Chambana Sun

The Illinois Fighting Illini, ranked 13th nationally, are set to host the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans in a Big Ten Conference matchup on Saturday at the State Farm Center in Champaign. The game is scheduled for an early tipoff at 11 a.m. Central Time and will be broadcast on BTN with commentary from Jeff Levering and Shon Morris.

This marks the first meeting between Illinois and USC as conference opponents since USC joined the Big Ten. Historically, USC leads the series 6-3, but Illinois has won the last three encounters. The teams last faced off in November 2012 during the Maui Invitational, where Illinois secured a decisive 94-64 victory.

Illinois enters this game on a strong note, having achieved their seventh win by more than 30 points this season with a recent triumph over Penn State. They are currently on a five-game winning streak, including significant victories against ranked teams such as No. 9 Oregon.

Tre White has been a standout performer for Illinois recently, averaging 19 points and 8.3 rebounds over his last three games. Notably, White transferred from Louisville after spending his freshman year at USC.

The Illini have excelled defensively this season, ranking highly in several national categories including total rebounds per game and field goal percentage defense. Their scoring average of nearly 88 points per game is among the highest in decades for the program.

Brad Underwood continues to lead Illinois effectively as head coach, marking his eighth year with an impressive record of achievements including multiple top-25 rankings and significant tournament successes.

Point guard Kasparas Jakucionis has also been recognized for his contributions this season, earning accolades such as Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week and inclusion on the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List.

Saturday's matchup will test both teams' mettle as they compete within one of college basketball's most challenging conferences.