dailyillini
For the first time this season, No. 3 Illinois (2-0) will play a true road game, and it comes against a recognizable foe: No. 16 Texas Tech (2-0) on Tuesday night in Lubbock. The matchup is the second leg of a home-and-home series; last November, the Illini defended their home court in Champaign with a four-point victory over the Red Raiders. Now, the script has flipped, and Illinois must navigate a hostile environment to see if fortune still favors the team in orange.
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood previewed the challenge with reporters on Monday, emphasizing the Red Raiders' perimeter-oriented attack. "This is a guard-heavy team," Underwood said. "They can really shoot it. They take a high percentage of three-point shots. And yet they're very, very tough. They're very good defensively. And so this will be a great, great challenge on the road for us."
Texas Tech's Guards Present Defensive Puzzle
The Red Raiders boast a backcourt full of threats, beginning with a pair of transfers. Fifth-year guard Cruz Davis, who led Hofstra to the NCAA tournament last season and was named Coastal Athletic Association Player of the Year, has carried that momentum to Lubbock, scoring 15 points in each of his first two games. Junior guard Damarion Dennis, a Wyoming transfer, has come off the bench in both contests, debuting with 22 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
"Cruz Davis is a guy that is proven at every stop he's been at," Underwood said. "The Dennis kid from Wyoming is a proven scorer."
Texas Tech also returns fifth-year guard Donovan Atwell, who averaged 13.5 points last season while shooting a blistering 45.8% from three. Atwell's shot profile is almost exclusively from deep—he attempted 284 three-pointers compared to just 31 shots inside the arc last year. That trend has continued this season, though he has struggled in his first two games, making just 3 of 18 attempts in 60 minutes. Despite the cold start, Underwood is preparing as if Atwell will catch fire. "You got to do everything that's in your fundamental package well against them," Underwood said. "They're going to exploit you. They've got very good quickness. Atwell has been a terrific shooter throughout his career."
Former Illini Gibbs-Lawhorn Returns to Face Old Team
A significant piece of Texas Tech's guard rotation is former Illinois guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. The senior spent his freshman and sophomore seasons in Champaign before transferring to UNLV last year, where he earned Mountain West Conference Newcomer of the Year honors after averaging 21 points per game and starting all 32 contests. Now back in a power conference with the Red Raiders, Gibbs-Lawhorn has started both games this season. After a quieter debut, he exploded for 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting in his second outing.
"He just went (to UNLV), and he gained some confidence," Underwood said. "He went, in essence, down a level to UNLV, and that's not to downplay them, but he was just turned loose, and Drayvn's always had tremendous capabilities of scoring the basketball. We witnessed those things in practice a lot."
Gibbs-Lawhorn is an aggressive driver who can be difficult to contain when he finds a rhythm. He showed flashes of that at Illinois, including a 21-point sophomore debut and a 17-point performance against Wisconsin later that season. Now, with a year of increased confidence and a starting role, he figures to be a more consistent threat—one Underwood knows well. "He's a guy that can put the ball in the basket and has had, always throughout his life, a lot of success doing that," Underwood said. "So we've got our hands full, and we've got a great challenge there."
Illinois Freshmen Set for First Hostile Road Environment
Tuesday's game will mark the first true road environment for Illinois' six-player freshman class. While Underwood has been impressed with the group's composure and readiness to contribute, he acknowledged that the more experienced players will need to lead. A road game against a top-25 opponent is a different beast than a home buy-game. "There'll be 15,000 more fans there than there were at Cincinnati," Underwood said. "It's a great opportunity. This group has been pretty unfazed to this point. We're going to lean on our veterans. Our veterans have to be poised and help them through those moments. It's all part of getting prepared, being the hunted and being on the road, and we've got to accept that challenge."
Senior wing Andrej Stojaković, now in his fourth college season, recalled his first big-game experience as a freshman at Stanford. "(At) Arizona, probably the first one I can remember that really wowed me," Stojaković said. "The crowd plays a big factor, but the teams deserve to have that crowd, and we can't underestimate Texas Tech. They're a hell of a team. Playing those tough games will only prepare us for our end goal, which is to make a run in March and hopefully early April."
Underwood has consistently said he schedules challenging nonconference games to prepare his team for the NCAA tournament, so the freshmen will need to adjust quickly to the spotlight and noise.
Jake Davis Back Around Team After Surgery
Senior wing Jake Davis underwent surgery for a separated left shoulder last Wednesday and has since been discharged from the hospital. He has spent time with the team at the practice facility, a welcome sight for the Illini. "He's been very positive about his whole situation," Stojaković said. "It's just good to see him around the gym, to be honest. He's one of those guys that just brings positive energy. Talks some trash on the sideline, but it's what we need from a leader like Jake. It's just good to see him."
Davis may or may not travel to Lubbock, Underwood said, as he doesn't have much motion in his arm so soon after surgery. Even while sidelined, Davis will be counted on as a trusted voice on the bench. Last season, veteran guards Ty Rodgers and Kylan Boswell both served in coaching-type roles during their injury absences. Underwood said Davis is well respected and has no doubt he will do the same. "He's been around at practice, and the great thing is he's getting a little sleep even though that thing's pretty immobile; he's getting some rest," Underwood said. "He's an active piece of what we do every day in practice, and as he continues to get a little more comfortable, we'll enhance his role as more of a coach than anything else."
Originally reported by dailyillini.