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Illinois Basketball: The real season is about to start for the Illini

By Rees Woodcock

KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 09: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Oklahoma State Cowboys reacts from the bench during the quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against the Iowa State Cyclones at the Sprint Center on March 9, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 09: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Oklahoma State Cowboys reacts from the bench during the quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against the Iowa State Cyclones at the Sprint Center on March 9, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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The Illinois basketball team has started the season off 6-0 and the fanbase, for the most part, seems optimistic about the future.

Let me first start off by saying, I am fully onboard with what is happening in Champaign. The team has talent and depth, the coaching staff is on-point and they have won six games in a row to start the year. The vibes are good with this program and they can continue to climb.

But, fans also need to look at who we have played so far this season. I know, there are some things you can tell have improved from last year. Aaron Jordan is clearly better. Michael Finke is stronger and faster. The freshmen that came in from 2017 have improved depth and they are extremely talented.

Those are all facts and another fact is, the toughest team Illinois has played this season has been DePaul and they aren’t very good. They currently have an RPI of 212 in the nation. The second-best team is Southern (RPI 238), Marshall (245), Tennessee-Martin (260), North Carolina Central (296) and Augustana (NR).

So, while the vibes are great right now for the fan base and the program, the real season is about to start. The next game is against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Yes, I realize Wake Forest isn’t good this season. They are 2-4 on the year and have an RPI of 241. This would actually make them the third best team the Illini have played this season. There are a few things that worry me about this game, though.

Illinois has to play Wake Forest on the road. This is the first road contest for the Illini this season and with a young team like the one in Champaign, you never know what you will get when it comes to road games.

This is also a game that is against an ACC opponent. They have played bad, but they are still a power five conference team and the Illini need to be prepared like they are going up against a Duke type of program. Northwestern is the game that follows this one and I don’t want Illinois to look past the Demon Deacons just because they have a bad record.

Next: Illini get win but struggle against zone

Illinois has started the season off well and fans, including myself, are feeling good about this team. The real season is about to start, and they need to take it one game at a time.

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