Baylor vs. Illinois: 5 biggest storylines for 2020-21 matchup

5. With Gonzaga as the consensus number-one team in the nation, it is a wide-open fight for the spot behind them – and both Baylor and Illinois could be in that second spot

For Baylor and Illinois – as well as West Virginia, to an extent – the Jimmy V. Classic is about legitimizing themselves as a national championship contender and the second-best – or, the best, depending on a WVU upset – team in college basketball.

After Gonzaga’s dominating performance over Kansas during the opening week of the season, I am fairly confident in saying that the general consensus across all of basketball is that the Zags are the clear-cut number one team in the nation.  They are deep and can score at will, and it will be excruciatingly difficult for anyone to defeat them.

But if Villanova and Virginia’s opening-week losses have proven anything, it is that the spots after Gonzaga are wide open.  Although Baylor is the only other team currently receiving first-place votes, several teams have proven themselves to be worthy of being considered, ranging from Big Ten schools such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan State, to teams just skirting the top-ten line like Creighton, Houston, and West Virginia.

One of the many incredible things about these opening weeks of the season is just how many of these top teams are facing each other.  Again, just yesterday, we had top-25 battles between Duke/Michigan State and Kansas/Kentucky.  Today, we have Gonzaga/West Virginia and Baylor/Illinois.

For the latter two, this is the only game – currently – taking place between top-5 schools not involving Gonzaga.  This game could very well determine who earns the number-two spot in the next AP Poll.  Or, if West Virginia pulls off the stunning upset over Gonzaga, the winner of this game could very well be the next number-one team in the nation.

There is a lot hanging on this game.  For Baylor, this is the perfect opportunity to continue their sensational season from last year.  For Illinois, a win would prove how legitimate this team is after being a fringe-top 25 squad last year.  No matter the outcome, one team is at least gaining a moral victory – one that legitimizes themselves as a contender.  The other will have to do a little more work to reach that step.

For additional context, according to KenPom, this will be the best foe Illinois, presently, will face all season.  Baylor ranks second in KenPom’s rankings, ahead of Illinois’s three foes thus far in North Carolina A&T (271), Chicago State (355), and Ohio (119).  And, although KenPom is not as generous to the Illini, Underwood’s crew are still the toughest team Baylor has faced yet at 22nd – ahead of Louisiana (168) and Washington (101).

Again, there could be even more on the line by the time tip-off rolls around, depending on what West Virginia does.  Until then, however, both teams are preparing with all of college basketball’s eyes on them – and preparing for their toughest competition yet.