On Saturday the Illini welcome head coach Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats to the State Farm Center.
The No. 11-ranked Wildcats will enter as the highest-rated non-conference opponent the Illini have played at home since Wake Forest and Chris Paul during the magical 2004-05 season. Two years ago, the Illini visited Arizona’s McKale Memorial Center when Arizona topped Illinois 90-69.
The two programs first met Dec. 27, 1966, and Arizona has won 9 of their 15 matchups.
But many Illini fans recall the 2005 NCAA Tournament matchup when Deron Williams and the Illini staged a remarkable comeback to advance to the Final Four.