5. This might be the streakiest Illinois team ever
What a wild ride the season has been thus far. Illinois basketball has looked like the best team in the country at times, but then there are times I think we can lose against nearly any program in the nation.
I would argue this might be the streakiest Illinois team I have ever seen in my lifetime. When the good is good, it is incredible basketball. When the bad is bad, I want to punch a hole in the wall. It is an emotional roller coaster like no other.
That is also what makes the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA tournament so intriguing. I mean, just think about it for a second.
Illinois is probably going to enter the conference tournament as a No. 6 or No. 7 seed and get the single bye. If we win that first game in the second round, No. 2 Michigan will be waiting. Illinois just beat them by 20 points.
If the Illini can replicate the second half of the Michigan win in every game, then the Big Ten Tournament could be ours. That is a legitimate possibility.
What is also a possibility is a first-game exit. Illinois laid some eggs this season. What is lurking from No. 10 through No. 15 in the Big Ten standings is a little scary. We have fallen to Northwestern, USC, Nebraska, and Rutgers. All four programs could be our second round matchup.
The same can be applied to the NCAA tournament. Illinois has the ability to play like we did in the second half against Michigan and in the game against Oregon. That is A- or better basketball. Playing like that will punch our ticket to, at worst, the Sweet 16.
There is also a chance Illinois plays like we did in the second game against Michigan State or against USC. That type of play will get us bounced quickly. Let’s say we enter as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament. A No. 11 or No. 12 will be licking their chops.
Who knows what Illinois will look like in the coming games. It has been a wild ride this season and one that I don’t want to get off of yet. So, buckle in and enjoy.