Just about halfway through the season, the Illini have been on a rollercoaster with many ups and downs.
The last time I wrote an Illinois men’s basketball preview was before the Penn State game. At this point, the roller coaster was at a high coming off the win against Texas. The Illini were feeling unbeatable and firing on all cylinders.
Against Penn State, Mizzou and Northwestern, the Illini were lifeless, unmotivated, and in complete disarray. Their offense was stagnant with poor shot selection, and on defense players missed assignments and were out-toughed.
That changed on Saturday, as the Illini prevailed against a top-20 Wisconsin, looking more like the Illini team that beat Texas.