Writing Illini
Fansided

Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Rutgers

By Rees Woodcock

Feb 11, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 11: Dain Dainja #42 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reaches for the rebound against Antwone Woolfolk #13 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at State Farm Center on February 11, 2023 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 11: Dain Dainja #42 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reaches for the rebound against Antwone Woolfolk #13 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at State Farm Center on February 11, 2023 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

5. Huge win for the Illini in the Big Ten

Coming into the Rutgers game on Saturday, Illinois was the No. 7 team in the Big Ten. We had a long trek ahead of us if we wanted to get to the double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

A win over Minnesota this past week was supposed to help boost our standing in the conference. That game is now to be played on January 20. With a week off in between games, Illinois had the tough task of taking down No. 24 Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights are one of the various teams who are vying for that double-bye. They have played some great basketball this season, and they have always been a thorn in the side of the Illinois basketball program. This was going to be a tough game.

Illinois would emerge victorious, though. A loss would have put the Illini in a near-impossible position, but now we have a legit shot at securing a top-four spot in the Big Ten. With the win over Rutgers, Illinois sits in a tie for second place, but we have three teams in front of us, as Northwestern, Indiana, and Michigan have all beaten Illinois this season.

The Illini still have some big games coming up. We play all three of the teams mentioned above one more time. So, in a way, we kind of control our own destiny at this point. As long as Illinois continues playing lockdown defense, then we should be able to seal up the double-bye.

Next. ESPN bracketology update has the Illini slipping. dark

Home/Illinois Basketball