Buffs open Big Dance against young, talented Illinois

Colorado faces Illinois in the Round of 64, opening its NCAA Tournament run in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kekoa Brown/Sko Buffs Sports)

The Colorado Buffaloes’ season has brought them to face a supernova from Champaign, Illinois.

It was a rollercoaster season for the Buffaloes, before they hit their stride. Colorado won eight of its last 11 games, including two losses to end the regular season. With doubters and an NCAA Tournament appearance on the line, the Buffaloes made it to the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament to put them back on the Big Dance floor. 

Colorado takes on the seventh-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini in the Round of 64 on Saturday. On paper, the two teams are very similar. Colorado and Illinois have a record of 22-11 and 21-11, respectively, and both captured three or more wins over ranked opponents.  Each team has balance and depth, with the Illini being the youngest squad across the 68-team field. 

Among the Illini youngsters is an explosive frontcourt tandem. The first of that duo is their leading scorer and All-Big Ten awardee, sophomore Berry Wallace. The 6-foot-1 forward averages 18.4 points per game on an efficient 47.4% shooting, and she knocks down 36.1% from deep.

Alongside Wallace is Big Ten All-Freshman selection Cearah Parchment. The double-double machine is Illinois' leading rebounder and second-leading scorer with 13.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. 

For Colorado to capture a win over the Illini, it will have to shut down the Illinois frontcourt. In the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal, Iowa brought Wallace and Parchment to a complete halt. They scored a combined 15 points, their lowest combined mark of the season, as Illinois struggled to get anything going on offense. 

Overall, the Illini are among the best offensive teams in the nation. They score 77.5 points per game on 45% from the field, which are 23rd and 24th nationally. They also shoot the 17th best from beyond the arc with 36.1% average. 

It’ll be key for Colorado to force contested shots on the efficient Illini.  Across Illinois' nine conference losses, five came when Illinois shot under 45%. Three of those losses came against Ohio State, Oregon and Iowa, shooting under its average and just 22% from beyond the arc. Colorado has the defensive capabilities to do so, ranking in the top 100 of points allowed per game at 93rd. 

Tip-off for Colorado against the Illini is set for 7:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2).