11. Illinois (15-3)
Illinois wasn’t at full strength earlier this season but we’re seeing just how potent Brad Underwood’s squad can be when they have their full complement of players out there. There were a few nights the Illini would like to have back but they’ve used the last month to really assert themselves back into the national conversation and this week punctuated that.
Back on Sunday Illinois scored a ranked win on the road, topping Iowa 75-69 while getting 19 points from brilliant freshman Keaton Wagler. Another strong road performance came Wednesday, with the Illini winning 79-68 at Northwestern. Wagler led again with 22 points while Tomislav Ivisic added 21 points and 7 rebounds. This team did exactly what was needed in the second half this weekend to survive Minnesota in a 77-67 win, with Zvonimir Ivisic leading with 18 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.
The new pieces for the Illini have fit really well into a balanced system, with Wagler as the next star freshman and a great crew of international talent. Illinois has won seven straight games and is now 6-1 in the Big Ten, putting themselves in a fantastic position after that struggle against Nebraska back in mid-December. It’s full speed ahead for the Illini as they host Maryland, but next weekend brings a heavy challenge as they head to Purdue.