ESPN Men's Basketball

No. 7 Michigan State at No. 6 Illinois

Tonight, 9 ET (ESPN2)

The Illini have a great home-court advantage in Assembly Hall, playing in front of one of the most passionate crowds in college basketball. The Orange Krush is loud and a factor, and the Orange atmosphere is another hurdle for Michigan State to overcome in trying to win this game on the road -- as if Bruce Weber's undefeated and defending Big Ten champs were not tough enough. To Tom Izzo, a silent crowd would be a beautiful noise.

Illinois has been outstanding thus far, but far from unbeatable. The Illini are doing it with different pieces and finding different ways to win. Dee Brown is one of the most accomplished winners in the game, and has been the most charismatic basketball player the school has ever had. Perhaps no other Illinois athlete since Dick Butkus or Red Grange has put his stamp on the university in such a compelling way. To say Brown is popular in Assembly Hall is akin to saying Oprah Winfrey has a few bucks.

Brown's running mate, James Augustine, just became Illinois' all-time rebounding leader and is an underappreciated star. The long, lean lefty can run the floor, can play on both ends and is very productive. To win, those two have to carry the biggest loads and play very well.

Rich McBride is a shooter who can put it to the deck, and Brian Randle is a versatile player who is arguably the Illini's best defender. Randle can guard any position on the floor. Jamar Smith is as good a freshman shooter as there is in the country, and he is very athletic and smooth.

Inside, Weber has Shaun Pruitt, who can defend and bang, but Illinois is not going to block shots and intimidate. The Illini are going to pressure the ball, get out in passing lanes and try to take away ball reversal. The bottom line for the Illini: Weber has some really good pieces around Brown and Augustine, but those two are the rocks and have to be the best and most productive players on the floor.

Michigan State has the best trio of scorers in the nation in Maurice Ager, Paul Davis and Shannon Brown. Ager and Brown are two Olympic sprinters on the wings who really get out in transition and finish at the rim. Ager has proven to be a prime-time scorer, and he can hit a variety of shots under duress. Davis is the most efficient big man in the Big Ten -- and maybe the nation. He can step away, he posts hard and he rebounds. Davis hits a really good percentage from the floor and from the line, and he is making a great case for first-team All-America. Brown is powerful and capable of big games. He and Dee Brown were high school teammates at Proviso East in Chicago, and Shannon can get to the rim and rise up and shoot over you.

The key positions are point guard and power forward. Drew Neitzel has been maligned for not being more, but he is now healthy and is one terrific guard who knows how to run a team and understands winning. The kid helped lead his team to the Final Four as a freshman, for crying out loud. Marquise Gray is really athletic and needs to rebound and run the floor at Illinois. The atmosphere is most likely to affect Gray, who hasn't experienced anything like it yet. Goran Suton is versatile and skilled, and he needs to be at his toughest to win at Assembly Hall.

Key Matchup: Dee Brown and Maurice Ager. Which star will carry his team? Both players have had great performances this season, and now that Brown is healthy and has his timing, he should be prepared to shine. Ager will have to contend with the length and athleticism of Randle, who likely will have to guard him for stretches, and also will have to adjust to multiple defenders and traps running at him.

X-Factors: Matt Trannon and Jamar Smith. Michigan State needs Trannon's energy and his bouncy athleticism at the power forward spot, as well as his experience level in big-time atmospheres. Smith is the player who can hit big shots over Michigan State's defense to loosen it up.

Key Stat: Transition Points. The winner of this game will be the team that limits the other team's transition and makes it play against a set defense. Both teams like to outlet the ball quickly and run, and both teams feed off of easy scores. Don't be fooled by the way the stat crew keeps transition points, just focus on how many advantage situations and conversions each team gets by getting the ball out quickly after a make or miss.

What to Watch For: Watch how each team defends. Michigan State does not deny passes, but Illinois does and really gets out in the passing lanes to push your offense farther out on the floor. Both teams pressure the ball, but Illinois gambles more often. Michigan State really protects the elbow and the block and has great help-side principles. Illinois tries to get all over you and disrupt and take you out of your primary offense.

Also, watch how Augustine sets ball screens and looks for his own offense off them. He is one of the best in college at screening and spacing or slipping for a great scoring opportunity.

Last, watch how Michigan State handles the road -- this team has four tested and tough vets, but also has a bunch of young pups who could be wide-eyed in the bright lights. This one is a coin flip -- and could be the difference in the Big Ten race.

Jay Bilas, a college basketball analyst for ESPN, is a regular contributor to Insider.