The first of the eye-opening games for the Illini is at Arizona. The Wildcats didn’t have a great 2018-2019 campaign finishing 17-15, but this team usually reloads and will have talent on the floor. This game reminds me of the early 2000s Illinois matchups with Arizona. Hopefully, we can be competitive with Arizona like those teams were a couple of decades ago.
Illinois’ next big game then turns to the ACC/Big Ten Challenge where they face off against Miami (FL). The Hurricanes finished with a 14-18 record overall last season, but the ACC/Big Ten Challenge is always tough no matter the record.