Good evening everybody and welcome back to another LIVE! Report from State Farm Center. The last time Illinois was here was a pretty good night. Like 27-point victory against Minnesota good. Since? The Illini reversed course with a 24-point loss at Iowa on Sunday against a Hawkeyes' team that — only slight hyperbole here — made essentially every shot it attempted.
The challenge doesn't exactly lessen with Illinois back home at State Farm Center. Not with Ethan Happ and Wisconsin in town fresh off beating then No. 2 Michigan for the Wolverines' first loss of the season. Happ, of course, leads the Badgers in essentially every relevant statistical category except three-point and free throw shooting.