NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Duke, fall in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
19. Illinois (6-1)
While the result doesn’t count, Illinois’s performance against Kansas in an exhibition game before the season certainly turned some attention towards the Fighting Illini, though their home loss to Marquette dulled some of that. It hasn’t always been smooth or easy for the Illini who hadn’t even played a game outside of Champaign before this week.
That first true road game was their first test in conference play, as the Illini traveled to Piscataway to face a pesky Rutgers squad. Illinois used a big run early and another in the second half to pull away for a 76-58 win over those Scarlet Knights. Terrence Shannon Jr. had 23 points and 10 rebounds in what was probably the Illini’s best team performance in this early season.
The Illini were very glad to have forward Coleman Hawkins back in the lineup and should be back on track with that rotation healthy again. Brad Underwood’s squad is still figuring things out but face significant tests in this upcoming week. They’ll face Florida Atlantic in New York City and then get a road game at Tennessee on Saturday; a two-game slate nobody wants to see, even in December.