We are still nearly three months away from the season’s first game, but the Illinois basketball non-conference slate is set.
The Illini have been up and down in the non-conference for the past couple of seasons. Two years ago, we started the season ranked No. 11 in the country but quickly bounced out of the top 25 with back-to-back losses. A 2-2 start led to a 9-3 non-conference finish that year.
Last season, Illinois started ranked once again, entering the 2022-23 campaign No. 23 in the country. A solid start that saw the program take down No. 8 UCLA quickly turned into a non-conference record of 9-4 and being bounced out of the top 25.
Illinois looks to correct those non-conference woes the past couple of seasons. We want to start the 2023-24 campaign off on the right foot. On Wednesday, the non-conference slate was finalized, and the schedule looks interesting, to say the least.
Illinois basketball will be tested in the 2023-24 non-conference
When I first glanced at the Illinois non-conference, I didn’t think much of it. There are teams on this schedule that don’t scare me when you say the team name. But when you break down what these teams did last season, this non-conference is extremely tough.
Let’s start with the easier teams. Illinois takes on Eastern Illinois (9-22), Oakland (13-19), Valparaiso (11-21), Southern (15-17), and Western Illinois (16-14) in five out of the first six games. These are must-win contests after looking at the other six games in the non-conference.
Your 2023 non-conference schedule.
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Out of the 11-game non-conference schedule, Illinois will be playing six teams who made it to the NCAA tournament last season.
Sandwiched in the middle of the easier games is Marquette. The Golden Eagles finished 2022-23 ranked No. 6 in the nation. They were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and got to the second round.
The final five games of the non-conference slate are intense. Colgate is first, and they were 26-9 last season. They made the NCAA tournament and lost in the first round as a No. 15 seed.
Florida Atlantic is next on the schedule. Illinois will have to face an Owls team that finished the 2022-23 season No. 25 in the country. They made the NCAA tournament as a No. 9 seed and made it all the way to the Final 4.
Following the FAU game, Illinois takes on Tennessee. They finished No. 20 in the country last season, and they entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed. The Volunteers would get to the Sweet 16.
The Braggin’ Rights game is next on the schedule. Missouri finished 2022-23 ranked No. 23 in the country. They also made the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed and got to the second round.
Fairleigh Dickinson rounds out the Illinois non-conference schedule. This sounds like an easy game, but the Knights were 21-16 last season and also made the NCAA tournament. They were able to knock off a No. 1 seed and advanced to the second round.
Illinois has their hands full with this non-conference schedule. Six out of the 11 teams made it to the NCAA tournament last season. This will be a big test to see what this team is made of early in the year.