In January, the Illini were trending towards the cellar of the conference after losing six of seven games.
The Michigan Wolverines and Illinois Fighting Illini square off in the second round of the Big Ten tournament Thursday in a game that is bursting at the seams with NCAA Tournament implications.Īt this point, it is still a bit confusing to see Illinois on the cusp of Joe Lunardi’s bracket after what appeared to be another season of mediocrity in Champaign.