nbcsports
Two of college basketball's premier programs will collide on Tuesday night as the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini visit the No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. The matchup is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET and will be televised on NBCSN, with live streaming available on Peacock.
Illinois Storylines
The Fighting Illini are coming off a season in which they reached the Final Four for the sixth time in program history and the first under head coach Brad Underwood. That success has raised expectations for Underwood's squad, which was ranked No. 3 in the AP preseason Top 25 poll and returns five of its eight highest scorers from last season. Through two games, Illinois has routed both of its opponents (Fairleigh Dickinson and Penn) by 40 or more points while maintaining its No. 3 ranking. However, the matchup against Texas Tech will be the team's first true test of the season. The Fighting Illini will look to senior guard Andrej Stojakovic, who has started the season on fire, averaging 22.5 points per game on 64.3% shooting from the floor. He has also contributed on the defensive end, averaging six rebounds per night.
Texas Tech Storylines
After an early second-round exit in last year's NCAA Tournament, the Red Raiders are seeking redemption this season. Grant McCasland's squad entered the season ranked No. 9 in the AP preseason Top 25 poll and will rely heavily on its fifth-year players. NC State transfer Darrion Williams, now in his second stint with Texas Tech, is one of those key players; he averaged 15 points per game last season in a Red Raiders uniform. Also crucial to Texas Tech's success is Donovan Atwell, a three-point specialist who averaged over 13 points per game last season. Although the Red Raiders have slipped to No. 16 after allowing Bethune-Cookman to hang around too long in their last contest, they are still 2-0 and have won both games by 15 or more points. With home-court advantage, Texas Tech has an opportunity to earn a statement early-season win over a top-five program.
Projected Starting Lineups
Illinois: Tomislav Ivisic, Ethan Brown, Lincoln Williams, Quentin Coleman, Andrej Stojakovic
Texas Tech: Bassala Bagayoko, Darrion Williams, Donovan Atwell, Cruz Davis, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn
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Originally reported by nbcsports.