For 26 years, the Big Ten has waited.
Since Michigan State Spartans cut down the nets in 2000, the league has been close. Final Fours. No. 1 seeds. Dominant regular seasons. But no national championship.
That drought has become part of the conversation every March.
Right now, Illinois Fighting Illini looks like a team capable of ending it.
Wednesday night’s 101-65 demolition of USC Trojans in Los Angeles was not just another win. It was the kind of performance that makes you stop scrolling and take notice.
A road game that felt like a message
Road games in this league are rarely comfortable. Illinois made this one look easy.
The Illini hung 54 points in the first half and never let USC breathe. By the time the second half settled in, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a grind-it-out finish. Illinois kept scoring. Kept defending. Kept pushing the pace without losing control.
They finished 32-of-62 from the field. They hit 13 threes. They went 24-of-26 at the line. They assisted on 21 baskets and turned it over just nine times.
That’s not a team getting hot for a night. That’s a team playing clean basketball.
And when you score 101 in a conference road game in late February, that opens eyes.
There’s no weak link
What stands out about Illinois is how little pressure rests on one player.
Keaton Wagler leads the team at 18.1 points per game, but Wednesday he didn’t need to score 30. He had 12 points and eight assists, ran the offense and let the game come to him. David Mirkovic gave them 14 and continues to clean the glass at nearly eight rebounds a night. Andrej Stojakovic came off the bench and poured in 22, going a perfect 9-for-9 at the line.
Six players reached double figures.
That’s what wins in March. Depth. Versatility. Options.
On the season, Illinois is averaging nearly 85 points per game, shooting 46.7 percent from the field and almost 36 percent from three. They rebound. They share the ball. They don’t waste possessions.
They look comfortable in their identity.
The defense travels
The offense pops on the stat sheet, but the defense may be the more important part of the equation.
USC shot just 37 percent from the floor. The Illini controlled the boards 41-30. Zvonimir Ivisic continues to protect the rim, averaging 2.3 blocks per game, and the perimeter defenders stay connected. They don’t gamble wildly. They make teams work.
That matters when the stakes rise.
In the NCAA Tournament, shots stop falling. Legs get heavy. Whistles tighten. You have to get stops.
Illinois has shown it can.
The Big Ten race isn’t done yet
At 22-5 overall and 13-3 in conference play, Illinois sits two games behind Michigan in the standings. Nebraska, Purdue and Michigan State are right there as well.
Saturday brings a trip to UCLA. Then comes the one everyone has circled: Michigan at home on February 27.
That game could decide the Big Ten title. It could also influence the top two seed lines in the NCAA Tournament bracket.
Illinois is playing like a team that understands the moment.
This feels different
Every year, someone in the Big Ten looks good in February. That part isn’t new.
What feels different about this Illinois team is how complete it looks.
They can win a track meet. They can win a half-court game. They can score from the perimeter and inside. They hit free throws. They protect the ball. They defend without fouling. They have size and skill and enough depth to survive foul trouble.
There’s no obvious weakness to poke at.
Nothing is guaranteed in March. It never is. But if the Big Ten is going to finally break through and end a national title drought that stretches back to 2000, Illinois looks like the type of team that can carry that weight.
And after a 36-point road win in late February, it’s no longer just optimism.
It’s a real possibility.