West Virginia Mountaineers Vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Preview: Season 108 Episode 4 - The Feast on Atlantic Avenue

OPENING THOUGHTS

Decisions, decisions...

Watch WVU basketball or Thanksgiving dinner?

Tough call.

I hope for your sake that you are in one of those houses that watches TV with your Thanksgiving feast.

After catching The Pride in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC and after the National Dog Show, I hope you get a chance to catch the Mountaineers play in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

This is a great preseason tournament for WVU to be in because it gives ESPN (who basically directs public opinion on college sports) some images of the Mountaineers before January. It is also great for you cord-cutters out there who have been unable to watch WVU because ROOT Sports doesn’t stream...

WHEN/WHERE

Date: Thursday, November 24th

Tip-Off Time: 2:30 PM ET

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Tickets: General Public

WATCH/LISTEN

TV: ESPNU

Streaming Video: WatchESPN (or the WatchESPN app for smartphones)

Radio: WZST Variety 101 (100.9 FM in Morgantown) and the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG (Radio Affiliates)

Streaming Audio: Locate the Mountaineers Sports Network from IMG on TuneIn Radio (or the TuneIn app for smartphones)

Satellite Radio: Sirius 84; XM 84

ODDS

Spread: West Virginia by 9

THE ENEMY

Where are they from? Champaign, Illinois

Series History: Illinois leads the series 3-1

Last Time: West Virginia 90, Illinois 88 on December 10, 1966 in front of a sold-out Mountaineer Field House (Stansbury Hall)

SB Nation Blog: The Champaign Room

Record: 4-1

Record in 2015-16: 15-19 (5-13 Big Ten)

Head Coach: John Groce (coached Ohio U. to a Sweet 16 berth in 2012)

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

KEYS TO THE GAME

• Keep their scorers from scoring. Malcolm Hill averages over 20 points per game so far this season and the Illini have four other guys who average double figures, including Leron Black who will be back after a four game suspension. Keep them at bay, and we’ll be fine.
• Exploit their sloppiness. Illinois averages 14 turnovers per game including 22 in their overtime loss to Winthrop. If WVU can do on Thursday what they did against New Hampshire on Sunday, the Illini will be in for a long night.

HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?

Three. Illinois has some offensive weapons, but they are incredibly bad with ball handling. I’m as afraid of the Illini as I am of someone spoiling a surprise on Thanksgiving

PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG

I think this could be a bad loss on top of what is already a bad start to the season for the Illini. John Groce, who is already on the hot seat, will not get that "onward and upward" momentum that the people in Champaign so desperately want and this will be the first step on the way to an early exit from the (postseason) NIT.

West Virginia 76, Illinois 55