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Illinois Basketball: Key Player OUT for the Hoosiers

Indiana will be without big man, Kel’el Ware, against Illinois on Saturday

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1 year ago

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Jan 12, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers center Kel'el Ware (1) boxes out Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) in the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

As Illinois Basketball takes on Indiana on Saturday afternoon, the Hoosiers will be without a key player in their lineup.

According to Jeff Goodman, the big man, Kel’el Ware, has been ruled OUT against the Illini. Ware is a tantalizing NBA prospect who missed the Hoosiers’ last matchup against Wisconsin with an ankle injury. There was some speculation that Ware may be able to give it a go against Illinois on the basketball court, but apparently, that ankle is still bothering him.

Indiana’s biggest strength has been their front court so far this season. Ware is averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds this year, and he would certainly have provided a matchup problem for Coleman Hawkins. Illinois, and Hawkins, have struggled to defend the post over the last few games.

Ware’s absence will give Illinois Basketball a big advantage on Saturday as the Hoosiers struggle with guard play. They are by no means an offensive juggernaut and Ware represented one of their biggest threats to score.

Illinois is unsurprisingly favored to win this basketball game at home, and after a crushing road loss to Northwestern, they need to rebound to stay in the Big Ten title race.

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Zach Leslie is one of original members of Armchair Illini, your go-to sources of University of Illinois news. He has sports content published on Bleacher Report, Verbal Commits and more. He is also one of the most talented videographers in Illini Nation and has published work on some of the most famous Cinema Review sites such as LetterBoxd.

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