It appears that Illinois' chances of notching an upset victory over Michigan State have taken a huge hit. An Illinois spokesman has informed the media that junior guard Kendrick Nunn did not travel with the team and he'll miss Thursday night's game. According to Illini Inquirer, Nunn stayed behind in Champaign to attend the birth of his first child.
Nunn is averaging a staggering 18.5 points per game on the year, which is tied for first in the Big Ten along with Michigan State forward Denzel Valentine.
Illinois (8-7, 0-2) will take on No. 5 Michigan State (14-1, 1-1) at 8:00pm CT on ESPN.