After their loss to Iowa on Monday, Maryland has another tough road test in store for them as they'll face Illinois on Thursday night. The Fighting Illini currently hold a 10-3 (3-0) record, with losses to Cincinnati and Marquette in mid-November pushing them out of the AP Poll after starting the season ranked #11. Their best win so far came on the road against Iowa in early December, with other notable victories over Kansas State and Notre Dame.
As a team, they're much better than their ranking (or lack thereof), and KenPom puts them as the second-best team in the conference behind Purdue. Maryland's big men will have their hands full with Kofi Cockburn, who leads the Fighting Illini in points, rebounds, and blocks per game.
KenPom Rankings
- Maryland: #58 (#79 AdjO, #58 AdjD; #182 AdjT)
- Illinois: #11 (#10 AdjO, #26 AdjD; #158 AdjT)