8. Illinois (18-3)
The season started on a decent foot for Brad Underwood’s crew but Illinois has really turned into a machine in recent weeks. Sure, the Fighting Illini took some tough losses earlier in the season, including a tough home loss to Nebraska, but they’ve been on point ever since. The long winning streak just keeps building, though it’s hard to match that special performance last weekend at Purdue and the further emergence of Keaton Wagler as a star.
The score was closer than expected at times, but Illinois still handled Washington on Thursday night, securing a 75-66 win. You didn’t see Wagler putting up the same type of performance, but nobody in Champaign is complaining about 22 points and 8 assists in a win. The Illini continue to play well even without injured starter Kylan Boswell and also got 19 points out of David Mirkovic.
Winners of ten straight, Illinois is certainly a team on the rise while now at 9-1 in the Big Ten standings. This team leads the nation in offensive efficiency and always seems to have an answer in these games. The Illini have secured some nice wins on the road during this recent stretch but face two of their biggest challenges next week. They’ll look for revenge at Nebraska on Sunday, host rival Northwestern, and then be back on the road at Michigan State next weekend.