Illinois basketball vs Long Island: How to watch and what to expect

Illinois basketball returns to the State Farm Center on Saturday for a non-conference matchup against Long Island. The Illini are looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Alabama in Chicago on Wednesday night and will aim to get back on track with a strong performance here.

Date: Saturday, November 22nd
Time: 1:00 pm CST
Channel: BTN+
KenPom Line: Illinois -29

The Illini came up just short against Alabama and have several areas to tighten up before facing UConn on Black Friday. Illinois was unable to get a stop in the final moments, so these upcoming games against lesser opponents provide valuable opportunities to sharpen execution and build rhythm.

Long Island enters this matchup with a 3–2 record and a No. 274 KenPom ranking. They’re projected to win the NEC, but this is still a game Illinois should control from start to finish.

Illinois is the stronger team and has a chance to reset over the next two games before entering the toughest stretch of the schedule. As part of a joint MTE with Missouri State, the Illini will host Long Island and UT Rio Grande. Missouri State and Illinois will not play each other, but will each face the same two opponents.

These next two matchups are valuable opportunities for Illinois to solidify roles and continue developing on-court chemistry. Several Illini players have missed significant practice time and haven’t logged many game reps together yet.

Health remains a concern with Mihailo Petrovic, Brandon Lee, and Tomislav Ivisic. Petrovic and Ivisic both played against Alabama and should be available Saturday, but Brandon Lee’s status is still questionable.

Illinois basketball should handle Long Island with little resistance, but coming out focused, disciplined, and ready to improve will be essential.

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