11. Illinois (22-7)
Despite any hiccups in recent weeks, Illinois has proved that they are the second-best team in the Big Ten this season. The Fighting Illini have looked fantastic on offense for nearly the entire year, it’s just about if that defense is stout enough to allow them to have a magical March.
The defense nearly wasn’t enough on Wednesday, as the Illini survived quite a shootout against Minnesota. They beat the Golden Gophers 105-97 in regulation in a wild game in Champaign, getting 29 points from Terrence Shannon Jr. and 22 from Marcus Domask. Saturday’s win felt even sweeter, as Illinois won 91-83 at Wisconsin. Domask stood out with 31 points and 8 rebounds in his home state while Shannon added 23 in the win.
The Illini have won three straight games since a mistake at Penn State and secured their place near the top of the Big Ten standings. This is a squad that proved they could win games when Shannon was suspended and has now seen players like Domask and Coleman Hawkins really develop into studs. Despite March Madness approaching, there’s still drama ahead for the Illini in the regular season, as they’ll host Purdue before heading to Iowa next week.