Chambana Sun

The Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team is set to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a road game at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, on January 30, 2025. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted on FS1 with commentary from Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe.

Illinois enters the game ranked No. 18 nationally with a record of 14-6 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska holds a record of 12-8 overall and 2-7 in conference play. The Illini are coming off an impressive home win against Northwestern, where they secured an 83-74 victory.

Historically, Illinois has dominated the series against Nebraska with a record of 23-8. Since joining the Big Ten Conference in the 2011-12 season, Illinois has maintained a strong performance against Nebraska with a record of 16-6. Head Coach Brad Underwood has led Illinois to nine consecutive victories over Nebraska since February 2, 2019.

Illinois' standout freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis continues to impress this season. He was recently named to The Athletic's Freshman All-America Team and received Midseason All-America third-team honors by The Sporting News. Jakucionis is averaging 15.9 points per game and is tied for first place among freshmen nationwide with eight games scoring over twenty points.

The Illini have been performing well on the road this season, boasting a conference-best away record since the start of the 2019-20 season. They aim to maintain their solid form as they approach this challenging stretch of three road games within ten days.

Illinois ranks highly in several statistical categories both within the Big Ten and nationally. They lead the nation in rebounding with an average of 45 boards per game and are second in their conference for scoring margin at +16.3 points per game.

The upcoming match promises to be competitive as both teams look to improve their standings within the Big Ten Conference.