Illinois, No. 3 Maryland start conference play
Illinois (6-2, 0-0) vs. No. 3 Maryland (9-0, 0-0)
Xfinity Center, College Park, Maryland; Saturday, 5 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: No. 3 Maryland hosts Illinois as conference play starts for both teams. In conference play last season, Illinois finished with eight wins and 14 losses, while Maryland won 13 games and lost eight.
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: Maryland's Jalen Smith has averaged 13.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while Anthony Cowan Jr. has put up 16.2 points and 4.2 assists. For the Fighting Illini, Kofi Cockburn has averaged 16.3 points and 11 rebounds while Andres Feliz has put up 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists.JUMPING FOR JALEN: Smith has connected on 22.2 percent of the 18 3-pointers he's attempted and has made 4 of 12 over his last five games. He's also made 73.9 percent of his free throws this season.
UNBEATEN WHEN: Illinois is a perfect 6-0 when the team records at least 11 offensive rebounds. The Fighting Illini are 0-2 this season when they fail to reach that mark.
STREAK SCORING: Maryland has won its last six home games, scoring an average of 80 points while giving up 57.5.
CAREFUL TERRAPINS: The diligent Maryland offense has turned the ball over on just 16.1 percent of its possessions, the 28th-lowest mark in all of Division I. 21.6 percent of all Illinois possessions have resulted in a turnover.
