Nebraska vs Illinois basketball injury report and predictions, March 16: Latest on Blaise Keita, Max Williams and more

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and the 13th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini prepare to clash Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The injury report will play a significant factor in this game for both sides. Let's dive deeper into these teams and determine what players will be inactive.

Nebraska vs. Illinois basketball injury report

Blaise Keita, Nebraska

Junior forward Blaise Keita has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury, so he will not be playing in this game. He has not suited up since Feb. 19 and is a key contributor off the bench for the Cornhuskers.

He played in 21 games and recorded 2.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists while shooting 51.4% from the floor.

Also Read: Auburn vs Mississippi State basketball injury report and predictions, March 16: Latest on Lior Berman, Andrew Taylor and more

Max Williams, Illinois

Senior guard Max Williams has been dealing with an undisclosed injury for the Illinois Fighting Illini and is not expected to return for the remainder of the college basketball season. He has not been on the court since Feb. 13 and has struggled to make too much of an impact this season.

Williams has played eight games this season, averaging 0.3 points and rebounds per game in 1.5 minutes.

Nebraska vs. Illinois prediction

The Illinois Fighting Illini are currently listed as 4.5-point favorites for this semifinal matchup. Terrance Shannon Jr. is the best player on either roster, and his performance in the quarterfinals showcased that he can struggle for the first 30 minutes and then flip a switch and dominate.

With forward Marcus Domask as a legitimate second option for the Fighting Illini, they will be difficult to beat. The Illinois offense is scoring 83.7 points per game and is the superior rebounding team. It will be challenging for Nebraska to stop them from going out to an early lead and continue to extend it.