A game, that will likely decide the Big Ten, that was first scheduled for early February, is finally taking place Tuesday as the Illini travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to take on the Wolverines.
Illinois will have its hands full with Juwan Howard’s squad, who, as of Monday, are the first team not named Gonzaga or Baylor to be ranked in the top-two in the AP Poll all season.
“It’s March. I’ve been fortunate to see Gonzaga and Baylor in person,” said head coach Brad Underwood over Zoom on Monday. “Michigan is in their caliber.”
Three and a half weeks ago, the Illini were in the middle of a 7-game winning streak while the Wolverines were navigating their return from a COVID-19 forced layoff.