Welcome to “This Week in Illini Athletics,” a weekly review of the past week of Illini sports and a preview of the week to come.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (13-5 Overall, 6-2 Big Ten)
Last Week: The 17th-ranked Illini had a rough week, losing a thriller to #4 Purdue in double overtime on Monday and dropping a tough road matchup to Maryland on Friday without star center Kofi Cockburn. Despite trailing Purdue by 11 at halftime, Illinois battled all the way back to tie it midway through the second half. However, the Illini would once again find themselves trailing, down by four with under a minute remaining in regulation.