Milicic Jr. is coming off another well-rounded performance with 16 points and nine rebounds in Tennessee’s 75-62 win against Miami on Tuesday. He narrowly missed his third double-double this season in the win.
The 6-foot-10 Milicic has six games with at least eight rebounds and three with at least 10. He leads the Vols with 7.3 rebounds per game. He also is UT’s second-leading scorer with 12.9 points per game. He is hitting 33.3% of his 3-pointers, which makes 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 have two of the nation’s best defenses
Tennessee and Illinois have two of the best defenses in the country.
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Per KenPom, the Vols rank No. 2 in adjusted defensive efficiency, which measures the points allowed per 100 possessions adjusted for opponents. Illinois ranks No. 17.
The Vols and Fighting Illini are tied with the No. 9 in 3-point defense nationally. Opponents are shooting 26.5% on 3-pointers against both teams.
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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 is shooting 44.2% on 3-pointers. The 6-6 guard is creative with the ball and is a high-level shooter, Vols assistant coach Rod Clark said.
“I’ve been saying it all week, he’s like the closest thing college basketball has ever seen to Luka Doncic,” Clark said.
7-1 forward Tomislav Ivisic is averaging 15.3 points. Will Riley, a 6-8 forward, was the highest-rated prospect in the class as the No. 14 recruit in the 247Sports Composite. He is averaging 13.9 points and shooting 40.9% on 3-pointers. Kylan Boswell, Illinois’ starting point guard, is averaging 10.1 points.
Tennessee history, record vs Illinois
The Vols and Fighting Illini are playing the back of a home-and-home set. UT won 86-79 in the first meeting at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Dec. 9, 2023.
Tennessee has a 3-1 edge in its history against Illinois. Prior to last season’s game, the teams hadn’t played since 1988. Tennessee also tallied wins in 1967 and 1985.
Tennessee vs Illinois injury updates
Tennessee is dealing with a handful of injuries.
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Forward J.P. Estrella is out for the season after having foot surgery in late November.
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Guard Cam Carr is sidelined four to six weeks with a left thumb injury suffered Nov. 17 against Austin Peay.
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Guard Darlinston Dubar did not play against Miami due to being in concussion protocol
How to watch Tennessee vs Illinois: Time, TV channel, live stream
Tennessee vs. Illinois airs on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET Tuesday. 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 to stay 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 michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Illinois score prediction: Latest news, injury updates
