It was a so-so week for the Illini, and they now sit at No. 10 in the latest AP poll on Monday.
Illinois came in last week at No. 8 and proceeded to lose to Wisconsin at State Farm Center. But the Illini, with Kylan Boswell back on the court, turned things around with a 20-point win over Indiana on Sunday.
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It now becomes more challenging for the Illini as they travel west this week. First up is USC on Wednesday before a matchup with UCLA on Saturday.
And that showdown with now No. 1 Michigan is coming up. Illinois still has a shot at a Big Ten regular season title, but they’ll need to beat the Wolverines and see them lose at least another game.
A “triple bye” in the conference tournament is still up for grabs. A reminder: all 18 teams will arrive this year, so the tournament begins on Tuesday, March 10.