The Illinois Fighting Illini (8-7, 0-2) will return to the court on Thursday night at 8:00pm CT to face the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans (14-1, 1-1) in East Lansing. The Illini, who are coming off a narrow 75-73 defeat at the hands of Ohio State, are looking to avoid their first 0-3 start to Big Ten play since 2008. Michigan State, meanwhile, will be looking to survive an expected fourth-straight contest without star forward Denzel Valentine.
Player to Watch: Eron Harris (#14)
With this being Eron Harris' first season of eligibility at Michigan State, this is probably a new name for most Illinois fans.