It is only mid-February, but it is safe to say that, barring a miracle – and this doesn’t look like a miracle type of team – the Illini have squandered an opportunity to start on the road back to relevance.
This year Illinois was blessed with 100-percent health, a great mix of seniors and experienced underclassmen, one of the best players in the Big Ten in Malcolm Hill, and size and strength to boot. But a current Big Ten record of 4-9 (14-12 overall) puts the Illini No. 13 in the conference. That makes them the old lunch meat sandwiched between the stale plain white bread that is Nebraska and Rutgers.