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Illinois Basketball: 5 key games for the Illini 2022-23 season

By Rees Woodcock

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 18: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on against the Chattanooga Mocs during the first half in the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 18, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 18: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on against the Chattanooga Mocs during the first half in the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 18, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN , IL – NOVEMBER 13: The Big 10 logo on the floor before a college basketball game between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Illinois Fighting Illini at the State Farm Center on November 13, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

3. Illinois vs Texas – New York, New York – December 6 (Jimmy V Classic)

Up to this point, Illinois has played some good teams and has, hopefully, only dropped two games. I want to be, at worst, 6-2 heading into the Jimmy V Classic.

The Jimmy V Classic always features some of the best teams in the country. This season, Illinois gets to participate. The matchup is going to be against the Texas Longhorns at Madison Square Garden.

Playing in this Classic is a big deal. Illinois has the talent to be one of the best teams in the nation, and Texas can hold their own with talent from top to bottom.

The Longhorns spent most of last season in the top 25, only getting knocked out of the rankings for one week. They would finish the year ranked No. 25 in the country. Their 22-12 campaign enabled Texas to get to the NCAA tournament and advance to the second round where they would fall to No. 3 Purdue.

I believe this is one of the five key games for the 2022-23 campaign because it is against a good program, and this game is on primetime television.

Beating a good team like Texas helps the current rankings and future seeding in the NCAA tournament. I also believe that putting on a good show on ESPN would help with national relevance and with recruiting. There are a lot of positives that Illinois could take away with a big win over Texas.

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