The Illini hosted the No. 11 Arizona Wildcats in what turned into a highly entertaining, fast-paced game from start to finish.
The bit of travel turbulence that the Wildcats faced in getting to Champaign didn’t impact their play, as they played a complete game on both ends. Illinois continued to play its game from the perimeter, but the usual interior dominance wasn’t there on this day thanks to Arizona’s length and size in its frontcourt.
This is the type of game the Illini needed, as they will be facing premier bigs every night in conference play. While still short handed without dynamic point guard Andre Curbelo, it was encouraging they put up a tremendous fight down to the final minutes.