The Fighting Illini drive north on I-57 on Saturday to play the Northwestern Wildcats (9-8, 2-6). The Wildcats lost 72-70 at Michigan on Wednesday, while Illinois is coming off its worst offensive performance in a win since January 2020.
The Illini hold a commanding 139-43 all-time record against their in-state rivals, including a record of 64-28 in Evanston. Illinois has won the past six games in the series.
Despite its history, Northwestern isn’t a pushover. Both of its conference wins so far came on the road – one at Maryland and one at Michigan State.
Personnel
The leader of this Northwestern team is senior Pete Nance, a 6-foot-10 forward from Akron.